CAMPUS SUKHWINDER SINGH DRAWS THE CURTAINS ON HTKGAF
The singer performed on the steps of The Asiatic Society at the Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2017
Singer Sukhwinder Singh brought the Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2017 to a close on Sunday (February 12) with resounding renditions of songs he has lent his voice to over the years. Held at the steps of the Asiatic Library in Fort, the concert saw Singh being welcomed on stage with cheers and whistles. The singer began his performance with a more than 10-minute long rendition of the Oscarwinning hit, ‘Jai ho’, from Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
Next up was the song Singh is most famous for, ‘Chaiyya chaiyya’ from Dil Se (1998). He began his rendition by explaining that the song was originally sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam in Tamil and was called ‘Thaiya thaiya’ (Uyire; 1998). That was followed by ‘Haule haule’ (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi; 2008), during which Singh invited a woman on stage to dance with him, prompting cheers from the audience.
Speaking about the festival, Singh says, “The festival has always been a very special place for performers, and it was amazing this time. From the audience to the ambience, the place is the perfect combination of things a performer could ask for.” The singer says he loves performing in Mumbai, because it gives him immediate feedback on his work. “This city’s audience is awesome. They value good performers, and their response actually makes you feel how well you are doing. The audiences here are very genuine and are not over the top at all,” he added.
Before Singh’s concert, singer Javed Ali performed songs from his discography, including the title track of the Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor-starrer, Ishaqzaade (2012), which had the audience demanding an encore. Ali’s show was followed by a performance by actors Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, who danced to the tunes of ‘Tamma tamma again’ from their upcoming film, Badrinath Ki Dulhania.
While the evening was entertaining, it was extra special for Devika Sudhadevi, who won the Bajaj Electricals Super Fan contest. She was also presented an autographed guitar by Singh in the presence of Anant Bajaj, joint MD, Bajaj Electricals. The contest required fans to send in videos of them singing one of Singh’s songs, and Sudhadevi’s rendition of ‘Dil haara’ (Tashan; 2008) was selected from the hundreds of entries.
“I found out that I’d won only on Sunday morning. I was so excited; I can’t even describe the feeling. I have been hearing Sukhwinder Singh’s songs for years now. The song I sang in the contest video, ‘Dil haara’, is one of my favourites,” said Sudhadevi. She plans to brush up on her guitar skills and work at being a professional singer. “I have studied Carnatic music for several years, and have always been interested in singing. I plan to be a professional singer and the acknowledgment of my singing talent on this huge stage is a wonderful feeling,” she said.
Speaking about the concert and the last day of the Kala Ghoda festival, Bajaj said, “The culmination of the festival was great. Just as Sukhwinder’s fans are longlasting, similarly our Bajaj fans are there for you every day. The concert was an exciting event.”