Mumbai festival 2007

The 2007 Mumbai Festival began officially at the Gateway of India yesterday. An hour late. With the organizer (Shashi Vyas?) calling out – hullo, sound guy, start playing the Mumbai meri jaan theme song. Sound guy? Does sound guy have a name? With Nayya Singh (who is she, god, who is she? and why is she?) bad-libbing her way on stage in a way calculated to make the audience cringe with every word she uttered. (And here is the bit, she is the face – voice, whatever – of the festival that is going to put “Mumbai on the international map“. Uh? Is there some map out there with a huge blank space where Mumbai ought to be?).

Taj at night!

The insipid theme song ‘Mumbai meri jaan’ sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal and the female voice is none other than Shreya Ghoshal – celebrating the “spirit of Mumbai”. Dev Anand on stage celebrating the spirit of Mumbai some more. Long speeches on the idea behind the Mumbai festival. Gushing thanks to the sponsors (while on this, why is Big FM the radio partner of a festival that has the Times of India as their chief sponsor – what ever happened to Radio Mirchi?) And then some more on the spirit of Mumbai.

Waiting for the show to begin…

Which left rather less time for the actual festival – the performances, that is. The festival finally started with a lovely performance by Jhelum Paranjpe’s troupe – traditional Odissi set to songs from Hindi movies (I don’t know about you but I refuse to accept songs like “ae mere pyare watan” and “hoton pe aisi baat” as Bollywood hite, as Nayya sugested – as you can see, I have taken a ready and steady dislike to her). And then a very short and wonderful recital by Pandit Ajay Pohankar with his son Abhijit on the keyboard and a stunning guitarist. Alas, Urban Raga ended before it began – for lack of time – there was a ten p.m. deadline and Australia was waiting with Strange Fruit. But I definitely intend to catch more of the Pohankars and Urban Raga as soon as I can.

The Pohankars’ Urban Raga

And finally, the show I had gone there for… Strange Fruit all the way from Australia. Yesteray’s theme was Spheres… Strange Fruit was mesmerising – one man and three women suspended on poles high above the ground… a fantasy world of light and color… balloons and pixies and fairies… strange haunting music and lots of humour…

Here is what their website says – Originally based on the image of a field of wheat swaying in the breeze, the poles’ extreme strength and flexibility allow the performer to bow to impossible angles, swaying back and forth in a hypnotising dance as the audience looks up in wonder.

Strange Fruit is performning today and tomorrow again at the Gateway – I am planning to be there tomorrow – and I strongly recommend it to you too…