Shankar ‘trains’ Mumbaikars

The steps of Asiatic Library (aka Town Hall) were converted into seats and traffic was diverted from around Horniman Circle as the road would be converted into an amphitheatre for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s performance at the Kala Ghoda Festival.

Shankar Mahadevan was at his usual best, belting out one hit after the other – all fairly recent, from Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On, Kal Ho Na Ho and more.

While the few of us found a place to stand and from where we could get a view of the stage we got a better view from one of the camcorders’ display screen instead. I was trying to keep pace with Shankar’s ‘Breathless’ and hoped no one was listening to me. But then, I hoped someone noticed, in case i was left breathless.

Anyways, they played ‘Mitwa’ from Kal Ho Na Ho and Shankar asked the crowd, as they usually do, to sing along. “No no no no…the trains in Mumbai go all the way to Virar. Yours’ stopped somewhere at Dadar.” he complained, referring to how long the crowd stretched ‘Mitwaaaaa….’. Try again, and he went, “…kahe dhadkane tujhse kya…” and just when he pointed the mic at the crowd, I suspect all the air in the atmosphere must have been sucked in by the audience who were ready with a deep breath to pull the song through to ‘Virar’. And we went, “Mitwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….”. “Viraaar!!” he announced and the crowds felt like they had become opera singers!

Later, he had a jugalbandi with the audience and tested vocal chords of Mumbaikars, and gave us 95%.

But I guess you do get punished for trying to be God – my throat still hurts.