Shankar Mahadevan and Friends performing on day one of the festival. All photos courtesy of Bollywood Music Project
Bollywood has never just been an industry; it’s been our shared language. It’s the background score we grew up to, capturing everything from awkward first crushes to teenage triumphs. And last weekend, that language spoke louder than ever.
As the Bollywood Music Project returned for its 9th edition, it was a night that celebrated what Bollywood represents: legacy, discovery, reinvention, and connection.
It began with the new voices finding their place in a sound that has defined generations. Priyashi Shrivastava, Chetna Bhardwaj, and Subhadeep Das Chowdhury brought with them a rare freshness that still felt familiar. Their tones were reminders that even as time moves forward, the emotion that Bollywood evokes remains unchanged.
Then came the wave of nostalgia: Anu Malik, Baba Sehgal, and Abhijeet Sawant, all artists who once ruled our radios and cassettes, now commanding a crowd that spanned every age. Their music was a bridge across time. Parents sang with children. Strangers smiled at each other, mouthing the same lyrics. Instead of sound simply filling the air, it was memory taking form.
And just when it seemed the night had reached its peak, Shankar Mahadevan stepped in with his “Shankar Mahadevan and Friends” project. There’s something transcendent about watching a man who doesn’t just sing, but absorbs the song completely. From the first chant of his Ganpati track, the air turned sacred. The music swelled with energy, building from intimate melodies to soaring crescendos that left the entire audience spellbound.
Farhan Akhtar arrived next, commanding the stage as a poet, rockstar, and storyteller. His presence shifted the energy, taking us back to the Rock On! days, when youth and rebellion had a melody of their own. His voice carried nostalgia and defiance in equal measure. And then there was Shaan — eternal, effortless, ageless. His voice felt like coming home after a long journey, warm, steady, unchanging.
Then came the moment that defined the night: Shankar sharing the stage with his sons, Siddharth and Shivam Mahadevan. It wasn’t just a performance; it was inheritance in motion. When they performed “Breathless”, faster, cleaner, and more alive than ever, it felt like watching time fold itself into the old and the new.
Day two also came with a power-packed lineup of feel-good classics and fresh perspectives. From Usha Uthup’s electrifying stage presence, to Tanishk Bagchi’s reimaginings of chart-toppers, to Salim–Sulaiman’s masterful live arrangements, every performance showcased the star power of a cohort that knows how to honor the past while shaping the future of Bollywood music.
Over 12,000 people stood witness that weekend to that riveting sense of shared emotion. Beyond the performances themselves, the format of the Bollywood Music Project showcased the untapped potential of Bollywood-led live entertainment. Much like international music festivals, it curated a diverse lineup that balanced nostalgia with discovery, veteran stars with emerging talent, and intimate sets with large-scale productions. The seamless flow from one act to another, paired with thoughtful collaborations and a narrative arc that engaged audiences across generations, demonstrated that Bollywood, too, can thrive in festival-style formats.
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