India: Piyush Mishra's magical storytelling and music

Piyush Mishra’s recent concert in Bengaluru, India, was electric, unexpected, and magical

On my recent visit (July 2024) to Bengaluru, India, I attended the Ballimaran Concert by Piyush Mishra and Troupe. For the uninitiated, Piyush Mishra is a multifaceted artist—a lyricist and music composer who is also known for his acting skills in films like Gangs of Wasseypur and Maqbool. He graduated from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, India.

We did not expect to witness the magic we did that evening. We bought the platinum tickets in the way-out venue at Whitefield, which was a surprise even for the locals. When we reached the venue a good hour before the event, we were greeted by a huge crowd at the band collection counter. The crowds were directed to a convoluted path somewhere in the backyard of the Phoenix Mall, and again, we found ourselves in a kilometer-long queue to enter the tented venue temporarily constructed for the purpose.

Considering we had bought expensive tickets, we expected an auditorium with comfortable seating; instead, we were greeted with fabric-covered plastic chairs that seemed to be stuffed in limited space. We struggled to catch hold of our seats, and there appeared to be a sea of people in that tent, at least 20% overpopulated with little room for movement, even for exits. It was evident that safety was not a factor of consideration.

However, the crowd was supercharged even before the show began. Once Piyush Mishra came on stage, the atmosphere became electric! Each song/ poem he sang kept charging the audience more and more. With no significant singing skills incorporated, the renditions were simply storytelling and tuned to very hummable tunes. Some evoked deep sorrow, some romance, some provoked “jJosh” adrenaline-umping words and tunes, going through a whole gamut of emotional rollercoaster. I saw a young lady get emotional during ‘Husna’ (a love ballad with the backdrop of India and Pakistan). Some people were also on live video calls to share their joy with their loved ones.

Each song was greeted with an “encore” chant. Towards the end, thousands of people were on their feet, their mobile lights on, to capture the mood of that tent. The last song was an encore of one of his inspiring songs –”Aarambh hai Prachand” — and the crowd was in total frenzy! Everyone gave a standing ovation and ended the show on such a high! Mishra himself mentioned that this was, by far, the most beautiful response he had ever received for this show. And that it was unexpected and unprecedented.

On a personal note, I was excited to see him live but had not expected to witness the electricity generated. I hope the organizers remember safety protocols next time.

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Authored by Rashmi Kotriwala

Rashmi Kotriwala is a well-known name in the UAE’s performing arts circle. Over the last 12 years, she has directed several award-winning plays and acted in and produced plays, festivals, and entertainment events in Dubai, Doha, and India. She teaches drama at her platform, EnAct. She also co-founded a popular community theatre space in Dubai.