Kalapini Komkali mesmeries with soulful recital

The Indian National Theatre in collaboration with the Durga Das Foundation hosted a spellbinding evening of Hindustani classical music at ‘Varsha Ritu Sangeet Sandhya’, held at the Strawberry Fields High School auditorium in Sector 26 here on Saturday.

Renowned vocalist Vidushi Kalapini Komkali mesmerised the audience with a monsoon-themed recital, beginning with ‘Raag Miyan Malhar’ and culminating in a soulful Kabir bhajan in ‘Raag Bhairavi’. Her performance included compositions by her legendary father Pt Kumar Gandharva, along with traditional ‘bandishes’, ‘tarana’, ‘thumri’ and a folk bhajan — each capturing the spirit of the season with depth and elegance.

The concert was dedicated to the memory of Navjeevan Khosla, patron of Indian National Theatre, on his birth anniversary. Swami Brihitananda, secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Chandigarh, honoured the artistes. Anil Nehru, president, and Vinita Gupta, honorary secretary of the Indian National Theatre, spoke on the occasion.

Kalapini, recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, was accompanied by Chetan Nigam Joshi on harmonium and Shambhunath Bhattacharjee on tabla. The event drew a large audience of music lovers, offering a rich celebration of the monsoon through the timeless beauty of Indian classical music, said school director Atul Khanna.