Solah baras ki,‘Khumaar’ ki umar ko salaam! Waah Bipin Pandit---Show ho toh Aisa !!

- Chaitanya Padukone

Music concerts may come, music events may go, but ‘Khumaar’ harmonious hang-over lingers on forever !

‘Khumaar’ an annual musical extravaganza, an innovative brain-wave of multi-faceted Bipin R. Pandit has been drawing in music lovers with scintillating performances of some of the top evergreen and contemporary melodies that Bollywood has to offer. Founded and lovingly nurtured since its inception in 1998 by Bipin R Pandit, COO, The Advertising Club, Khumaar today has grown to be a major showcase for established as well as rising-promising talent as well as a platform for preserving the love for India’s classic retro- melodies. The show presents a classy selection of curated melodies with lots of surprise segments.

Like this time ‘Khumaar’ 2022 in its 16th year, held at St. Andrews Auditorium, sparkled with its stage-showmanship . With an LED screen, synchronized spot-lime-lighting, and an acoustic sitar-player in the live orchestra, audiences were enthralled with the fabulous songs-medley tribute to iconic versatile composer Madan Mohan . Which had all the event-singers participating.

What is even more special about Khumaar is that it has become a not-to-missed event for professionals from diverse fields of marketing, media, advertising, and digital, among others. For Khumaar 2022, event which came with a bang, after a two-year hiatus, which was held in Mumbai, special invitees and guests came in all the way from distant Indian cities and even from Canada.

Commenting on the Khumaar Musical Nite-2022 this year, impresario Bipin R Pandit said, “It is very satisfying to have a houseful show ! It speaks volumes about the loyalty-faith that people have in the quality of the show. My observation is that one may book the best venue, offer quality drinks and outstanding food, but to get people to attend is a huge challenge. In that sense, all my hard work, ably supported by all the sponsors and my team, is paying rich dividends. Khumaar has performed at Baroda and Indore as well, and surely with artists from different parts of India performing for it, our Khumaar Musical Nite has become a pan-India brand.”

Continues Bipin, “Excellent professional singers like Mona-Kamat-Prabhugaonkar, Sarvesh Mishra, Rajeshwar Karmakonda, Raagini Kavathekar and Chandrashekhar Mahamuni are Khumaar regulars who have made a name for themselves. Two things have given me immense satisfaction, one is honouring on stage, Covid Heroes who did outstanding job during Covid Pandemic which included Doctors, Nurses, Police Officers and Constables, BMC employees and even a Ward Boy. Secondly there were three new fabulous singers launched under my popular segment “Khumaar ki Khoj” which include Satyendra Tripathi-Voice of Udit Narayan, Zeeshan Shaikh-Voice of Rafi Saab and Sonu Nigam and Sushil Mungekar-Voice of S P Balasubrahmanyam”, shares the articulate bass-voiced exuberant compere-mimic-singer-impresario Bipin R. Pandit.< also author of classy-glossy Bolly-music-centric coffee-table book ‘Khumaar’ released by legendary Bollywood composer Pyarelal-jee, nine years ago>.

Talented Rajeshwar Karmakonda singing various songs in the voice of Kishore-da was amazing, but his Marathi fast-tempo song ‘ Ashwini Ye Naa’ sent the audience into raptures. While all the singers including winsome mellifluous Mona Kamat-Prabhugaonkar, seasoned Sarvesh Mishra, charismatic Chandrashekhar Mahamuni , versatile Raagini Kavathekar packed a punch with some peppy and soulful evergreen melodies of evergreen Bollywood films, it was three new singers who were also very impressive. .

Star of the evening, unassuming singer Zeeshan Shaikh who came from from Nashik, who sang in the voice of Rafisaab and Sonu Nigam was among the memorable highlights of the show. Not surprisingly he got a ‘standing ovation’. Overall, an amazing Khumaar event sureela hang-over, that will never get over !