I’ve always been a fan of watching musicians perform in an intimate set-up. The camaraderie between artist and fan, the cheeky interplay, and the personal anecdotes that are casually flung out can never quite be matched by a scripted, by the book event.
We reckon, artists themselves are of similar mind, at least Ali Zafar in particular who took to the stage on Friday night at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, mere hours after being discharged from a hospital.
This probably also explains why Bollywood actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana, who was the opening act of the night, continued to play his set well past the required limit — even asking members of the audience to throw out requests as he performed a 105-minute set.
Not that there were any complaints coming from those seated — or dancing in the aisles — at the stadium. Khurrana’s infectious energy at the MTV India Unplugged concert was unstoppable.
Performing a mixed bag of his Bollywood hits, along with stuff from his personal album and some oldies, Khurrana kicked off the night with smooth ballads such as Hookah Marda Phira, Hareya and Mitti Di Khushboo, before leading into his monster hits, Paani Da Rang and Moh Moh Ke Dhaage, from Vicky Donor and Dum Laga Ke Haisha, respectively.
The award-winging Papon track was revisited with a Jazz infusion, as Khurrana deftly interplayed a mash-up with the eternal Bollywood classics, Chookar Mere Mann Ko — immortalised by the late Kishore Kumar — and Jagjit Singh’s Hoton Se Chu Lo Tum.
CONTAGIOUS ENERGY
As the night unfolded, Khurrana continued to regale a mesmerised audience with personal stories of his childhood, as he took the tempo up a notch with a cheeky dedication to the three Khans of Bollywood — Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir. Needless to say, as the first chord of Oh Oh Jaane Jaana reverberated through the stadium, the crowd was on its feet with several men aping Salman’s fancy footwork — stopping short of ripping off their shirts.
An AR Rahman dedication followed, even as the legendary maestro held his own audience enamoured across the city at the Burj Park. We didn’t complain, not when Urvashi Urvashi and Humma Humma had us on our feet again.
By the time the clock struck 11.30pm and Khurrana was 90-minutes into his set, most of us knew no joint jam session with Zafar was likely to happen. But far from being disappointed, the applause only grew thunderous, especially when Khurrana requested his brother, Aparshakti (also a Bollywood actor), to join him on stage for the finale.
And what a finale it was. The set began with a Punjabi dhol mix of Pani Da Rang and the Vicky Donor song Rum Whisky, and the two Khurrana brothers took off. Matching step with step, the brothers showed off their captivating moves as the drum beats thundered away to keep up with their rhythm.
But wait. It wasn’t over just yet. Khurrana surprised us all with a dedication to his fans across the border with Dil Dil Pakistan (earlier in the night, he had also belted out a few hits by Pakistan’s Sufi rock band Junoon).
Petty politics was firmly left at the door as the crowd chanted the Vital Signs anthem, even as the mash-up hit crescendo with Chak De India.
TRUE ROCK STAR
As the lights dimmed and Khurrana made his exit, the crackling energy that the Indian star had ignited was far from abating. It started as low humming sound, before the domino effect had the entire stadium chanting ‘Ali, Ali’ in anticipation of the next act that was to take to the stage.
And what an entry it was. Fifteen long minutes later, Zafar swaggered on to the stage singing Chal Dil Mere, looking the part of a rock star, with a gold jacket and sunglasses — although both were discarded mere moments later due to the balmy night and Zafar’s own irritation.
The first sign that something was amiss was noticeable when the singer switched tracks to Woh Dekhnay Me from London Paris New York. Noticeable cracks in the high pitches, a backup singer taking lead even during the lows, was discernible.
Perhaps noticing the puzzled faces in the crowd, Zafar came clean stating he was recovering from a nasty viral infection and had only just been discharged from a hospital.
Despite a voice and body that continued to protest throughout his 60-minute act, Zafar put in a sincere effort, with assistance from his band and the audience itself that filled in the gaps.
With the late hour and crowds dwindling down, the singer had organisers open the gates and let the crowds move freely to the front of the stage — much to the chagrin of the VIP ticket holders.
But Zafar being the rebel that he is, threw caution to the wind as he sang some Bollywood classics before tuning into his Coke Studio persona with Rockstar and Julie.
As nights go, many could look upon it as a missed opportunity with two spirited artists holding the capacity to take this concert to a whole new level with some onstage interplay. Sure enough, many a fan may have walked away a little disappointed, but Zafar’s passion despite hurdles and Khurrana’s vivacity are still compelling memories to hold.
