Mumbai: Sanitiser bottles to replace roses at Diwali Pahat concerts

Mumbai: Through the seven years that music lovers have arrived for the early morning Diwali Pahat concert at Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra, they have been greeted with a rose. This time they will be gifted a bottle of hand sanitiser. The hosts will distribute sealed packets of ‘faral’ or Diwali snacks rather than placing plates on open tables, to minimise contact.

This uniquely Maharashtrian musical event is held after daybreak on Diwali day. Initially, it revolved around morning classical ragas, says show host Sandeep Kokil, but now encompasses bhavgeet and film songs as well.

The Covid pandemic has wrought a new awakening in the way Diwali Pahat is organised. There will be gaps in seating, musical instruments and equipment will be rubbed with sanitiser, artistes are fully vaccinated, and guests must enter with masks firmly in place.

Despite the rigours, listeners are simply thankful that Diwali Pahat has resumed after last year’s lockdown. Renowned artistes like Ustad Rashid Khan, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Pt Jayateerth Mevundi and Ashok Hande, alongside younger singers such as Shrikant Narayan and Prajakta Satardekar, will perform across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane from November 2-5.

Performers, organisers and audiences alike are pleased because the resumption of Diwali Pahat comes right after the state government reopened auditoria and cinema halls from October 22. Anchor Sandeep Kokil of ‘Preet Rang’ at Vile Parle shared the sense of relief. “For over a year, people have been burdened by news of illness and vaccination availability. Finally they can relax with some music on a big festival,” he said.

Vocalist Rashid Khan, who will perform at Shanmukhananda Hall on November 4, said, “This will be my second live show after the 18-month hiatus, and being back couldn’t have felt better. Even though virtual performances have taken off, nothing beats live performances. The live interaction with the audience is what makes a performance worthwhile.”

Khan’s organiser Priti Mandke of Swarasparsh said, “It was a miracle that we were able to assemble this Diwali Pahat within days of the reopening of theatres. Since ours is a traditional classical concert, we hope to fill 1,250 seats, that is almost 50% of the 2,700 capacity of Shanmukhananda.”

The Rangsharda event is the brainchild of BJP MLA Ashish Shelar. He said, “Our artistes and technicians will intersperse the songs by narrating the hardships they underwent during the lockdown. They will entertain as well as educate.”

However, there is anxiety on various counts. Organiser Manoj Pathak, whose Preet Rang event is at Vishnudas Bhave hall in Vashi, said, “How is it possible to check if 500 visitors are fully vaccinated? I am anxious about filling even the permitted 50% seats due to conditions like full vaccination. The mask mandate is easier to follow.”

Artiste-director Ashok Hande, with one Diwali Pahat each in Vile Parle and Borivli, said, “My grand production Marathi Bana has 125 performers and save three, all are fully vaccinated. We have had to purchase 122 new saris since the earlier costumes were spoilt during the 18-month shutdown. Equipment and instruments became rusty and dysfunctional. I wish the state had permitted theatres to operate at 100% capacity given the costs we incur. I spoke to state minister Ajit Pawar who assured me that he will consider the matter soon after Diwali.”


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