Bangaloreans sways to the beats of Kailash Kher

When Kailash Kher hit the high notes of his hit number Teri Diwani at Palace Grounds on Saturday, all was forgiven.

That the evening’s concert had started over three hours late was forgotten when the Bollywood master blaster took over the finale of Bengaluru Habba 2011. 

His voice rose into the cold air, fireworks lit up the night sky, and the crowd that had tired itself out waiting for the show to begin was comforted.

Ranjha Ranjha… he began working the crowd up. Main to tere pyar main, Rangdini came next. Then it was the peppy Tauba Tauba. Next, he changed the mood a bit with the melancholic Kaise Bataien.  Inviting three beautiful ladies on stage to dance with him, he sang the number that pays tribute to India’s many languages— Jhoomore.

He gave the crowd what they had come for. It’s not his first time in the city; he’s been here over a dozen times, about twice or thrice at the Bengaluru Habba itself. The crowd, however, had been anticipating his arrival as if it was his first visit.

He would keep visiting, regaling audiences as long as venues like Palace Grounds existed, he assured. “We have to be thankful to the maharaja that he has retained the grounds and not allowed a mall to be set up here,” he said. “We need development but at the same time we need to live. This is living,” he said, charming the crowd with his words.