Dance is perhaps the most natural expression known to mankind. It’s simple to understand and at the very least, simple to do too. Just let your body loose and the rhythm gods guide you to new realms of happiness. That is the simple essence of it. Just move and the rest will take care of itself. 

This year may not have given us many reasons to dance and celebrate, but we must be grateful. Grateful to be in a world which is so instantly connected and accessible. Many artists and performers have done their level best to bring themselves to us in our time of need. The events of this year will surely give many future students a hard time in their history exams, so we need to do our best to leave them with a worthy souvenir. And so, we proudly bring to you five dance performances that we simply couldn’t resist. 

1. O re piya- Naina Batra

Watching this gives the same feeling as that of peaceful meditation. The graceful Kathak moves of Naina Batra, Radhika Kalra and Juhi Mehta wonderfully captured each beat. Of course, to perform to such a well-known song is a challenge, but they aced it. It’s a true ode to the culture of India.

2. Kannanule- Lavanya Tripathi and Umang Gupta

This dance cover stunningly employs clever photography and locations to highlight the moves of Lavanya Tripathi and Umang Gupta. The duo has been dancing for a long time and become pretty successful in the field. And the colours in this video only add to its charm! A must watch.

3. Illegal Weapon 2- Deepak Tulsyan

And now for a more modern and contemporary feel, we have these amazing children led by their teacher. This performance is one that is bound to get your feet tapping and the sheer talent in these performers is remarkable of course.

4. 52 Gaj ka Daman- Kashika Sisodia

With over 12M+ views, this performance is as enthusiastic as the song it is based on. Kashika Sisodia lets herself go in the beats and lets the music guide her. It’s a fun watch for anybody who’s looking to add extra energy into their lives. 

5. Mona Kon Bakhor- Sumi Borah

This delightful performance marries tradition with modernity. The scenic beauty of both the landscape and the performer makes it an unforgettable experience. Dance is all about expression and she brings it in spades. Have fun!

That’s a wrap! Happy New Year to All! Here’s looking towards a better tomorrow. 

The power of music explodes on many levels, it soothes the ears, calms the mind and heals the soul. This year, we all needed that more than ever before. Listeners craved for something which could get them through endless hours of struggle and discontent. And we are proud to say that all Indian Artists definitely delivered. Many of them went discovered new creative outlets and added whole new dimensions to their music. IIn the end, it helped in solidifying the belief that we may come and leave, but art perseveres. Art is essential. 

While 2020 may forever remain a painful spot in our memories, it also gave us a chance to look at the silver linings. An exodus of artists, both upcoming and established gave us tunes that we can never forget. But don’t worry, if you couldn’t get the chance to listen to them, we have brought you a fun list to take you back! Better Late Than Never, Right?

1. Zara Zara Behekta Hai-Jalraj

In this era of cheesy remakes and reused talent, it is a rarity to find a piece which provides an entirely novel experience to a fan-favourite song. JalRaj did this brilliantly with a superb male version of the popular song ‘Zara Zara Behekta Hai’ From the Feature film ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. And, It is the highest viewed music cover of this year and quite rightfully so!

2. Roja Jaaneman/Kaadhal Rojave- Nandini Shankar and Mahesh Raghvan

With a fantastic blend of Instruments, Nandini and Mahesh released this two-minute-long cover of the evergreen song ‘Roja Jaaneman’. Its production quality, matched with the ambience it created is one-of-a-kind. Truly Brilliant! The Cinematic feeling it inspires is enough to transport you to your ‘happy place’.

3. Audience Choice Mashup Part 2- Get Nithyafied

Now, this is something unexpectedly brilliant. Being Indian usually entails that any average person could be bilingual. Now imagine singing in 13 languages. Nithyashree has done this not once, but twice! In the second part to her Audience Choice Mashup, she gloriously sings a mashup of 15 different songs. Extraordinary!

4. Zara Zara (Bengali Version)- sayAn

Did I mention that some songs are just immortal? This is definitely one of them. sayAN brought us a remarkable cover of this beloved tune. The twist? It’s in the beautiful Bengali language. In three-minutes, every Indian no matter where they hail from will feel like the proudest Bengali. Don’t miss it!

5. Lemonade- Sanjana Devarajan

From her EP ‘mood’, ‘Lemonade’ just goes to show how flexible Indian Music really is. There is simply no boxing the immense talent in Sanjana Devarajan. Reminiscent of the good old 90s English Pop, the song is catchy and peppy. Sanjana is an upcoming artist who is sure to leave her indelible mark on the Indian Landscape!

That’s it for the Melodious Recap Folks! Stay Tuned.

This year has put shame to all adjectives. There is hardly one I can use which will aptly encapsulate all that we have been through together. Times were tough, but they were also humbling. We lost a lot, but we also gained a new perspective on life. And through all of this, the medium of poetry always held our hand. It provided comfort and warmth in places we didn’t even know existed. One doesn’t need to be a savant or a learned connoisseur to be allowed to experience the healing power of words, one simply needs to take part. 

At the same time, there is no defined way to review it, no poem is better than the other, you like what you choose to like! Adversity provides a strange kind of fodder to an artistic mind, the sheer amount of emotions that galvanise into words is enough to intimidate everybody. That is what has prompted us to recount and reminisce about the poems that brought light into our darkness.

1. Bulaati Hai Magar Jaane Ka Nai- Late Dr Rahat Indori.

The more said about this man, the less it is. Urdu’s Greatest Devotee passed away this year leaving behind an immortal body of work. ‘Bulaati Hai Magar Jaane Ka Nai’ is one such piece beloved by all. Take a moment of your time and relish this performance by the man himself, as a tribute to the late poet.

2. Koi Toh Ho- Nidhi Narwal

We all seek validation in some form or the other, be it through others or oneself. This poem delivered with beautiful diction and care by Nidhi Narwal will hit you just in the right place. The yearning to be faultlessly understood is a very primal need, and that feeling will inundate you!

3. Ek Ladke Ki Expectations- Anubhav Agrawal

This piece feels like a nice conversation between us and its creators. It succinctly points out what people expect and should do in relationships. The best thing about this piece, it serves as both poetry and advice. Its second part titled ‘Ek ladki ki expectations’ is just as good!

4. Jaise Tum Pyaar Karte Ho- Priya Malik

In this serene piece, Priya Malik reminds us why each individual has their own way of expressing their love. It’s a great call for people who in their pursuit of an ideal forget what makes them special. A fantastic performance indeed.

5. ‘School Ka Voh Dost’- Darshan Rajpurohit

This piece dives into a special relationship and it resurfaces within us the nostalgia of school life. Childhoods are simply the best time of our lives, no doubt about it. But it wouldn’t have been the same without that ‘one friend’. 

And with that, we put a full stop to the first instalment in the Rewind Series. Stay Tuned!

Samuel Jackson once said, “Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.” That virtue of poetry and storytelling was superbly highlighted in these amazing performances of last year. From the rhyming words of Rakesh Tiwari to nostalgia-filled ones of Priya Mallik to heartwarming act of Swaraj Singh, all of them move our hearts with their soulful performances.

As 2019 comes to an end, we bring you some of the most heartwarming poetry and storytelling performances of 2019.

Steve Martin once said, “Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.”

A burst of hearty laughter is the best remedy to any problem in life. And comedians are the experts of laughter who give us a reason to laugh every time. As this year comes to an end, we bring you some of the most funniest standup comedy performances of 2019.

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in the performances belong solely to the artists and the performers and do not represent those of The Talented Indian. The platform is not responsible and does not verify for accuracy of any information contained in the performances.