One of the most anticipated aspects of new years is all the new songs the commencing year will bring. For who doesn’t enjoy music? 2022 was a year full of amazing global releases, sure, but there was a plethora of undeniably beautiful and exceptional indie releases by our very own Indian artists. Quite frankly, with the age of easy-to-access music apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, JioSaavn, etc., exploring and discovering new music has become unchallenging. So, while the Bollywood music industry is surely thriving, it remains an undebatable discussion that over the course of a few years, Indie music has taken a storm over India’s music scene. What is a better way to end the year than by looking back at some of the best indie music releases of this year?

Uddchalein – Sanjeeta Bhattacharya x Aman Sagar x Full Power

Sanjeeta Bhattacharya along with producer Aman Sagar and rap duo Full Power (Frappe Ash and Yungsta) created this powerful experimental pop indie piece, a song spun around the air of freedom, hope and love. ‘Uddchalein’ resonated with a large number of audience, especially with the young people in their 20s who’re trapped in a continued disarrayed maze of life. The frenetic beats of the music produce a fun uptempo aura meanwhile the impactful lyrics bring solace to everyone who’s regretting their decisions or going through a low phase in their life. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya extends a hand of support and warmth through this song.

Ashes – Mali

The Mumbai based singer-songwriter, Maalavika Manoj, known by her stage name ‘Mali’ gained wide recognition for her 2021 album, ‘Caution to the Wind’. Her depthful songwriting coupled with her serene vocals make her discography an un-skippable one. ‘Ashes’ is one of those lyrical masterpieces, with lyrics like, “Can’t stand the sight of my reflection anymore/A walking callous numb from skin to the core/Hope you’re happier now than you were last year/Now the flames put out and I have only ashes to inhale.” The song’s lyrics have stemmed from Mali’s raw and personal feelings after a breakup. The honesty in the song is vivid with the breathy guitar strings, the cymbal and piano in the background.

Mazaak – Anuv Jain

Well, if ‘Mazaak’ wasn’t one of the most anticipated releases of this year! Anuv Jain, carrying the indie music wave in India, has only given better and better with every new release. ‘Mazaak’, Anuv Jain’s 9th single, is a song of love, and the experience of falling into love when you least expect it. Anuv’s soulful singing imparts a tranquil aura to the song. Anuv has stayed true to his self-created tracks which are imbued with honesty, artistry and sincerity.

KUN – Ahmer ft. MC Kash

Ahmer’s sophomore album, ‘Azli’ is a grim accounting of the terrors and anxieties of the Kashmir Valley. ‘Kun’ is the tenth track on the album which captures the resilience and resistance of the Kashmiri community. MC Kash (real name: Rousan Illahi), one of Kashmir’s most prodigal rappers appeared on the record after eight years of dry spell. The lyrics like, “They strangled reality, so how is truth going to speak?” and “This is blood, sweat and tears/You can’t buy it, it’s not for sale” and “I’m already buried alive, so what are you gonna do now?” come from Ahmer’s personal experiences as a Kashmiri. Producer, Prophecy, chopped and sampled a legendary folk singer named Abdul Rashid Hafiz for Kun, which adds more sincerity to the track as one can feel the Kashmiri folk music in the beats.

Akhiyaan – MITRAZ

‘Akhiyaan’ by the most popular indie music duo, MITRAZ, is their second hit of 2022, following ‘Junoon’. The Indian film pop genre song with subtle lo-fi beats accompanied by MITRAZ’s soulful and feathery vocals became an instant hit! The heartfelt lyrics of the song has the perfect range. 2022 echoed MITRAZ’s beautifully penned lyrics, “Jag Saara Firyaan Mai Tujhsa Na Koi Pawa“. You could hear these lines sung in every street, that is how widely loved MITRAZ have become!

Aaj Na – Ritvij

Ritviz’s eight track album, ‘MIMMI’ is an ode to his mother. The track ‘Aaj Na’ is a look back to Ritviz’s childhood and is a song imbued with a distinct nostalgic sadness that comes to him as he thinks about all the memories he experienced as a child. The exceptional production of the song, which adds a traditional element to it and gives it a distinct aura makes the song so powerful. With his well crafted music making skills, Ritviz has become one of the most streamed Indie artists in India.

Lagda Na – Zaeden

Zaeden, one of the many popular indie artists in India is a singer-songwriter who first debuted in 2019 with his original, ‘Tere Bina’. His recent track, ‘Lagda Na’ is his first Punjabi single which gained immense love right from its very release! The DJ turned singer is very ambitious when it comes to upgrading his music, and ‘Lagda Na’ is a classic example of it. The song’s catchy tune will have you grooving while the lyrics echoes the feelings of a new found love.

Nain Ta Heere – Lisa Mishra

Lisa Mishra has to be in the list! An aspiring singer, who started from her bedroom to performing for 30,000 people and featuring in multiple Bollywood songs, she has come so far! The 2022 Punjabi release, ‘Nain Ta Heere’ sung and performed by the talented Lisa Mishra is yet another display of her amazing vocal skills and musical sensibilities. ‘Nain Ta Heere’ is a song echoing a truthful love for another person. Lisa Mishra’s beautiful singing against a catchy yet lyrical music made the song an instant ‘add-to-my-playlist’ piece.

Bliss – Gurbax, Burrah, MC Altaf

Produced by Gurbax and written and performed by MC Altaf and Burrah, ‘Bliss’ is a deeply moving song, tracing the very essence of life. An almost therapeutic track, the folksy beats in the song adds more weight to the song. ‘Bliss’ is a song about this community of love and positivity shared between human beings.

Tu Ki Jaane – Pratyush Dhiman

Infusing 2022 with a fresh melody, Pratyush Dhiman’s original song, self-written and self-composed, ‘Tu Ki Jaaane’ is a Punjabi soulful song. Pratyush’s enchanting vocals with his equally crafted music in the song has been loved by the fans and the general public alike. The song delivers ripples of tranquil emotions, that is the gripping vigour of the song.

A caricature is an art form wherein certain characteristics of a person are exaggerated for comic relief or to give a grotesque effect. Though it seems easy caricatures are actually pretty hard to master. Good caricatures not only make you laugh and educate but also create a sense of relatability that makes you feel heard. For better or worse they have become a staple in our lives today, so, let’s have a look at some of these hilarious and heartfelt caricatures that painted a picture of 2022:

Kapil Gaikwad

“The” wedding of 2022 between Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor is perfectly captured in this hilarious yet accurate caricature by Gaikwad. From making sure that the colour scheme is right, to the beautiful smile on the couple’s face nothing missed Gaikwad’s eye.

Mangesh Khollam

The news that broke the hearts of millions of Indians is masterly captured by Khollam in his tribute caricature to the late nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar. Showcasing Mangeshkar in her element Khollam’s caricature managed to give some comfort to the hearts of a million grieving Indians.

Sri Priyatham

The prequel to the highly acclaimed HBO series “Game of Thrones”; the release of “House of the Dragon” caused a major frenzy among the fans of the series. As expectations were met and love for the series bloomed again, illustrator Priyatham captured the show at its hype with his beautiful caricature portraying Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her beloved dragon Syrax.

Ashutosh Wale

The year 2022 brought with it some normalcy in our lives. And as we struggle to find our footing in this post-pandemic world, Wale tries to remind us of the joy that we are missing out on by being too scared to do something. Beautifully portraying Ustad Zakir Hussain the celebrated Indian tabla artist in his element, Wale reminds us to just let go and march forward.

Manjul

This hilarious caricature by cartoonist Manjul showcases a man trying to light a cigarette using the sun’s rays as he is concerned about the environment and doesn’t want to use a matchstick. Highlighting the hypocrisy of many environmental activists who don’t always follow what they preach. This witty social commentary will surely leave you in fits of laughter. 

Satish Acharya

Perhaps the most important international event of the year that made everyone finish their work early so that they don’t miss a minute of it, the FIFA World Cup 2022 was all the rage. For most Messi fans this was probably the last time they would get to see their hero at the world cup and thus, many of them prayed fervently for him to become the world champion. And their prayers were finally answered. Taking a different take on this cartoonist Satish Acharya tried to highlight how much the world cup itself wanted Messi to win it, then the other way around, portraying Messi as the true football champion who is coveted by the world cup itself.

Irshad Kaptan

The FIFA World Cup 2022 had some really memorable and historic moments. Apart from Messi finally taking the world cup home, the inclusion of a female referee was a huge step towards achieving gender equality. Beautifully captured by cartoonist Irshad Kaptan, it is thus, immortalised for generations.

Nala Ponnappa

It is fair to say that apart from making history the FIFA world cup 2022 had its fair share of drama as well. One such drama involved the Portuguese star player Cristiano Ronaldo. When the captain of the Portugal national team was benched in the quarterfinals against Morocco, it sparked major criticism from football enthusiasts all over the world. Cartoonist Ponnappa expressed his opinion through this hilarious caricature of a father being so done with what happened with the star player that he refuses to let his son get a Ronaldo haircut and instead insists that he get a “substitute” haircut. 

2022 was a ride of arts and endeavours. As the world finally started stepping out of the claws of the pandemic hit desolation and inactivity. Clearly, one of the most severely hit artistic spheres during the pandemic was theatre and drama. In 2022, finally, the actors and audience could unite once again at the stage. This year witnessed the stagings and productions of many splendid and critically acclaimed plays. As an ode to 2022, here is a toast to some of the best theatre productions that unfolded this year.

Dastan-E-Karn Az Mahabharata 

Mahmood Farooqui’s ‘Dastan-e-Karn Az Mahabharata’, as a Dastangoi, brought a new enigma to the stage. A Dastangoi is a form of Urdu storytelling. It is performed by either one or two people, accompanied by a combination of multiple elements like poetry and music to tell a story. ‘Dastan-e-Karn Az Mahabharata’ is a retelling of Karna, the Anga-raja, the great warrior of Mahabharata. Mahmood Farooqui employed Urdu, Persian, Hindi, and Sanskrit sources to his play, and unfolded the life of Karna from birth to death. The viewers were left stunned with how the deep meditations from past stories could still resonate with the audience of the contemporary age.

Laddu

Black Pearl Arts, a Delhi based theatre group, and their original play, ‘Laddu’ is about love, communication and relationships. Amul Sagar has beautifully crafted the script. The play’s creativity and core lies in how it brings forward the stories of two people: Appu and Jugnu, their not-so-normal love story, wrapped around by comedy and laughter, and still manages to impart the very crucial aspects of our lives: love, communication and misunderstandings.

The Haunting Of The Hill House

Shirley Jackson’s novel, ‘The Haunting of the Hill House’ is one of the most acclaimed and renowned horror novels to be ever written. Ratnesh Singh of One World Theatre directed and adapted a Hindi stage production of ‘The Haunting of the Hill House’. The play is one of a kind. It took over six months of dedication, efforts and practice to smoothly pull off a horror setting on the stage. Despite the limitations of the stage to portray supernatural elements, the cast and crew undertook a praiseworthy endeavour.

Bluffmaster Gujjubhai

‘Bluffmaster Gujjubhai’, a Gujarati play, is the work and direction of the much famous and loved actor, Siddharth Randeria. As an actor, he’s been known for his comic roles, and that is what he has imbued in his play too! ‘Bluffmaster Gujjubhai’ was a humorous play which unfolds the events of gujjubhai and what happens when an unknown girl enters the house and kisses him, oh and gujjubhai’s wife witnesses it all.

Tansen

Sudheer Rikhari and Mohammed Faheem envisaged the perfect period musical. ‘Tansen’ as the title of the play suggests, narrates the life of the 16th century Mughal musician, Tansen. What is exquisite about the play is how the director, Sudheer Rikhari, has imbued the stage with live vocals, musicians, and instruments which adds vigour to the performance. Against such an entrancing background, the play unfolds the personal musings, dilemmas and emotions of an artist.

MBA – Mane Badhu Aavde

The Gujarati play, ‘Manu Badhu Aavde’, written by Pranav Tripathi and directed by Paarth Desai, is a mirror to the current world from the perspective of an old age widow, Tarla Divecha. Old age loneliness in the big concrete metropolitan cities is loud yet in the hustle bustle of the modern life, nobody hears it. Paarth Desai unfolds such a story to the audience. Tarla migrates from Surat to Mumbai to her son’s residence, and upon reaching there, finds it hard to navigate a smartphone, the modern gadget. To her surprise, she faces mockery and ridicule for her lack of skills for a smartphone. Tarla represents the emotions, dilemmas and challenges of the old age population trapped in this meaningless fast paced life.

Moi Natok Kora Suwali

The Assamese mobile theatre is not going anywhere anytime soon! In the age of OTT platforms and easy internet access, you’d think the dramatics and entertainment of the theatre would be forgotten and weighed down. However, on the contrary, the Assamese theatre collects a yearly 25 crores! One of the plays of the Assam theatre was ‘Moi Natok Kora Suwali’, presented by the Awahan Theatre, which is one of the major travelling theatres of the North East. ‘Moi Natok Kora Suwali’ is about an actor’s quest to find out about her biological father.

Taj Mahal Ka Tender 

Directed by Salim Arif, ‘Taj Mahal Ka Tender’ is a satirical piece which introduces the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in the contemporary time period. Yes, the drama unfolds to the Mughal King’s efforts at trying to build the Taj Mahal in the 21st century. Well, the play takes a sharp critical atmosphere, of course with the perfect balance of wit and dark humour. The spectators of the play have expressed great appreciation for ‘Taj Mahal Ka Tender’ for its take on corruption, red tapism and government laws.

Agarbatti

Swati Dubey’s play, ‘Agarbatti’ is a riveting play, scripted to showcase the culmination of caste, class and patriarchy. The play sets the backdrop of the Behmai Massacre, when Phoolan Devi kills 20 men to avenge her gang rape. It re-tells the lives of the widows now left behind and who’ve been poorly rehabilitated by the government through an Agarbatti (incense stick) factory. The direction, production and staging of the play is significant in aligning the space of those women, their lives and how they express their grief, sadness, anger and hopes in those same spaces. The unfolding of their live narratives brought forth multiple socio-cultural realities and the overpowering forces of patriarchy.

Cheitheng

‘Cheitheng’ literally translates to ‘agony’. It is a mime play, directed by Yumnam Sadananda. In a mime play, the actor’s body is the primary means of expression. The play is based on King Dasaratha, and his love for hunting. However, one day, the hunting game goes all wrong when he ends up killing a human being, of which he pays dire consequences. ‘Cheitheng’ was approved for showcase at the 37th International Mime Theatre Festival.

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.