Bollywood climax to Habba

Bollywood climax to Habba

The Hindu

BANGALORE: Sunday's light drizzle could not dampen the Bangalore Habba spirit, as the 10-day festival came to an end with a dazzling display of Bollywood masala at the Palace Grounds. Ten days of dance, music, fashion, art and cinematic journeys had to finally close, promising a re-entry next year.

The start was delayed once more on Sunday. The Palace Grounds venue was slushy, yet the crowds came, awaiting the arrival of the Bollywood Nite stars — Yana Gupta, Shaan and Alka Yagnik. And when they did arrive in style, the audience roared. Music and dance followed soon. As if to certify the crowd reaction as a fashion statement, designer Vikram Phadnis occupied centrestage. His sashaying models obliged, with Bangalore's own designer Deepika Govind following suit.

Rock concert

At the St. Joseph's Indian High School Grounds, the Habba rocked. Rock groups Parousia and Mother Jane strung up the momentum as the young audience lapped it all in tandem. Far removed from the hyper action, Carnatic music by Kannan Balakrishnan enveloped the cool evening air at the Palace Grounds.

Thanks to the drizzle, the Artists Walkway had walked all the way to Rangashankara. The place seemed just right for "The Great Game of Dice," a sound and light glimpse of a scene from the Mahabharatha. Wooden traditional dolls, brought alive by the voices of Tuffy Tarapurwala, Patrick Wilson, Vivek Shah, Munira and Ashish Sen, had the great game going as the Habba buffs rejoiced in dramatic attention.

The Habba's 10 days of action meant theatre artiste B. Jayashree would lead a riveting Rangageethe performance; Pandit Jasraj and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia combine for a unique vocal and flute jugalbandhi in Hindustani classical; the UK-based percussion ensemble, Dhol Foundation fuse traditional Punjabi rhythms with modern music and sarod maestros Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash electrify the motley crowds at the Palace Grounds. For the food freaks, the Habba had a food festival in store. On the menu were cuisines from across the country, from South Indian to North Karnataka, Thai to Tandoori, plus herbal juices and Corn on the Cob.

From tennis ball cricket at Jayanagar's Madhavan Park to a golf tourney at Karnataka Golf Association, street theatre at eight different locations to adventure sports, the Habba was also about transcending cultural straightjackets.

With a vintage car rally, a mushaira and a film festival, the Habba made statements galore. The Hasyotsava at Bala Krishna Ranga Mandira had the right stuff to add a dash of humour.