The culture stream at HLF 2025 includes performances, theatre, music, and dance that will have a wide appeal.
Venues: The Launch Pad, T-Hub, and Sattva Knowledge City
Urmila by Adishakti
🗓 Friday, 24 January 2025
⏱7:20 pm – 8:30 pm
Venue: The Launch Pad, T-Hub
“Urmila” is a thought-provoking play that delves into the complex ethical and gender-related issues woven into the fabric of society throughout history. Set in the ancient land of Ayodhya, the play centres on the character of Urmila from the Ramayana, a woman whose life is dramatically altered by a seemingly innocuous command from her husband, Lakshmana: “Sleep, my sleep”. This deceptively simple directive raises profound questions about autonomy, consent, and the price individuals, especially women, have paid for their obedience throughout time. The play explores the power dynamics inherent in the relationship between Urmila and Lakshmana, raising questions about consent, agency, and approval. Urmila’s journey represents a broader commentary on the struggles faced by individuals in different time periods and perhaps even in the future. “Urmila” offers a compelling exploration of these themes in the context of ancient stories, making them relevant and thought-provoking for contemporary audiences.
The Djembe Circle by Sai Kumar
🗓 Saturday, 25 January 2025
⏱1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Venue: Sattva Knowledge City
Discover the joy of drumming together! Feel the rhythm, and connect with your community. Instruments will be provided at the venue; no experience is required.
Advaita
🗓 Saturday, 25 January 2025
⏱7:20 pm – 8:30 pm
Venue: The Launch Pad, T-Hub
A kaleidoscope of melodies, rhythms, and moods, Advaita draws from diverse influences ranging from Indian Classical to ambient rock, jazz, and electronic music. The band is credited with creating a new contemporary Indian sound, hailed by audiences as well as critics as original and progressive. Advaita is an Indian fusion band formed in 2004. They released their first album Grounded in Space in 2009, the second The Silent Sea in 2012, and Drops of Earth a compilation album in 2013. In 2011, they were featured on the Indian leg of the MTV show’s Coke Studio. They were one of four bands from India, selected by John Leckie, to record two songs with him for a compilation released by the British council. The Silent Sea won the GIMA (Global Indian Music Awards) 2012 award for best rock album and also received a nomination for the best fusion album. Advaita were voted the best fusion band by Palm Expo 2011. Rolling Stone India featured “Mofunk” (from TheSilent Sea) based on a Carnatic devotional poem by South Indian poet Muthuswami Diksithar in its 2014 listing of “25 Greatest Indian Rock Songs of the last 25 Years.”
खो या मैं . . . by Rishiraj Kulkarni
🗓 Sunday, 26 January 2025
⏱8:00 am – 9:00 am
Venue: Sattva Knowledge City
Rishiraj Kulkarni has delved into amalgamating sounds of his handmade musical instruments such as the Handpan, Rav Vast, Tabla along with intricate sounds from nature, using the Maschine. He has two albums Home and The Woods, and after tours across India, Europe, the UK, he comes to Hyderabad, to share his journey and his relationship with his instruments. खोया मैं . . . India Tour, dedicated to Ustad Zakir Hussain, is a journey across India. Rishiraj and his team drive across the country carrying their equipment for the concert, performing in cities, and stopping by remote villages to offer their music to the rural population for free, while being aware of the ecological impact they are creating along this journey.
Priya Malik
“Ishq hai, Ishq hai, Ishq hai”
🗓 Sunday, 26 January 2025
⏱5:15 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Satya Knowledge City
Have you ever experienced the art of poetry, storytelling, and music stir your soul? If not, then here’s your chance to experience it from India’s leading award-winning poet “Priya Malik”, the poet who took us to 1999, explained the difference between Pyaar and Ishq and made ‘adrak waali chai’ an emotion – whose warmth we’ve all felt.
“Ishq hai, Ishq hai, Ishq hai” is her solo poetry show that will make you feel things you’ve never felt before, the show will make you laugh and cry and sing along. She will be accompanied by Tanmay Maheshwari whose soul-stirring voice will be music to your ears.
