In pictures: Aste Ladies! Reble lights up Kolkata with a fierce hip-hop set

The floor at Five Mad Men, Sector V, pulsed with energy as Indie Diaries brought together a ‘dhurandhar’ performance by Reble along with Kolkata’s underground and rising hip-hop talents for a night that was equal parts raw and electric. 

Shillong rapper Reble, known off stage as Daiaphi Lamare, took over for the main act, commanding the room with energy, grace and confidence. 

Backed by a roaring crowd pressed close to the stage and balconies filled with onlookers, she performed originals like Terror, a track rooted in her identity, before shifting gears to fan favourites from Dhurandhar such as Run Down The City and Naal Nachda.

Red lights washed over the crowd, phones lit up in unison, and a tight circle formed on the dance floor as b-boys kicked off the evening with gravity-defying moves, setting the tone for what was to follow.

“I'm very excited. I'm seeing a lot of people and I'm really excited to see what the city is all about,” Reble said ahead of the show. Speaking about her growing journey, she added, “It's like entering a new territory. I have a very mixed fan base now.”

Opening the night was Aste Ladies, a young Bangla hip-hop collective led by MC Disha and Rialan, along with Cizzy, Pagla Dashu and Jatiyo Poshu. Their set, featuring tracks like Chitkar Kor and Corporate Majdoor, drew cheers from a packed room lit by neon signage and bar lights.

Reflecting on the scene, Rialan said, “First, our point is to get more women involved in this revolution.” MC Disha added, “It's very enlightening that someone like her [Reble] has come forward… It's good for hip-hop. It's good for all of us.”