Nachiketa’s popular song Jokhon shomoy thomke daray received the loudest cheer. Among the other numbers he sang were Tumi ashbe bolei, Ichhe and Corporate prem. “For me the highlight of the evening was meeting Hari bhai (Hariharan) after 25 years,” he told t2.

Modern Bengali songs and ghazals. And you thought the two can’t meet? Spearheaded and produced by Durga Jasraj, Idea Jalsa Music For The Soul saw Nachiketa belt out some of his popular modern Bengali numbers while ghazal singer Hariharan had the audience at Science City auditorium in a trance on Friday evening. But before Governor M.K. Narayanan lit the lamp, a minute’s silence was observed to remember Suchitra Sen.

Hariharan was at his best with heart-wrenching numbers like Kaash aisa koi manzar hota and Patta patta boota boota. After singing Tu hi re (from the film Bombay) he called Nachiketa on stage to sing Beeti batein. “People of Calcutta love music; they know how to appreciate music,” he told t2. The singer will be back in the city next month to release Hazir 2 on which he has worked with Zakir Hussain.

Text: Ratnalekha Mazumdar

       Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray