Though his repertoire of songs may be a bit limited so far, that does not mean Indian singer/actor Ayushmann Khurana cannot captivate his audience while he is on stage, as he proved during his performance at Dubai Rocks on August 5.
Held at Al Nasr Leisureland, the event opened at 8.30pm with a performance by Raaga Factory, a group of Dubai-based Indian musicians.
With Mitun De Sarkar and Rohit Gupta on vocals, the band performed a series of Bollywood covers, including Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta from 2013's Boss, and Tu Jaane Na from 2009's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
The group's performance of Ek Kudi from Udta Punjab (2016) was without a doubt the highlight of the set, with De Sarkar's sweet vocals doing total justice to the romantic song.
Then it was time for the main event. Dressed in an extremely interesting black-and-white desi-fusion outfit, headliner Khurana took the stage at 9.30pm, performing Saddi Gali from the 2013 film Nautanki Saala, in which he starred.
Next up were Mera Mann, from the same movie, and his 2014 single, Mitti Di Khushbu, before his biggest hit brought down the house with what was the high point of the evening.
Paani Da Rang from Vicky Donor, his 2012 Bollywood debut both as a singer as actor, had the crowd singing along. He broke the song up into several sections, sharing interesting anecdotes and stories about it along the way, before picking up the song again, turning it into a highly interactive experience for the audience.
Another track popular with the audience was Yahin Hoon Mai, a lesser-known 2015 single.
Throughout the evening, Khurana was cheerful and chirpy, chatting with the audience and telling joeks. Musically, he kept the tone enjoyably mellow, thanks to his trademark soft and romantic songs.
He has said several times during interviews that he considers himself a singer who acts, rather than primarily an actor, and seeing his perform on stage, it was easy to see why.
His camaraderie with the audience, his vocal prowess and his stage presence all come together to make for an extremely enjoyable experience – and the audience will be hoping for an encore performacne very soon.
artslife@thenational.ae
