Indian music fans in Dubai were treated to a high-intensity musical performance by Lucky Ali and Ayushmann Khurrana as part of an MTV Unplugged concert on Friday night. In true Bollywood fashion, the concert did not start on time, but the performances by the singers made the wait totally worth it.
Lucky Ali took to the stage at at Le Meridien first, belting out an unplugged version of one of his most famous singles, Anjaani Raahon Main, amidst much cheer and whistling.
Ali, who has been out of the limelight for several years, doesn’t seem to have lost any of his charm or the raspy voice he is known for.
Supported by a fabulous band, which included a Grammy Award-winning violinist and a melodious backing singer, Ali kept the crowds cheering with his most popular songs – Jaane Kya Dhoondhta Hai, Khirama, Jab Hum Chote Hote The, Tu Kaun Hai, Naa Tum Jaano Na Hum, Gori Teri Aankhein Kahe, Aa Bhi Jaa, Dheemi Dheemi and more.
One of the best parts of his performance was his unplugged rendition of his most popular song, Oh Sanam, from his debut album Sunoh.
Unfortunately, he decided to end his set with a high-tempo dance number, Ek Pal Ka Jeena, from the film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, the unplugged version of which lacked punch, and was a disappointing finale to an otherwise great set.
Age also seems to be catching up with the singer, who toward the end let the audience fill in the gaps mid-performance while he caught his breath.
While Ali's set was more mellow, Khurrana's in comparison was very high energy. I was wondering how long Khurrana's time on the stage would be, given that the actor and singer only has a few songs to his name. But, after performing his hits such as Pani Da Rang and Mitti Ki Khushbu, the singer sang a few popular Bollywood numbers including Urvashi Urvashi, Humma Humma, Ilahi, Ek Kudi and Moh Moh Ke Dhaage.
The medley of retro hits, which included Dil –e – Nadaan, Hawa Hawa, and Chookar Mere Mann Ko, went down very well with the audience.
Talkative, interactive and often dancing around stage, Khurrana had the audience dancing to his tunes by the end of the evening.
ajhurani@thenational.ae
