In a celebration of music and culture, the first day of the three-day ‘Vasantotsav’ in Pune witnessed enchanting performances by the esteemed Dr Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande and the versatile artist Piyush Mishra. Held at the scenic Suryakant Kakade Farms in Kothrud, the 17th edition of the festival commenced on January 19, 2024.
The inaugural session featured Dr Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande’s soul-stirring performance, captivating the audience with Raag Madhuvanti. Her renditions included the Bandish ‘Saanjh Bhayi’ in Vilambit Teen Taal and a Drut Bandish ‘Mai Aau Tore Mandarva,’ composed by Vasantrao Deshpande and Pt. Kumar Gandharva. Dr Ashwini Bhide Deshpande further showcased the composition ‘Sur Sangat’ by Vasantrao Deshpande in Raag Tilak Kamod, concluding with the uplifting Bhajan ‘Ram Tori Maya Naach Nachave.’ Accompanying her were Bharat Kamat on Tabla, Dr Chaitanya Kunte on Harmonium, and Swarangi Marathe and Rutuja Lad on Tanpura.
The second session unfolded with the magnetic presence of renowned actor, singer, lyricist, musician, and screenwriter Piyush Mishra. Delivering a mesmerizing performance, he presented some of his most beloved numbers, including ‘Voh Purane Din,’ ‘Hamlet,’ ‘Ek Bagal Mein Chand,’ ‘Ghar,’ ‘Aarambh Hai Prachand Hai,’ ‘Husna,’ and ‘Uth Ja Bhau.’ The audience responded with standing ovations, whistles, and demands for encores. Piyush Mishra was joined by Rahul Gandhi for Vocals, Yohan on Bass Guitar, Sreyas Iyengar on Drums, Natasha Pinto on Keyboard, Shirish Malhotra on Saxophone and Flute, and Nishant Agarwal on Guitar of the famous ‘Ballimaran Band.’
Dignitaries present at the occasion included Bapu Deshpande of Vasantrao Deshpande Pratishthan, Piyusha Asabe of Venkatesh Buildcon, Dr Mahadev Sagre, Joint Secretary of Bharati Vidyapeeth, Renu Ajit Gadgil of P N Gadgil, Jay Kakade of Suryakant Kakade and Associates, Bharat Kulhalli of Mascot, among others.
This year’s Vasantotsav is proudly presented by Punit Balan Group and supported by Venkatesh Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. – Ankush Asabe Venture, Bharati Vidyapeeth, P N Gadgil and Sons, Suhana Masale, Lokmanya Multipurpose Co-Op Society, Girikand Holidays, Khaitan & Company, Mascot, Don Studio, and L & Realty.
