Sunidhi Chauhan charms fans at Dubai concert

There’s something about attending a live gathering that hiding behind your Netflix screen simply can’t replicate. Such was the magic that brewed at renowned Indian singer Sunidhi Chauhan’s concert Beintehaa, that took place at Coca-Cola Arena on August 27.

Albeit a masked event courtesy the post-pandemic era that we currently find ourselves inhabiting, the power of public spaces and people coming together to appreciate, enjoy and sing along to some foot-tapping tunes remains untouched in the scheme of relishing the arts.

Everything that had been missing in our pandemic-ridden lives, the thrill of gatherings and just basics like… people being unafraid at the sight of other people… was a reality made possible on this evening, where numerous fans gathered to enjoy a nostalgic sense of normalcy that we once enjoyed nonchalantly before the virus penetrated deep into our lives.

Sunidhi pumped the stadium with her endless energy singing everything from her latest hits to the classic songs that catapulted her to fame in the early 2000s, think: Mehboob Mere from Fiza, Main Mast from Mast, amongst many others. The child in me, who grew up listening (and dancing) to Sunidhi conquer the charts in this era of Bollywood and its music (2000-2010… the glory days, at least from a music POV) was both rekindled and thoroughly pleased.

The singer worked her charm through a mix of slow songs, like a rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Kinna Sohna and Bin Tere from I Hate Luv Storys and worked the tempo up to her famous dance numbers like Dilliwaali Girlfriend from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Much-anticipated Bollywood banger Sheila Ki Jawaani, where she sneakily replaced Sheila with her own name in the final verse of the song, ended the power-packed evening on even higher spirits.

The concert also had a break in the middle, which I thought was longer than required as it meant the artist would have to rework and build the entire pace from scratch, but nonetheless, it was a good time to help yourselves to refreshments or even just get a breather, away from the chirping of crowds.

For Bollywood fans or just fans of good music, really, the concert - presented by Blu Blood - was a great way to unwind and blow off some pandemic-steam, with music set at decibels high enough to drown out any anxious thoughts that may surface every now and then!