Jamshedpur Carnival: Neeraj Shridhar packs off winter chill with warmth of super-hit songs

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Jan 8: The three day Jamshedpur Carnival – 2023 came to a close but not before the warmth of celebration had blocked off the biting winter chill over the sprawling Gopal Maidan. Band music, songs, dances, Antakshari, food and enticing stall displays added to the colours of excitement over three days of excitement that ruled the minds and hearts of Jamshedpur citizens of all ages and backgrounds. Jamshedpur Carnival – 2023 that commenced amidst huge expectations of fun and frolic on Friday, January 6 did not disappoint as the crowds at the Gopal Maidan through three exciting days had their fill of excitement and delight.

The final day commenced with MasterChef competition organized on the concluding day on Sunday that created a lingering aroma that hung over the Gopal Maidan from 10 am to 1 pm. A prelude to the heightened excitement of the final evening was provided by the Rap Band that performed between 5:30 pm and 7 pm. And then the countdown to the take off of the final evening of Jamshedpur Carnival – 2023 started. A choral shout filled the air as popular Bollywood crooner Neeraj Shridhar took the stage at 7:30pm. The music magician did not let the sea of expectations run dry till 9 pm and if God had heard the prayers of Neeraj’s fans’ prayers, the night would have melted into the dawn of the next morn unobtrusively.

Founder and lead vocalist of the Indi rock and pop group, Bombay Vikings, Neeraj Shridhar had the fan base afire with re-mixes of popular hits of yesteryears like ‘Kya Soorat Haye,’ ‘Woh Chali,’ ‘Chhordo Anchal,’ … well, the list is unending.

But neither Neeraj nor The Vikings rest on the laurels of remixes. In fact, he turned Bollywood playback singer in 2006 in the Amitabh-Salman starrer, ‘God Tussi Great Ho’ with the hit, ‘Tumko Dekha.’ That was just the tip of the iceberg as an unbroken chain of hits and super-hits followed and this trend continues. ‘Halke-Halkey’, ‘Bhagam Bhag’, ‘Ticket to Hollywood,’ ‘Heyy baby,’ ‘Ishq subhanallah,’ ‘Ishq ka Kalma,’ including the biggest of them all, ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’ aka ‘Hare Raam-Hare Raam.’

Bollywood singer Neeraj Shridhar had last performed at the inter-school fest, Wheels-2015 organised by GET Club at Sumant Moolgaonkar Stadium in Telco.

On Sunday evening too, he did not disappoint his ecstatic audience who sang along, danced, shouted, cheered and whistled in the ‘fury’ of excitement that Neeraj unleashed in his unique manner.

That was Neeraj Shridhar for the audience. That Neeraj Shridhar who is unrelentingly addicted to his craft that shows through in every song, every lyric. He continues to remain a music composer’s favourite.

Jamshedpur Carnival was organized jointly by Tata Steel and Tata Steel UISL and the success of this three day event is writ large in the hearts of the citizens who never felt the dipping mercury while at the Gopal Maidan.