British rock band Coldplay performed their much-awaited concert to a packed audience at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on Saturday evening.
Organised as part of Global Citizen India festival, it was an effort aimed at spreading awareness about the United Nations’ sustainable goals of access to education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation for all. The build-up to the event started months in advance with people asked to map their ‘action journeys’ on the Global Citizen India website.
For the sanitation and hygiene category, for example, action journeys included educating participants on sanitation problems in India, administering quizzes, and sending petitions, posts on Twitter and starting online fundraising campaigns. All these actions counted as incentives for free tickets to the concert.
Starry line-upEvents started in the afternoon, with actors Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor declaring it open. Coldplay took the stage around 9 p.m. Lead singer Chris Martin, drummer Will Champion, guitarist Johnny Buckland and bass guitarist Guy Berryman performed crowd-pleasing classics such as Yellow , Fix You , and Clocks . In their list of around 20 songs, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall , Up and Up and In My Place featured as well.
Throughout the performance, Chris Martin was not only engaging but also took the time out to spread positive messages. He talked about how much he loved being in Mumbai — he expressed in Hindi his honour in being in India.
He delighted the cheering audience when he sang a line from Arijit Singh’s Channa Mereya . The most magical moment was hearing him sing the refrain ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, sharing the microphone with A.R. Rahman, in a musical moment that left the audience silent.
The event saw the presence of many celebrities and eminent public figures including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered a virtual speech via video conferencing.
Mr. Modi quoted from Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan’s iconic The times they are a-Changin’ in a veiled reference to the political situation in the country in the backdrop of the demonetisation move.
“Back in 2014, I had enjoyed attending the Global Citizen Festival in the beautiful Central Park of New York. However, this time, my schedule did not permit me to come in person,” Mr. Modi.
“I have had my own set of idols. But you will be perhaps more familiar with Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, Chris Martin and A.R. Rahman,” Mr. Modi said.
Times a-changin’: Modi“So to quote from one of Dylan’s transformative anthems which holds as much meaning today as it did when it was first sung in the 1960. Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land, and don’t criticise, what you can’t understand. Your sons and your daughters, are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly agin’ Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand, for the times they are a-changin’, ” Mr. Modi said.
“Artistes have often inspired generations. My dear young friends, I’m convinced we can and we will build a Swachh Bharat free of all forms of filth within one generation,” he said. “You bring an energy and idealism that is unparallelled,” he said, adding, “you can be the change you want.”
A.R. Rahman performed a short but rich set of songs. He sang Andha Arabic Kadaloram from the film Bombay in Tamil, to roaring applause as the crowd sang along to the choral refrain ‘Humma humma.’ He also sang Dil Se and Tu Hi Re .
Crowds swellAs the crowds swelled and people’s energy waned in the heat and packed-in space, a good gauge of their favourite performances was their choice of whom to stand up for and cheer for. Immensely popular was Amitabh Bachchan, who held a spellbound audience in his reading of ‘Tu Khud ki Khoj Mein Nikal’ from his film Pink .
He was also loudly welcomed when he joined Farhan Akhtar to sing Yaari from Wazir . Farhan also held the crowds’ interest as he performed Maston ka Jhund , Rock On and Sinbad the Sailor .
Shankar Ehsaan Loy performed a standout rendition of Shankar Mahadevan’s Breathless , with an updated Marathi introductory melody. International acts The Vamps and Demi Lovato also performed, as did Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, with whom the crowd chanted the lyrics to Gerua and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil .
Celebrities who spoke included Sachin Tendulkar, Leander Paes, Frieda Pinto, Parineeti Chopra, and Arjun Kapoor.
Shah Rukh Khan kept the audience energy alive with his humour and later introduced Coldplay. Earlier, the audience went into raptures when rapper Jay-Z took the stage and sang hits such as Holy Grail .
Coldplay promised to return to India soon, as they referred to their 16-year delay in organising a concert here.
(With inputs from PTI)
