Enter a world where ghazals meet Kabir Das's timeless wisdom

Runaa Rizvii Shivamani at a previous performance

Across centuries and faiths, the words of Sufi saints and the mystical poets have travelled through music, poetry, and oral storytelling - and now they form the centrepiece of an evening that blends ghazals, bhakti poetry and Sufi kalam, all into one single performance.

Performed by singer, Runaa Rizvii Shivamani, this programme titled The Kabiran Project, will explore the spiritual and humanist ideas that connect diverse devotional traditions. For Rizvii, the project is deeply personal. Raised in a household steeped in music, she traces her artistic roots to a lineage of ghazal singers. "I hail from a family of ghazal singers. My father was Ustad Rajkumar, and my mother, Srimati Indrani. My father was often referred to as "the Mehdi Hassan of India."

Runaa Rizvii Shivamani (centre, in orange) along with the band, Fankaar. Pics courtesy/Runaa Rizvii Shivamani

"Because I've been raised in a very secular atmosphere in my house, I felt the need to come up with something where I can express all the aspects without a bias and where we rise as human beings rather than being categorised into a sect or religion," Rizvii reiterates.

The evening will draw on a wide range of voices from India's spiritual and literary traditions. Alongside Kabir's verses, the programme will reflect on the writings of saints and poets such as Ravidas, Surdas, Mirabai, Baba Bulleh Shah, and Amir Khusrau.

On stage, the performance unfolds as a blend of storytelling, shayari, and music that explores Kabir's philosophy of self-realisation, compassion and love. Rather than attempting to recount the saint's life chronologically, the focus will remain on the enduring relevance of his writings. "It's not possible to describe a person's entire life in two minutes," Rizvii reflects. "But what they have written - that, and the essence of their life is what we can apply in our lives, to become better human beings."

Kabir Das. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

Alongside the devotional and Sufi repertoire, the evening will also feature well-known ghazals, including all-time crowd favourites such as Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo and Ranjish Hi Sahi. Rizvii also plans to present a cherished ghazal written by poet Bashir Badr - Ek Kasak Dil Ki Dil Mein Chubhi Reh Gai, Zindagi Mein Tumhari Kami Reh Gai - as well as classics by Mirza Ghalib, including Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai. The result will be an evening where poetry, devotion, and music intersect, while returning repeatedly to Kabir's enduring message of humanity beyond divisions.

ON March 28; 7 pm onwards
AT Kkala, Aram Nagar, opposite Dariya Mahal, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO @kkalaofficial
ENTRY Rs 599