Musicians from cities often look down their noses at rural musicians. We carry an arrogant notion that rural artistes know nothing about the nuances of music,” shares alt-rock band Daira’s frontman Piyush Kapoor, over a call from Raipur. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he is quick to follow up. Kapoor’s realisation comes after a collaborative project with the tribal Gond, Halba and Bhatra musicians of Chhattisgarh’s Naxalite area, Bastar, spanning two years and in the band’s words, a cultural eye-opener and a half.

For the band, whose name literally translates to confines or limits, the trip beyond began with an invitation to a music workshop in Bastar in 2022. Today, it ends with the release of an hour-long documentary of the experience titled Daira’s Jadoo Bastar. “To add to our delight, the release comes just in time for the week dedicated to the world’s indigenous people [International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples falls on August 9], and exactly two years after our first visit to Bastar,” the musician shares.