We are not okay with wrong English, but we are okay with wrong Hindi and Urdu," says Devroop Sharma, pointing out the irony when it comes to languages that have originated from the motherland. As the founder of poetry collective Irshaad, Sharma has conducted over 10 mushairas or poetic symposiums and about 28 open mic events that promote the two languages. The 31-year-old, who conducts ghazal-writing workshops as well, mentions how the events draw an audience in roughly an age range of 18 to 70 years. And with all events being free, Sharma's key challenge is to find venues that will accommodate his venture without charging an entry fee. "I don't believe that our work is so poor that people have to buy it. Besides, the crowd at Bandra's venues is largely English-speaking and might not be able to understand our work," he shares.

So, this weekend, having got lucky with funding, Sharma will organise an open mic-cum-mehfil called Arz Kiya Hai at Santacruz's Najma Heptullah Hall — a departure from the usual gigs held in Bandra cafés. "We're trying to bridge the gap between senior poets and newcomers with this one. Previously, venues were not sure about bringing in poets. Now, they've become a lot more welcoming,' he says. For two years, Irshaad's events were a regular at QTube Café, but that came to a halt since the space will shutter this month.