WORCESTER, MA–Nazraana started exactly at 6:00 PM as advertised with the backdrop of a well-lit stage and a 40-person band from Mumbai in Worcester’s Hanover Theater and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. Many called Nazraana a truly Indian musical extravaganza where singers sang in several Indian languages—from North to South.
“Nazraana was one of my most memorable concerts ever,” said Oscar and Grammy winning song vocalist and winner of multiple Filmfare awards Vijay Prakash, who performed along Indian-American and Boston-based singer Anuradha Juju Palakurthi for nearly three hours. “Boston has always had great music lovers and your actions spoke more than words. Would love to see you again. Thank you for your contribution to the cause.”
And the cause was none other than creating the awareness about the great work done in India by Samarthanam Trust for Disabled. Samarthanam empowers differently-abled and underprivileged sections of the community across India through its specialized education and skilling programs.
“The cause of Samarthanam is very compelling. In 25 years, it has transformed 100,000 lives and I’m so heartened that this concert kicks off their ambitious plan to reach 1m people by 2030,” said Mr. Prakash, adding that collaborating with Juju was in making for many years. “We had been planning a program like this for many years. It is a joy to sing with someone so talented, committed, and detail focused.”
On the top of all this, the performance by the 40-member band led by Kamlesh Bhadkamkar was incredible.
“Kamlesh and his band of 40 musicians provided a sound ambiance in a prestigious auditorium that was unbelievable. To get 40 musicians of this caliber to the United States within such a short time is an unbelievably difficult task,” said Mr. Prakash. “Juju Productions and Team Samarthanam did an exceptional job. We also had practices for almost a week to ensure that the audience has an enjoyable experience. I appreciate the effort that went into it.”
Ms. Palakurthi thanked the audience that attended the show and contributed to the cause.
“This was the 7th time that I performed with Kamlesh Bhadkamkar’s band, but the first time a multilingual one. It was amazing to see so many people in the audience that heard me for the first time. Singing with Vijay Prakash was a learning experience – his brilliance shines through his personality,” said Ms. Palakurthi. “It was inspiring to meet Mr. Mahantesh and hear the story of Samarthanam. The Samarthanam team here worked very hard to pull off possibly the biggest Indian musical performance ever in Boston.”
Mahantesh Kivadasannavar is the founder and managing trustee of Samarthanam Trust for Disabled, the India-based nonprofit. He attended the event and said he was proud of the Samarthanam USA team. He said that under the leadership of Varavani Dwarki and his team, this mammoth event took place successfully. He offered his heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the entire team.
“Over the years, I have organized and attended several events for Samarthanam. To host an event of this magnitude outside India would be possible only with the support and help of Prashanth and Anuradha Palakurthi,” said Mr. Kivadasannavar. “All the funds raised from this event will help support the higher education program of the physically disabled and visually challenged folks back home. Support from Indian diaspora is a key element in Samarthanam Trust for Disabled’s objective to touch a million lives by 2030 and make the differently abled people taxpayers of the country.”
Varavani Dwarki, who took over as the president of Samarthanam USA just last summer, was ecstatic about the success of the event.
“It was truly an unprecedented event with so many musicians coming together to put up this show. Thanks to Prashanth and Anuradha Palakurthi, the musical fundraiser “Nazraana” turned out be such a crowd pleaser,” said Mr. Dwarki. “Prashanth and team paid huge attention to so many technical details and made the evening so magical. Samarthanam USA is very happy for all the support from attendees, our donors and sponsors. We could not have made it without all of your support. Many volunteers worked for months to make this event a big success and we thank them all.”
Samarthanam USA, India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB), other community organizations and Juju Productions hosted the mega-musical event on Aug. 20, 2022 at The Hanover Theater and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester, MA. This concert was also part of IAGB’s celebration of India’s 75 years of Independence – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahatsov.
