WORCESTER, MA—India Society of Worcester, one of the largest and oldest non-profit Indian-American organizations is hosting its annual Hasya Kavi Sammelan called “Hasya Ke Rang Geet Ghazal Ke Sang” today (Friday, May 11) at India Center in Worcester, MA.
The event start at 6:30 PM. Tickets are: VIP: $50; Regular: $25. For more information, contact Ragini Seth at ragu1328@gamil.com . You can also buy tickets at: ISWonline.org.
Here are brief bios of featured poets performing tonight:
Gaurav Sharma
Gaurav Sharma of Mumbai hails from Rajasthan. He is the son of renowned Hasya kavi Shyam Jwalamukhi, and one of the most popular young humorist in India who has performed in over 2600 kavi sammelans. He is an exceptional performer and a maestro of humor who has entertained millions of people all across the globe.
Gaurav is known for his unique style of expressional comic rendered in his signature one liners. He sometimes uses the Marwari language for his humor. His poetry has a mixture of engaging humor and penetrating satire. When he takes the podium, the auditorium is filled with continuous laughter. Gaurav is not only a comic poet but also a youth icon. He has been associated with Johny Lever live shows since 2014 completing 135 stage performances. He is a winner of Laughter Challenge on Star TV, Comedy Ka King Kaun on SUB TV, and Hasya Kavi Muqabla on Zee TV.
As a poet of distinction, Gaurav has been felicitated with numerous awards, including Saraswati Puraskar and Rajasthan Gaurav Puraskar. He has performed in over 32 countries, including multiple times in Canada and United States on several occasions.
Sonroopa Vishal
Sonroopa Vishal of Badaun, a gifted poetess known for her melodious voice and spellbinding renditions, is a language and music graduate and a PhD in Hindi literature. She is an Indian World Cultural Forum and ICCR, Government of India approved vocalist and ghazal singer. Born into a literary family, Sonroopa received Inspiration to write poems from her father, famous oj kavi Dr. Urmilesh.
She is a freelance writer, and a director of cultural organization named ‘Sanskrati Arts’, and a founder of non-profit social organizations ‘Pankh’ and ‘Srajan’. she has been felicitated by many prestigious organizations and institutions, including the government of Mauritius and Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan. She has two published books ‘Likhna Zaroori Hai’ and ‘Nari Vimarsh Ke Arth’, and a CD ‘Aapka Saath’ to her credit. She has also co-authored several books: ‘Stri Hokar Saval Karti Hai’, ‘Kavita Anvarat’, ‘Samkaleen Mahila Ghazalkar’, and ‘Srajan Ke Sitare’. Sonroopa has been invited to recite her poems from India’s prestigious national Kavi Sammelan at Red Fort and Sahitya Academy, to various TV channels. This is her first visit to the United States and Canada.
Sarvesh Asthana
Sarvesh Asthana of Lucknow, a recipient of Uttar Pradesh’s highest civilian award ‘Yash Bharati’ and numerous national and international awards, is a famous satirist who has been participating in Kavi Sammelans and Mushairas since 1989.
He is a highly celebrated Hindi poet of ‘Hasya Vyang’ and a quick witted manch-sanchalak. Popularly known as ‘Smile Man’, Sarvesh is a law graduate and journalist by profession. He is the editor of only literary newspaper ‘Sahityagandha’ in India. He is also associated with many charitable organizations in India, and is widely published. Sarvesh is a regular on radio and TV. ‘Hero Koun’ and ‘Miss Ramkalie’ are his two comedy TV serials.
‘Kaifi Ki Kaifiyat’ and ‘Karvan Geeton Ka’ are his two documentaries based on the life of lyricist Kaifi Azami and Padmabhushan Gopal Das Neeraj, respectively. Among his published books are ‘Shaadi Ka Vigyapan’, ‘Vazeer Badshah’, ‘Shamshan Ghaat’ in hasya-vyang and ‘Inko Jaano Inhe Manao’ (Children’s), ‘Khowlata Makrand’ (Geet), and ‘Tanhaiyan Aabad Hain’ (Ghazal). This is his sixth visit to north America. He has also performed in UK, Thailand, Dubai, Indonesia, and Oman.
