Singers Javed Ali, Kaushiki Chakraborty and Neeti Mohan also paid their tributes to the martyrs of 26/11 terror attack.With a motive to honour survivors and families affected by the 26/11 Mumbai attack, The Indian Express hosted the third edition of 26/11 Stories of Strength in Mumbai. The occasion also marked the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack that shook the entire nation in 2008.
The mega event was meant to recount the stories of resilience in the face of grief and loss. Several Bollywood artistes and actors came forward to be a part of the programme that was held in the backdrop of the Gateway of India in Mumbai on November 26.
Several high-profile army personnel, apart from stars from the industry also attended the event. While singers like Javed Ali, Kaushiki Chakraborty and Neeti Mohan paid their humble tributes to the martyrs of 26/11 terror attack, megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s rare act stole the show.
As “Vande Mataram” in Big B’s baritone played in the background, dancers from Nritarutya Dance Company presented a beautiful act with a mix of several classical dance forms. The act ended with Bachchan senior making an appearance on stage and matching steps with the troupe.
Check out Amitabh Bachchan’s performance at the 26/11 Stories of Strength:
The performance was choreographed by noted dancer Mayuri Upadhya and her sister Madhuri Upadhya. Mayuri is the director of Bengaluru based dance organisation, Nritarutya.
Bollywood singer Javed Ali and his band of musicians sang the popular songs “Arziyan” (Delhi-6) and “Khwaja Mere Khwaja” (Jodha Akbar).
As the silhouette of the Gateway of India kept changing colours, Neeti Mohan crooned “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” which was originally written by Kavi Pradeep, composed by C. Ramchandra and performed by Lata Mangeshkar.
Noted flute player Rakesh Chaurasia left the audience spellbound with his rendition of “Ishwar Allah Tere Jahan Mein”. Rakesh is the nephew of flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Other performances included acts by Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty who sang Rabindranath Tagore’s “Ekla Cholo”. Rakesh Chaurasia (flute) and Merlin D’Souza (piano) accompanied Kaushiki.
Also read | Stories of Strength
Also read | Bollywood pays tribute to 26/11 victims, martyrs
