Review: Bold Bollywood Program with the Evansville Philharmonic 3 21 2026
Bollywood and Beyond: A Symphonic Celebration
Evansville Philharmonic
ROGER KALIA, CONDUCTOR
ANURADHA “JUJU” PALAKURTHI, VOCALIST
ANISH PANDIT, VOCALIST
BOLLYWOOD DANCERS: Sushma Srinivasamurthy, Amrutha Mallesh, Deepa Bada & Kritika Agarwal, dancers
March 21, 2026: 7:00 p.m.
Victory Theater, Evansville, Indiana
Guest Artist Sponsors: Anonymous; Caroline Fairbanks
Program — Part I
- TikeKar & Chhabra (Arr. Chhabra) — Asato Ma
- Laxmikant–Pyarelal (Arr. Bhadkamkar & Franco) — Roz Shaam
- Burman (Arr. Bappa B. Lahiri) — Sholay Title Music
- Kalyanji–Anandji (Arr. Franco & Bhadkamkar) — Yeh Mera Dil
- Darbar (Arr. Chhabra) — Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
- Prasad (Arr. Chhabra) — Srivalli
- Rahman (Arr. Chhabra) — Chaiyya Chaiyya
Intermission
Program — Part II
- Mohan (Arr. Chhabra) — Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho
- Bappi Lahiri (Arr. Bappa B. Lahiri) — Raat Baki
- Singh (Arr. Bappa B. Lahiri) — Dil Toh Pagal Hai
- Kalyanji–Anandji (Arr. Bhadkamkar & Franco) — Chandan Sa Badan
- Vishal–Shekhar (Arr. Bappa B. Lahiri) — Dil Diyaan
- Rahman (Arr. Bappi Lahiri) — Jai Ho
- Rahman (Arr. Chhabra) — Tanha Tanha
- Burman (Arr. Bhadkamkar & Franco) — RD Medley
Bollywood & Beyond: A Night with the Evansville Philharmonic
Leaving from Bowling Green and driving to pick up my cousin in Henderson, Kentucky, going out for a quick bite before the concert, and then heading to Evansville got us there in plenty of time to park in the nearby garage, walk to the theater, and have a look around before the concert began.
A Perfect Day in Downtown Evansville
It was a perfect day, and there were a lot of people in town because there was a hockey game at the Ford Center directly across the street from the Victory Theatre. Main Street has been newly renovated into a quasi-walking zone with a curved brick street that allows parking but keeps an intimate feel.
There is a large new apartment building being constructed, and I can guess it is designed for young people who work in town to live there as well. I think more cities need to focus on downtown living habitats for people because it creates a positive energy.
One of the great advances in ticketing is the ability to put tickets on your telephone and have them scanned at the door. The whole process of parking, entering the building, and finding our seats went very smoothly.
Before the concert, there was a small group of girls dressed in Indian yellow and red dancing to Bollywood music. It lifted everyone’s spirit and got them in a great mood for the concert.
Exploring Evansville Beyond the Concert
We drove back to Henderson after the concert. It is only about a 30-minute drive to my cousin's door, as it is just across the Ohio River. Staying the night and having breakfast the next morning was great, and after departing, I drove back over to see the Waterfront Park in Evansville.
I like to get a feel for the cities I do reviews for, so this extra trip was necessary for the project.
The Waterfront Park is a wonderful place to spend the day. Kids can romp or go to the elaborate jungle gym and play not far from the parking lot. The riverside sidewalk seems to go on forever. People were walking, jogging, and riding bikes.
The Evansville Art Museum is right at the parking lot as well. I didn’t visit, but it looks like a great place to go. Next to it is an old train exhibit. The rest of downtown Evansville seems to be rejuvenating itself, and it is a very nice area to spend time, walk to a restaurant, and go to the symphony.
I definitely want to go back and spend more time discovering this city and hearing more music from the Evansville Phil!
Discovering Bollywood for the First Time
When I saw this program on the Evansville Philharmonic website, I knew I had to go.
Why?
It is something completely new to me and probably very interesting to my readers.
Bollywood. I know nothing about it. I don’t know the films, and I don’t know the music. I have heard this type of music before and would recognize it immediately, but I can’t tell you one title, one composer, or a single performer.
In addition, I am completely ignorant about Indian culture and how Indians see the world. It was like being a foreigner in my own country for an evening. What a great thing that is!
Opening Piece: Asato Ma
TikeKar & Chhabra (Arr. Chhabra) — Asato Ma
Om Peace, Peace, Peace
Lead me from the unreal to the real.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
This was the first song of the concert, and I think it caused everyone in the audience to relax and be in the moment. It is a message that we need in today’s world, and of course, everyone was grateful for the sur-titles, because I’m sure most of the people there were like me and hadn’t a clue about the language. But we all understood “Om”!
My general association with Indian culture is that it is largely tied to the Hindu religion and philosophies, so I expect a spiritual element in the music.
The Performers
The two vocal performers were very easy to listen to.
Anuradha Palakurthi, also known as “Juju,” has a pristine soprano voice and is perfect for this genre. It is a high soprano voice with a pure, delicate sound that handles the music’s ornamentation very well. It reminds me of some of the singing you hear at a Chinese restaurant, but warmer.
She was able to create an atmosphere of joyful calm with her fluid presence and smooth voice.
Anish Pandit was the male vocalist for the evening. I gathered that he is from Evansville and plays in the orchestra. His tenor voice was well-produced and easy. His duets with Juju were wonderful and engaging.
There were dancers from Louisville who performed traditional dances with several pieces during the evening. Sushma Srinivasamurthy, Amrutha Mallesh, Deepa Bada, and Kritika Agarwal added a lot to the performance, and they have a very graceful way of expressing themselves.
Music Director Roger Kalia conducted with flair and enthusiasm. His black jacket with sparkling gold sequins added a bit of flash to his conducting. Even sitting in the balcony, the sparkle was very brilliant. His obvious excitement about performing music from his heritage was warmly welcomed by the audience. It was an absolute delight to attend this performance.
The Orchestra Sound
As Maestro Kalia pointed out, this was “Indian” or “Eastern” music being played on modern Western instruments of a typical orchestra. Bollywood music is recorded in a studio with a few strings, and the Maestro pointed out what was definitely true—that a full string orchestra on these parts gives the entire effect a huge boost in sound. It was glorious.
Now, I wasn’t sure if this concert was going to be 100% acoustical, which is the main focus for my reviews. I was curious if they would perform all of this without amplification. They did use amplification, but it was done in good balance.
I would classify this concert as being from a “studio orchestra.” What does that mean? It means that the orchestra is miked for recording and is not meant to be purely acoustical. But when done like this concert was, the effect of the power of Bollywood music provided a satisfying full sound, with rhythmic elements of various dance styles that remind one of hip-hop, jazz, and a big band effect. There is a lot of percussion and some very exposed trumpet parts. The music is lively, fun, entertaining, colorful, but also calming and peaceful. The orchestral arrangements were very well done as you could hear all of the elements in the orchestra very well.
Final Thoughts
It is already been almost a week since Saturday, and I can’t possibly recall all of the performances of the evening other than to say that the joy and goodwill created during this evening was an inspiration.
There will definitely be more Bollywood orchestral concerts in the future because it is such a fun and touching evening to witness. Surprisingly, this genre of music isn't already more popular among orchestras in the United States, because I think it is a very powerful and lush orchestral sound that is produced.
Musiterania
At Musiterania, the goal is always to explore music beyond the familiar and bring readers into experiences that expand both musical understanding and cultural awareness. This evening with the Evansville Philharmonic did exactly that—opening a door into a vibrant musical world that is both deeply rooted in tradition and full of energy and life. Experiences like this remind us that music is a universal language, capable of connecting us in ways that go far beyond what we already know.
