On Valentine’s eve, the New England Community was treated to a virtual musical concert that was par excellence, not just because of the beautiful selection and rendition of romantic songs by local artists, but because of the cause it supported. Shaam - E- Mohabbat supported local Indian restaurants that have been facing the brunt of the pandemic and struggling. 

An outstanding team of talented singers,  Anuradha Palakurthi, Ashutosh Patel, Raghu Saranathan, Sankar Gangaikondan, Valentino Almeida, and Rajiv Gangurde kept the audience mesmerized by their amazing performances for over 2 hours. The air was resplendent with romance as the singers sang timeless Bollywood melodies, new and old, evoking a celebratory mood despite restrictive circumstances. The highlight was a 15 minute medley of songs highlighting love and eyes, presented by Anuradha, the track for which was especially created in Mumbai by Kamlesh Bhadkamkar and his team. 

 

The event was organized by Praveen Misra, Sanjay Jain, and Manisha Jain, and supported by India New England News, and Juju Productions. The flawless and exquisite sound quality and technical details were handled by Sanjay Jain and Prashanth Palakurthi. 

 

The twenty love songs were interspersed with creative valentine videos sent in by community members to spread the message of love! Everyone who sent in a video was awarded a $25 gift card to a restaurant of their choice - in an effort to promote take out at local Indian restaurants. The following restaurants participated in the promotion: Masala Art, Clay Oven, The Treasury, Masala Bay, Madras Grill, Godavari, and Gourmet India. 

 

It was heartwarming to see over 250 community members come together on zoom, on a snowy evening to support this beautiful cause and get in the mood for Valentine’s Day! Shaam - E - Mohabbat is yet another example of a silver lining in Covid times - a community coming together to lift and build each other - all out of love and concern!