Khumaar 2022 was a healing touch after 2 tough years, say industry leaders

It’s been 24 years that Khumaar, an annual musical extravaganza, has been drawing in music lovers with scintillating performances of the best melodies that Hindi cinema has to offer. Founded and lovingly nurtured since its inception in 1998 by Bipin R Pandit, COO, The Advertising Club, Khumaar today has grown to be a showcase for rising talent as well as a platform for preserving the love for India’s classic melodies.

What is even more special about Khumaar is that it has become a not-to-missed event for professionals from diverse fields of marketing, media, advertising, and digital, among others. For Khumaar 2022, which was held in Mumbai, attendees came from as far away as Chennai, Bengaluru, Indore, Hyderabad, Pune, Nasik, and even Canada.

Commenting on the Musical Nite this year, Bipin R Pandit said, “It is very satisfying to have a houseful show. It speaks volumes about the faith that people have in the quality of the show. My observation is that one may book the best venue, offer quality drinks and outstanding food, but to get people to attend is a huge challenge. In that sense, all my hard work, ably supported by all the sponsors and my team, is paying rich dividends. Khumaar has performed at Baroda and Indore as well, and surely with artists from different parts of India performing for it, the Musical Nite has become a pan-India brand.”

Leaders from across sectors shared their experience of Khumaar with Adgully, what they liked the most, and what keeps drawing them back to the musical event year on year.

Paresh Chaudhry, Group Executive Director – Value 360 Communications

“Bipin has been a friend for years and I thought he only does Ad Club activations. After 5-6 editions of Khumaar, I am convinced that his magic of spreading sheer happiness through music is permanent. His confidence has only grown over the years and his “Khoj” section impresses me the most. New incredible talent every year adds to the Indian legacy of 20-year olds singing Rafi and KK songs, which are 40-50 years old. Bipin’s passion for music, connection with the audience, and knowledgeable scripts that weave through his shows grips you for three hours. Khumaar recognises “reel life heroes”, and his social outreach touches hearts. Never miss it.”

Abhishek Karnani, Director, The Free Press Journal:

“It was an amazing experience. Bipin and the singers kept the audience engaged throughout. It is wonderful that he finds gem budding artists and gives them a platform like Khummar. There was never a dull moment. It was happening after two years and enjoying the show with fellow music lovers added to the overall experience.”

Ambi Parameswaran, Independent Brand Coach:

“Bipin Pandit is a treasure trove of Bollywood music and has converted his passion into a veritable annual event. His Khumaar is a well-packaged program that music lovers look forward to. I admire Bipin’s passion and dedication.”

Rajit Desai, Senior VP - Client Leadership, Mindshare:

“Having seen Khumaar over the last many years, one has seen the quality keep getting better every subsequent year. This time was no different. Unlike in the past, when the songs used to be primarily from 50s to 70s, this time we saw more 80s and 90s songs. Besides the usual Rafi and Kishore, we saw talented new artists perform SP Balasubramaniam, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam songs as well. Zeeshan Shaikh, who performed a couple of Sonu Nigam songs, was the find of Khumaar, according to me.”

Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Founder, The Horologists and The Corner Room Project:

Khumaar is a celebration of music from the 60s till the 80s. It gives us a chance to listen to those immortal gems of Rafi, Kishore, Lata, Asha, Mukesh, Hemanta and other legends from that era. Khumaar 2022 was the biggest so far, performing to a packed St Andrews auditorium. There were a few new introductions this year; I particularly liked Zeeshan, who sang some beautiful songs of Rafi saab and Sonu Nigam. His high notes are pitch perfect. Also, the Madan Mohan medley was a great tribute to the maestro.”

Amit Kekre, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), TBWAIndia:

“Khumaar is a wonderfully curated experience! Any music lover will be delighted with Bipin’s carefully picked list of artists, who spin a magical evening together, peppered with Bipin’s trademark humour. All in all, a full family entertainer.”

Janardan Pandey, Founder & Managing Director, Nett Value Media:

“Khumaar has been my favourite live musical show for many years. This year, it happened after two years of gap due to the pandemic. After the show I felt musically empowered and fulfilled. It’s as if there was no gap in between. It wiped out the pandemic impact in between completely. Maybe that’s why it’s called ‘Khumaar’... it’s musically intoxicating.

The introduction of new singer Zeeshan, a superbly talented youngster who really performed like a star singer. Beside this, the Madan Mohan medley was awesomely done.

Needless to say that the engaging and entertaining hosting by Bipin Pandit is always the soul of the show.”

Ajay Kakar, CMO Aditya Birla Capital Ltd:

“Bipin Pandit’s Khumaar always lives up to its name; an intoxicating evening for music lovers. This year, it was all the more amazing, with a stellar line up of veterans from Khumaar, and fresh talent identified by Bipin.”

Rajeev Malik, ex-Head of Marketing, Mahindra Commercial Vehicles:

“The return of Khumaar after two years came across as a real blockbuster! Not a seat at the venue was empty. And not surprising, given the charismatic, larger-than-life stage presence of Bipin and his set of very accomplished artists. What really stood out and made the experience even more special, is the kind of insights and anecdotes about great singing luminaries of Indian music that Bipin shares from the stage shows how passionate, versatile and connected he is as an artist, almost an ‘insider’ of the music industry.