Bazm-e-Virasat Concludes with Cinema, Literature and Music: Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Others Light Up the Actors’ Table
Prayagraj: The three-day cultural festival Bazm-e-Virasat concluded on a high note at the campus of Bishop Johnson School, blending cinema, literature, music, and intellectual discourse into a vibrant celebration of India’s artistic heritage.
The highlight of the final day was the much-anticipated Actors’ Table session, which featured leading Bollywood personalities Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Vineet Kumar, and renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra.
“I Thought It Was a Film Offer”: Neena Gupta
Sharing a light-hearted anecdote, Neena Gupta revealed that when filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia recently messaged her, she assumed it was for a film project.
“When I called him back, I realised it was an invitation to Bazm-e-Virasat.
I immediately said yes and decided to come to Prayagraj,” she said, drawing warm applause from the audience.
She also spoke candidly about the realities of cinema, underlining that films are ultimately a business and every actor must consciously build and sustain their market value.
Struggle, Persistence and the Actor’s Journey
Gajraj Rao reflected on his early struggles, recalling how his father initially wanted him to pursue a conventional job.
“The theatre bug had already bitten me,” he said. “A relative convinced my father that acting was respectable work, and that’s how my journey continued.”
Rao also highlighted how the advent of OTT platforms has transformed opportunities for actors, reducing the long wait once required for even a single meaningful scene.
Vineet Kumar offered a philosophical take on performance and life. “I act because acting exists within me,” he said.
“But I don’t define myself only as an actor. I dislike pretence and prefer contentment over constant display.”
Rao added with a smile, “We just keep working honestly. Somewhere along the way, a powerful role arrives, the film becomes a hit, and people say we’ve ‘arrived’. In reality, consistency is our real identity.”
Mukesh Chhabra echoed the sentiment, crediting OTT platforms for democratising the industry. “Many newcomers have built strong careers purely through digital platforms,” he noted.
Literary Discourse: Nirala, the Poet Who Became a Legend in His Lifetime
Another intellectually rich session focused on Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, featuring scholars Pranay Krishna, Avadhesh Pradhan, and Tarun Kumar.
Prof. Pranay Krishna described Nirala as a rare poet who attained legendary status during his lifetime, citing how contemporaries like Shivmangal Singh Suman, Trilochan Shastri, Kedarnath Singh, and Shamsher Bahadur Singh wrote poems about him.
Prof. Tarun Kumar termed Nirala the most rebellious and unconquerable poet of the Chhayavaad era, while Prof. Avadhesh Pradhan called that period the most revolutionary phase of Hindi literature—one that Nirala carried single-handedly to its peak.
Chairing the session, Ravindran Singh remarked that Nirala was known for breaking the very standards he himself had created.
Absence Noted, Dialogue Continued
In another session titled Allahabad in Literature, noted writers Mamta Kalia, Uday Prakash, and Vibhuti Narayan Rai could not attend due to unforeseen reasons.
However, scholars Anita Gopesh, Ali Ahmed Fatmi, Neelam Saran Gour, and Yash Malviya carried forward a nuanced discussion on Prayagraj’s literary legacy.
Music and Performance Steal the Finale
The closing evening resonated with thunderous applause. The Pakshi Band enthralled the audience with Indian fusion music, while Rashmi Agrawal mesmerised listeners with Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s iconic ghazal “Gulon Mein Rang Bhare”.
Celebrated dastango Mahmood Farooqui presented Dastan-e-Karna in his signature style.
The finale belonged to the Voice and Trumpet Band, whose renditions of popular songs from the 1970s transported the audience into a nostalgic musical journey.
A Festival That Celebrated Living Heritage
As Bazm-e-Virasat drew to a close, it reaffirmed Prayagraj’s enduring role as a confluence of cinema, literature, music, and intellectual thought—where tradition converses with contemporary creativity, and heritage remains a living, evolving force.
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