Before His NESCO Concert, Kirtan Maestro Radhika Das Talks About Mumbai’s Energy, Bollywood Vibes & Bhakti Culture

As Mumbai gears up for Radhika Das’s much awaited kirtan concert at NESCO on November 29, the devotional artist reveals a playful side to his relationship with the city. Known for bringing warmth, rhythm and spiritual energy to every gathering, he speaks about the Mumbai moments that inspire him, from dreaming of a kirtan circle at Marine Drive to imagining a mantra sequence in an Imtiaz Ali film. With the city’s pulse, madness and magic, Radhika says Mumbai is the perfect place for a devotional gathering that feels alive and electric.

For Radhika, the ideal spot for a dream kirtan in Mumbai is Marine Drive. He imagines the waves keeping rhythm, the skyline sparkling in the background, and thousands of voices rising together under the open sky. He calls it “unforgettable”, a moment where the city’s energy and devotion would naturally merge.

Mumbai’s Bollywood heart also finds a place in his imagination. If he ever had to place a bhajan or kirtan in a film, he says he would choose an Imtiaz Ali story — a world where longing, identity and inner journeys sit comfortably alongside soulful music. To him, a devotional track in such a film would feel completely organic.

As for his dream audience, he admits both Ranveer Singh and A.R. Rahman would be unforgettable in very different ways. Ranveer, he says, would probably dance in the front row and lift the room’s energy instantly, while Rahman would connect with the spiritual depth of the music at its core. If he had to choose, he would pick Rahman “for the sheer vibration he carries”.

When asked to sum up Mumbai in a mantra, he offers a line full of movement and love, “Hare Krishna Mumbai, chant and be ever-moving, ever-loving, ever-alive.” According to him, Mumbai never stops, but when its people chant, the city’s restless heartbeat turns into something deeply full.

With his NESCO concert around the corner, Radhika Das says Mumbai feels like the ideal city to experience the joy of collective chanting. Its people, its pace and its spirit all blend into a unique devotional energy. As thousands prepare to gather on November 29, he hopes the evening becomes a moment where the city pauses, breathes and comes together, ever-moving, ever-loving, ever-alive.