Festival will be held at the Kennedy Center October 2-4.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Utsav, which means festival or celebration, is an annual three-day event celebrating India’s maestros of classical music and dance that is opening its doors for the third year running.
Slated to take place in the nation’s capital from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Utsav is the brainchild of entrepreneur, doctor, and television personality Sreedhar Potarazu, who is the founder and curator of the festival.
“We needed to create a platform that would enable us to showcase some of India’s talent in a manner that was consistent with the caliber of their stature,” Dr. Potarazu told The American Bazaar over the phone. “By that, I mean not in a place where the community arranges programs such as high schools or temple auditoriums, where it doesn’t really lend credence to the platform on which [Indian] performing artists should be placed.”
According to the event website, Utsav was founded with the vision of promoting the beauty, depth, and diversity of traditional Indian music and dance. In addition to live performances imbued with virtuosity that could only be borne from India’s uppermost echelon of the arts, Utsav will also feature several panels that are not ticketed.
“They’re not going to be workshops,” said Dr. Potarazu of the supplementary lectures. “They’re meant to be didactic sessions with key experts from India to share thoughts on important issues.”
During his chat with the American Bazaar, Dr. Potarazu went on to express an unbridled enthusiasm for the festival he helped mastermind.
“I always look forward to the immense talent that is coming together,” he said. “For Utsav this year we’re kicking off on Oct. 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti — Gandhi’s birthday — and there’s a special theme of a concert for world peace; Amjad Ali Khan, who is world renowned, will be performing with his two sons … so it’s going to be a wonderful three days in terms of the whole festival.”