BB Desk
Padma Shri Kailash Kher celebrated his birthday by hosting the 9th edition of Nayii Udaan, a unique musical initiative that has become a lighthouse for emerging talent across India. The event took place at St. Andrew’s Auditorium in Bandra as a poignant celebration of music, mentorship, and purpose. It transcended the conventions of a concert to become a living tribute to the eternal Indian Philosophy of Guru-Shishya Parampara. The event witnessed the presence of musical stalwarts like Anup Jalota, Gayatri Asokan, Devangana Chauhan and others.
In contrast to conventional birthday bashes, Kailash Kher once again shifted the spotlight away from himself and towards the emerging voices of India’s musical future. Nayii Udaan, an initiative close to his heart, serves as a platform that not only discovers but uplifts and mentors fresh talent, mirroring Kher’s own journey from obscurity to fame.
Based on emotionally charged theme of Guru-Shishya Parampara, the 2025 edition celebrated the timeless thread of knowledge passed down through generations and was specially very moving. Former mentees of Kailash Kher, who are now respected artists in their own right, returned to the stage—not just to perform, but to mentor the next wave of talent, continuing a beautiful legacy of learning and giving back.
This year’s mentor artists included Amit Gupta, Priyani Vani Pandit, Abhas Joshi, Hriday Gattani, and Purusharth Jain—each bringing their own musical journeys and mentorship energy to the stage. They were paired with 10 outstanding vocalists, selected from over 200 nationwide submissions, received through a first-of-its-kind digital talent hunt conducted on social media by the Nayii Udaan team. The selected voices came from different corners of India, each with a powerful story and untapped potential.
In a celebration of real-time collaboration, these pairs performed not as teacher and student but as equals unified by rhythm, ragas, and shared purpose, transforming the event into a auricular tapestry of gratitude, growth, and grace. For the very first time, Nayii Udaan 2025 opened its doors to the public creating a packed house of enthusiastic fans, families, and music connoisseurs. The auditorium reverberated with not just melodies, but the emotion of stories being told and talents being born.
