There are evenings built around performances, and then there are evenings built around words that linger long after the lights dim. Shabd is one such experience, where Hindustani zubaan comes alive through poetry, storytelling, music, and spoken word that move between memory and the present.
Curated by Kommune, the showcase brings together voices like Waseem Barelvi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Nayab Midha, Mehtab Ali Niazi, and Amrita Saluja, whose warm, witty, and deeply relatable storytelling captures the tenderness and chaos of everyday life with effortless honesty. In conversation with Indulge Express, the artist opens up further about language, storytelling, and finding connection through words.
Finding connection through language and live performance
“Shabd feels like the ultimate coming together of storytelling, shayari, and music under one roof,” Amrita says, speaking about what drew her to the format. For her, it is a space where, if one truly surrenders to the experience, the mind, body, heart, and soul align together. “Hindustani, as a language, speaks to everybody. It’s warm, familiar, and carries this beautiful ability to make an entire room feel seen and connected,” she shares, adding that the diversity and familiarity of the words and music naturally bring people closer.
On vulnerability and honesty in storytelling
Having long been fascinated by human behaviour and psychology, Amrita explains that openness naturally found its way into her writing and eventually her performances. “For me, performance is vulnerability,” she says. “It’s about being completely honest on stage.” In many ways, she adds, storytelling has also become her only real outlet.
Reinterpreting Hindustani for younger audiences
“At its core, Hindustani is an incredibly fluid language,” Amrita says, reflecting on how it continues to resonate with younger audiences today. She explains that the language has always absorbed different cultures, dialects, and influences, making it adaptable and open. Rather than reinterpreting it entirely, she believes the real challenge lies in using that fluidity to express emotions in ways that feel both rooted and relevant to contemporary audiences.
Why audiences are returning to intimate live experiences
Amrita shares that she was recently discussing how live performances — whether music, comedy, or storytelling — are booming because people are experiencing a collective sense of digital fatigue. “Our online lives are so consuming and hyperactive that intimate live spaces almost force you to slow down and reconnect,” she says. According to her, spaces built around words, music, and nostalgia do more than connect audiences to performers; they help people reconnect with themselves, which is ultimately the experience many are craving today.
What: Shabd, a live showcase blending storytelling, shayari, spoken word, and music
Where: The Grand Theatre, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC)
When: June 5, 2026, at 7.30 pm
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