Devotion in every melody with Jeet Gannguli

Trust Hyderabad to never miss a reason to celebrate — and this time, it went all out with Bani Sangha Alwal’s Durga Puja celebration. Amidst lights and divine energy, singer and composer Jeet Gannguli took the stage and turned it into a powerhouse of melody and emotion. Between the cheers of the audience and chants for the Goddess, CE caught up with him and his wife after the performance to talk about the cultural crossover and the magic of the evening.

Jeet Gannguli took the stage and turned it into a powerhouse of melody and emotion

“It wasn’t just another stage for me, but a moment of pride and nostalgia,” Jeet said, his eyes still lit up with post-performance joy. “Durga Puja has a deep sentiment for us Bengalis, it’s our biggest festival. For those who live outside Bengal, it’s always a task to create something that truly captures the emotion of the celebration. But here, the organisers did a fantastic job. The stage was beautiful, the audience fantastic, and the sound and lights — everything perfect. The Durga Maa’s murti, oh my god, it was made straight from the heart. I’m so lucky to be called here,” the singer added.

For Jeet, the Hyderabad crowd was a revelation. “When I saw the people, it felt like I was in Kolkata, celebrating with my family back home. The energy and devotion gave me that same vibe. The audience was so warm and involved — they sang my songs even better than I did,” he laughed. On stage, however, he insists that he’s not just performing — he’s a devotee offering music to the goddess. “Jeet Gannguli is nothing without her. It’s not about performance; it’s about devotion. Nothing else matters at that moment,” he added.

He believes what’s happening in Hyderabad is a cultural bridge. “It’s beautiful. People in South India are very religious too — they have temples, rituals, devotion. This truly feels like history being made. Hyderabad’s celebration is larger than life, just like Kolkata’s grand festivities,” he shared.

Music, he says, transcends language and connects people to traditions. “Music is universal. It connects hearts faster than words. There’s a song of mine, Muskurane Ki Wajah Tum Ho — friends tell me every morning it reminds them of blessings. Songs from Aashiqui 2 and my Bengali numbers — I sing what the audience loves. Even people who aren’t Bengali were singing along. That’s the magic of music,” said Jeet.

Performing in a diverse city like Hyderabad, Jeet was touched by the audience’s enthusiasm for both his Hindi and Bengali tracks. “Many weren’t Bengali but sang Ki Kore Toke Bolbo! — the Bengali version of Suno Na Sangemarmar. I thought I’d start with Hindi, then switch to Bengali, but everyone was humming along. I asked organisers to turn on the lights to see people dancing at the back. They were singing Mon Majhi Re! I’ve never seen such love here before.”

The night was memorable. “Honestly, the whole experience was memorable,” he smiles, adding, “But when I stepped out of my car and saw so many people come to greet me — it was overwhelming. Awards are special, but moments like these are what an artist treasures forever.”

Talking about preparation, Jeet says the musical groundwork is similar to other concerts, but the spirit is different. “We rehearse and prepare like any concert, but these performances have their own rhythm. You sing songs like Dhaker Taale, and the energy is devotional. I performed at Vaishno Devi this year too — only bhajans. But whether it’s a bhajan or a film song, music itself is a prayer. Music has no language, devotion has no boundary,” he explained.

Meanwhile, his wife Chandrani Ganguli shared her amazement at Hyderabad’s response. “We had a similar experience at Nagpur, where most of the crowd were Maharashtrians. Like Hyderabad, Nagpur is culturally rich. Mumbai has become a melting pot, but cities like Pune, Nagpur, and now Hyderabad still preserve authenticity. To see non-Bengalis responding so beautifully to Bengali songs was overwhelming. Here, I saw the same energy,” said Chandrani.

— Story by Tejal Sinha