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Mumbai’s cultural pulse soared on Day 2 of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, as a dynamic mix of cinema, culinary conversations, Maharashtrian tradition, classical draping artistry and cross-cultural music unfolded across the city’s iconic venues. The day beautifully reflected the festival’s spirit of bringing together diverse art forms within shared public spaces.
The afternoon began at Cross Maidan with a lively film interaction for Tu Ya Main, featuring actors Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav. The session offered insights into new-age storytelling and the creative journeys of emerging performers, drawing strong engagement from cinema enthusiasts and students.
Cinema met cuisine later at KMC Bar and Bistro during Food! Camera! Action! (Cheeni Kum) with noted filmmaker R. Balki. In an intimate and conversational setting, Balki spoke about food as emotion, memory and narrative device in films, turning the session into a warm exchange of stories, flavours and filmmaking craft.
Tradition took centre stage back at Cross Maidan with Dahihandi – The Pyramid of Maharashtra, presented in the presence of the Maharashtra Rajya Dahihandi Govinda Association. The live human pyramid demonstration celebrated teamwork, agility and the festive legacy of Janmashtami, bringing high-energy applause from the gathered crowds.
At YWCA International, heritage met high fashion during Grace in Every Fold, a saree draping masterclass led by celebrated draping artist Dolly Jain alongside actor Saiee Manjrekar. The session highlighted the saree’s enduring versatility and its evolving place in contemporary identity, blending craftsmanship with personal expression.
As evening progressed, Cross Maidan became a stage for global musical dialogue. Beyond Borders (Music Fusion) featured Sufi vocalist Mujtaba Aziz Naza and Flamenco artist Kunal Om, creating a high-energy exchange between devotional intensity and rhythmic Spanish expression.
The night culminated at Cross Maidan with AAJ RANG HAI, a Sufi-Electronic live performance by the Kanishk Seth Trio featuring acclaimed Sufi singer Kavita Seth. Reimagining the timeless poetry of Amir Khusrow and Bulleh Shah through a contemporary electronic soundscape, the performance blended spiritual depth with modern production, leaving audiences spellbound and marking a powerful musical finale to the evening.
Day 2 once again reaffirmed Kala Ghoda’s identity as a living cultural crossroads — where film meets food, heritage meets innovation, and local traditions share the stage with global artistic voices, all within the open, democratic spaces of Mumbai.