Mahindra Roots Festival Announces First Edition Next Month

Today, the Mahindra Group announced a brand-new festival called The Mahindra Roots which is scheduled for February 24th to 26th in Mumbai. The three-day event is set to be held at Bandra’s Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Land’s End Amphitheater/Bandra Fort Amphitheater and antiSOCIAL in Lower Parel and aims to showcase India’s vast and diverse cultural heritage through theater performances, immersive storytelling, folk music, classical music and poetry in multiple languages of Hindi, Punjabi, English, and Kannada, amongst others, to tribal music forms, contemporary Sufi, Abhangas, Bengal’s Baul music tradition, and more.

Jay Shah, Vice President, Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, talked to us about the upcoming festival, how it came together, what people can expect and more. Read excerpts.

How did Mahindra Roots come about and what laid its foundation?

At Mahindra, we are constantly scanning the cultural landscape of our society and looking for ways in which we can make a meaningful intervention that also fulfils the strategic progression of our brand. There are many aspects of Indian culture that remain unexplored, particularly from the lens of our youth. Mahindra Roots is an attempt to present lesser-known ethnic traditions recast in a form and style that will interest our younger folk. 

What can people attending expect from the fest?

Audiences can expect unusual artists and art forms, presented in today’s context and vocabulary without compromising on the sanctity of the art form. 

As this is happening in Bandra, it reminds me of the Celebrate Bandra fest, is there any correlation between that and this?

Our attempt is to add to the vibrant culture calendar of Mumbai City, of which Celebrate Bandra is a much-loved element. While there is no direct correlation, we are happy to situate Mahindra Roots in the ‘Queen’ of Mumbai suburbs that plays host to fantastic events like Celebrate Bandra and the Mahindra Blues Festival. 

What are the plans going forward in terms of further editions and taking Mahindra Roots to different parts of Mumbai or different parts of India too?

All the Mahindra Cultural Outreach programs are designed for the long term. We are convinced that a sustained presence will benefit both the brand and the art form. We will present the 18th Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards this year, the 11th Mahindra Blues Festival, the 7th Mahindra Kabira Festival, and so on… Each of these programs is calibrated according to the lessons learned in the previous editions and a clear focus on enabling the betterment of the art form and enjoyment of the audiences. Mahindra Roots will be no different. 

Stay tuned for the lineup. Click here to buy tickets.