07th March, 2026
03rd February, 2026Singer-composer Nisschal Zaveri will present Whispers of the Infinite – Spring Edit, a ghazal and poetry performance exploring love, silence, and renewal, at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on Friday, 6th February at 7:00 PM at Mumbai's historic Cross Maidan. Zaveri joins a distinguished lineup including Usha Uthup, Grammy-winner Ricky Kej, Kanishk Seth Trio featuring Kavita Seth, and other acclaimed artists at one of India's most celebrated cultural events.
Started in 1999, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is Mumbai's premier public celebration of art and culture, transforming the city's heritage precinct into an open-air canvas of music, visual arts, theatre, dance, and literature.
This year's theme, "Ahead of the Curve," resonates deeply with Zaveri's approach to the classical ghazal form. “At Kala Ghoda, I will be presenting “Whispers of the Infinite – Spring Edit.” The performance will be a blend of select pieces from the Whispers of the Infinite tour held earlier, along with a few fresh, unheard, and unreleased ghazals that I will be sharing for the first time.The idea is to bring together familiar favourites and new material into a seamless musical narrative that reflects the mood of spring, intimate, and reflective.” The artist trained in Indian and Western Classical brings forward a practice that honours tradition while ably extending its expressive boundaries through contemporary sensitivity and minimalist presentation.
Whispers of the Infinite is Zaveri's ongoing ghazal and poetry project that explores intimacy, silence, and emotional depth within the classical tradition. He says, “Whispers of the Infinite is my way of looking at ghazals as gentle, timeless conversations. A ghazal is never loud, it is a whisper that carries emotion, poetry, and melody far beyond the moment it is sung. That idea of a soft expression traveling endlessly is what inspired the name.The project itself is like an empty canvas without boundaries. The musical landscape can shift from traditional to contemporary, from intimate arrangements to orchestral textures, yet the soul always remains rooted in the poetry. Each performance is an exploration of different moods, different seasons, different colours, ultimately moving ‘into the infinite”
The Spring Edition, timed with Mumbai's seasonal shift, draws from themes of longing, bloom, and transcendence. The performance invites attentive listening, allowing poetry to unfold with restraint rather than spectacle, where romance is approached as a slowly unfolding feeling more than a grand declaration, much like blossoms in the city.
Zaveri will be accompanied by his ghazal band featuring tabla, sarangi, 12-string guitar, bass, keyboard, and percussion. Zaveri will be joined on stage by a wonderful ensemble of musicians. “I have Shamshir Ali on tabla, Arshad Ahmad on 12-string guitar, Dilshad Khan on sarangi, Pratik Shah on piano, Hemang Mehta on percussion, and Aaron Daniels on bass, along with a small chorus section for a special surprise element.The setlist will include timeless favorites such as ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’ and a few other well-loved ghazals. At the same time, I will also be presenting my own original compositions, which bring a fresh and personal dimension to the performance. The blend of classic repertoire and new music is what will make the evening truly unique for the audience”.
The setlist is shaped as a gradual emotional journey, moving from stillness and waiting toward renewal and boundlessness. Minimal instrumentation and deliberate pauses create space for the poetry to breathe, offering audiences a quiet encounter with love and reflection.
He adds, "Ghazal is not meant to impress — it is meant to reveal. At Kala Ghoda, I look forward to creating a space where listeners can meet the poetry honestly, without spectacle, and rediscover the timeless intimacy that this form holds.” Zaveri says about his upcoming performance.
This year Zaveri is focused on expanding the vision of Whispers of the Infinite across multiple cities in India and internationally. “Few concerts are coming up in March. I aim to take the project to new audiences through curated concerts, intimate mehfils, and festival performances. And I’m working on my album which I’m extremely excited to present to the world”.
Visit Nisschal Zaveri on Instagram on https://www.instagram.com/nisschalzaveri/
Event Details:
Whispers of the Infinite – Spring Edit
Date: Friday, 6th February, 2026
Time:7:00 PM – 7:35 PM
Venue:Cross Maidan, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai
Admission: Free and open to the public
For more information about the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, visit:
