An evening at the Bihar Museum celebrated music composer Ravi’s birth centenary with storytelling by renowned film historian, musicologist and author Manek Premchand, anchoring by Kamal Malhotra and soulful performances by Dr. Mukund Jagannathan. Blending music, anecdotes, and nostalgia, the event transported audiences to Bollywood’s golden era, leaving them entertained, informed, and emotionally connected to the multi-faceted lyricist-singer-composer Ravi’s timeless melodies and legacy.
Manek Premchand, Kamal Malhotra, and Dr. Jagannathan sharing a relaxed moment with delegates from Bihar Museum and Bihar State Film Development, just before the event begins.
There are some evenings that entertain you, and then there are those rare ones that gently pull you out of the present and place you right in the middle of a bygone era. Saturday, January 31, 2026, was exactly that kind of night at the Bihar Museum in Patna, where music lovers gathered for an event beautifully titled “Ek Shaam Sur-Samrat Ravi Ke Naam.”
Organised by the Bihar State Film Development, the evening celebrated the birth centenary of legendary Bollywood composer Ravi, and what unfolded felt less like a formal tribute and more like a warm, musical reunion with the past.
Celebrating a century of melody: The official event banner for ‘Ek Shaam Sur-Samrat Ravi Ke Naam’ at the Bihar Museum
A writer who knows music like an old friend
When writer and film music historian Manek Premchand took the stage, it became instantly clear that this was not going to be a dry historical lecture. Drawing from his book Soulfully Yours, Ravi, published in 2025 by Blue Pencil, Premchand shared reflections on the composer’s distinctive musical style: one that never chased noise but instead embraced melody with quiet confidence.
He spoke of Ravi as a composer who understood the emotional pulse of listeners. His music, Premchand suggested, symbolized sincerity over spectacle, a reminder that sometimes the simplest arrangements are the ones that stay with us the longest. There was an ease in the way he spoke, like someone narrating stories about a beloved family member rather than dissecting a musical giant.
And the audience? Completely hooked.
(L) A sketch of Ravi drawn by an artist from the audience (R) Manek Premchand signing a copy of Soulfully Yours, Ravi
A surgeon by day, singer by passion
If Premchand was the storyteller of the evening, Dr. Mukund Jagannathan was its voice. A renowned plastic surgeon with a celebrated singing talent, Dr. Jagannathan stepped into the spotlight and did what great performers do: he made the classics feel alive again.
The moment he began singing Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho, heads started nodding. By the time he reached Ae mere zohra jabeen, smiles had spread across the auditorium like a shared secret. And when songs such as Tujhko pukare mere pyar, Tum agar saath dene ka vada karo, and Chaudhvin ka chand ho followed, resistance was futile; the audience sang along, happily surrendering to nostalgia.
It wasn’t just a performance; it was participation.
After each rendition by Dr. Jagannathan, Premchand would return with an anecdote or an insight.
Stories between the notes
What truly set the evening apart was its rhythm. Song, story, song, story. After each rendition by Dr. Jagannathan, Premchand would return with an anecdote, an insight, or sometimes a delightfully unexpected piece of trivia about the song or Ravi himself, while Kamal Malhotra’s thoughtful questions encouraged him to revisit memorable moments with his signature wit and humour.
These weren’t textbook facts. They were witty, occasionally hilarious, and always revealing. One moment, the audience was laughing; the next, they were leaning forward, absorbing a detail that made them hear a familiar song in a completely new way.
It felt like attending a masterclass disguised as a musical evening.
Manek Premchand in conversation with Kamal Malhotra
Nostalgia is best when shared
There’s something magical about listening to golden-era Bollywood music in a room full of strangers who somehow don’t feel like strangers for very long. Maybe it’s the collective humming, the exchanged glances that say, “Yes, this is my favorite too,” or the realization that great music doesn’t age, it simply gathers more memories.
As Premchand’s passionate accounts blended with Jagannathan’s heartfelt singing, the Bihar Museum briefly transformed into a time capsule. For a few hours, playlists and algorithms were forgotten. Melody ruled again.
And perhaps that’s the real legacy of Ravi: music that doesn’t demand attention but earns affection, decade after decade.
By the end of the program, one thing was certain. This wasn’t just an event; it was an experience. The combination of deep musical analysis, lighthearted storytelling, and soul-stirring performances created an atmosphere that lingered even after the final note faded.
People didn’t rush out. They walked out slowly, almost reluctantly, as if stepping back into the present required a moment of adjustment.
If evenings like this prove anything, it’s that the golden age of Bollywood isn’t locked in the past. It lives on wherever its songs are sung and its stories are told with love.
And if the night sparked a curiosity to understand Ravi beyond the melodies, to know the man, the mind, and the music a little better, you might consider picking up Soulfully Yours, Ravi. Think of it less as a recommendation and more as an invitation to continue the journey that began with a song.
A writer, poet, graphic designer, harmonica player, Ronin is an artist who loves to do whatever he does. He likes fiction and fantasy genre and is a huge fan of Van Gogh, comic book legend Stan Lee, Munshi Premchand, and Dan Brown to name a few. Ronin loves listening to old rock songs; Pink Floyd and Guns N' Roses are his all time favorite. Ronin also goes by the name of Shubhang Saurav in the mortal world, which is his birth as well as socially accepted name.
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