Highlighting India's rich cultural and poetic heritage dating back to the pre-independence era, ZEE Live – a live original content and livestream vertical of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), is livestreaming a 90-minute special ‘India Shayari Project’ globally on Indian Independence Day.
On August 15, they will also host a special headline act by legendary poet, lyricist and scriptwriter, Javed Akhtar. The showcase will also bring together prominent poets like Dr Kumar Vishwas, Kausar Munir and Zakir Khan.
“India has been a country of many great poets and shayars. Poetry gives you the space and platform to represent yourself in your most authentic way and with social media, it has been amazing to see it becoming the tool and power for the youth to express these times of dynamism, of a society that is undergoing upheaval, in myriad ways," Javed Akhtar said.
"It is always a pleasure to be a part of something innovative as Shayari as that is my passion and the essence of who I am,” he added.
ZEE Live has partnered with digital platform Moment House to stream this event across the globe. In its first edition, the India Shayari Project aims to make these art forms more accessible and relevant to the youth.
The show will be an amalgamation of interspersed poetry, shayari and the spoken word along with fascinating conversations on how poetry has over time become a potent tool of expression in the new age. Viewers can catch this lyrical extravaganza on the digital platform of Moment House.
Commenting on the idea behind launching the project, Swaroop Banerjee, Chief Business Officer, ZEE Live said, that with over 24 billion collective views of Shayari and Poetry clips globally, the art forms are trending among millennials and GenZ.
"Global celebrities, poets and storytellers have over time taken to social media to extend this legacy to younger audiences, ensuring that the art continues to thrive. Indian poets and writers have made their voices heard in the international landscape. ZEE Live will strive to speak the language of Poetry and will connect with newer audiences across the globe,” he added.
Arjun Mehta, Founder & CEO of Moment House stated that their plan is to ensure that the international audience gets to enjoy the delights of Indian Shayari and witness the works of the talented artists via a digital experience.
Popular comedian and poet Zakir Khan said that Shayari was a timeless art form and its incarnations continued to reflect contemporary times through the ages.
"From the ages of Mirza Ghalib to our modern-day legends of Shayari, culturally it has only enhanced the way we express ourselves. And that is what resonates with the youth of today,” he added.
Bollywood lyricist and writer Kausar Munir shared that Indian youth around the globe would be eager to connect with the poetic traditions of their homeland.
"Events such as The India Shayari Project are bridges that connect the younger generation with the art and craft of shayari,” she stated.
Additionally, Dr Kumar Vishwas said that, as a poet, he liked above all to see poetry written a long time ago still strike a chord with people.
"Poetry has always brought in a sense of magic to words for centuries and (I am) delighted to be part of a platform that reinforces this culture and makes it more mainstream. That said, interacting with the leading poets of our country is going to be an exhilarating experience,” he said.