Dhruv Visvanath

The genesis of the concert lies in a conversation that Vidit Chitroda, founder of entertainment platform Madness JAMS, had with a couple of his friends — Kaivalya Shah, director of Marathon, and Sattvik Mishra, CEO of a media group that came on board as a partner.

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Chitroda says, "They had both come to a previous gig we had organised at WeWorks and liked what they saw. So, the three of us were chatting over drinks when Kaivalya told me, 'I have this property, so why don't you come and check it out?' I did, and was blown away as soon as I walked in. You can see both sides of Bombay from the terrace. On one hand you have the railway tracks and the old city. And on the other, you have all these skyscrapers. Parel as an area has gentrified over time, and Lower Parel is now probably the Brooklyn of Bombay, what with people redeveloping defunct mills as restaurants and venues. The only problem we really faced was in securing permissions like fire-safety certificates."

Looking ahead

Vidit Chitroda

He adds that although the city has a similar character to New York, Hong Kong and Singapore, it doesn't have anything close to the same rooftop culture that those cities embody. "But I feel that we are now ready to gradually take things forward. There's a two-pronged reason for that. Firstly, the audience is more evolved. And secondly, many corporate houses are now run by younger people in their early 30s, who are a lot more open-minded and progressive. Even new-age leaders who are coming in are more supportive. For example, a BMC ward officer came to inspect the property and said, 'Achha, underground vibe hain.' That's where the difference lies. Perceptions are changing," he says.

Parvaaz lead singer Khalid Ahamad

All this of course comes as music to the ears of the city's indie fraternity. But Chitroda adds that the onus also lies on audience members to get out of their comfort zones. It is still quite a small community. Hence, we can't remain frogs in a well if we are to truly build, you know, "the scene". So travel to Lower Parel this weekend, take the elevator up to the new rooftop venue, grab yourself a drink or a juice, and when you are soaking in the music, spare a moment to crane your neck up and watch the stars and the moon. It's going to be an unusual experience, and it promises to be worth it.

On November 9, 6 pm onwards
At Marathon Futurex, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel
Log on to insider.in
Cost Rs 999

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