BY ADRIAN BOODAN

Indar Kanhai, the “Melody King‚” thrilled approximately 4,000 cheering fans packed into the Centre of Excellence on Saturday night, when the local songster teamed up with the renowned dance wizard Michael Salickram and other popular artistes for a gala Mother’s Day show.

The event opened with the Clico Shiv Shakti Dance Company dancing to Salickram’s choreography of the track “Kaahe Chhed Mohe‚” from the Bollywood movie Devdas.

Shiv Shakti performed five dances to Bollywood tracks, and their closing number was done to a medley of popular contemporary chutney hits. The dances were strategically placed in the four-hour programme.

The group gave the audience a brilliant showing, which combined fast-paced dance routines and gleaming costumes. In one dance he incorporated the use of burning torches in dimmed lighting, which gave the effect of the flames swaying and blending subtly with the dance movements.

Salickram stole the spotlight when he arrived through the crowd on a sedan chair for the second dance item. He stripped off his red and yellow robe and danced wearing an iridescent red dhoti. Moving to the song “Holi Dai‚” the dancers made heavy use of confetti, which sparkled under the multicoloured stage lighting.

The Junior Shiv Shakti Dancers also got into the act when they performed the third dance number and thrilled the crowd, dancing to the song “Oodhni Odh Ke,” from the popular 2003 movie Tere Naam.