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India Post News Service

CUPERTINO: The Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), whose mission of ‘Vision 20/20 by 2020’ is aimed at eradicating curable blindness in India by the year 2020, held its annual fundraiser with Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu at the Flint Center, Cupertino on June 22. This was the first concert of the North American tour by the two main artistes. It was a huge success with over 2000 people, young and old alike, enjoying the mix of songs, new and old sung by the various artistes.

The show was compeered by Mona Singh of Jassi fame. Dressed in an elegant beige and blue sari, she kept the crowd entertained with humor interspersed with dances to songs (like Chamma Chamma). Manoj Mishra sang songs like Main Hoon Don and Sujata Majumdar sang Yeh Mera Dil and Aaj Ki Raat. However, it was only when Kumar Sanu came on stage that the crowd went wild. Dressed in black with glittering sequins and a big ‘Om’ around his neck, he was the consummate showman who had the crowd in his hand.

The energy was palpable as he sang his hit songs from movies like Aashiqui, 1942- A Love Story and others. Chatting with the crowd in between, Kumar Sanu said that it had been quite some time since he had last come to the Bay Area and that he was happy to be back. The tempo was maintained as Alka Yagnik made her entrance. Dressed in a red ensemble, she sang songs like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, You Are My Soniya and Ore Chore.

Just before the interval, she sang one of her most famous songs at the audience’s request, Ek, Do, Teen with dancers accompanying her on the stage. During the interval, Murali Krishna Murthy, Chairman of SEF talked about the work that the organization is doing to eradicate blindness in India with the goal being a SEF hospital in every state. After an eight minute film, and praise for the 200+ volunteers that help SEF function, the show restarted.

Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik also spoke about how they were honored to be of help to a great and noble cause. Fortified by food from Dosa Palace during the interval, the audience was eager to get back in the groove. The long awaited duets started after that as the duo enacted the life cycle of lovers expressed through filmi songs, starting with the romantic journey of love at first sight, followed by marriage and then moving through the reality of life involving bitterness in a post marital relationship and finally coming full circle to finding ways to rekindle the love.

Teri Chunariya was one of the most expressive songs sung by Alka Yagnik in an elegant white sari and Kumar Sanu in a midnight blue ensemble. At this point, the front having been opened to dancers, Odh Li Chunariya Tere Naam Ki had children dancing away. With grace and style, the two kept the audience engaged till well after midnight in what can only be called an exemplary start to their 14 concert tour.