Watch the poetry of Jeet Thayil, Dom Moraes, Ghalib come alive on stage

A Poetrification performance at Sitara Studios

'In India, in twenty fifteen. The earth picks at its scabs, old wounds made fresh, children crawl backward like crabs/to the cradle, no light, no progress, only a cleansing of the unclean/ as defined by the Prime Minister's fringe masters. His beard drips grammar, this morning, and though his fist, pumps properly for the camera, he has lost faith in his tryst, his destiny, his own words make him cringe'.

Earlier this year, when actor and producer Denzil Smith shared this searing Jeet Thayil poem, Wapsi, on stage, he brought the house down. Then again, Smith is no stranger to the effect that poetry has on people. He is part of Poetrification, a special event that combines poetry, music and banter in one seamless narrative.

At Independence Brewing Company

"Poetry is an art form where writers and poets hardly get recognition, and are known only in small circles. This will help bring poetry across to the younger generation," feels Smith.

This weekend, Poetrification returns after a four-month-long hiatus. The session will include a few new poems but familiar faces - Smith, poet and actor Danish Husain, and musician Adil Manuel. "This is not a formal evening. There's a lot of banter and conversations; we speak about our experience with poetry and share anecdotes about the poets," says Husain.

Danish Husain

The poems seamlessly blend into each other, in what Smith calls a 'poetry jugalbandi on stage'. Husain recites the works of Ghalib, Noon Meem Rashed, Faiz, Akhtarul Iman, and Afzam Ahmed Syed in Hindi and Urdu, and Smith performs the works of Dom Moraes, AK Ramanujan, Jeet Thayil, Ranjit Hoskote and Arundhathi Subramaniam in English. The poems cover themes of love, politics, the state of the nation, and religion. Throughout the performances, by the side, Manuel uses his guitar to add a harmonious background and give a certain respite to the words. "When you perform poetry, there needs to be a space so people can soak in the words. Music facilitates the process. It also helps prepare the mood for the next poem," says Husain. Smith adds that music can sometimes make the poems easier to understand, and less obtuse.

Denzil Smith

When Husain moved to Mumbai in 2014, there were a lot of open mic nights, but none were dedicated to showcasing classic poetry, in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or English.

Ranjit Hoskote

That's what set the tone for Poetrification; he roped in Smith to recite his favourite English poems, written by Indian authors. The show premiered in November last year.

Jeet Thayil

Over the next year, there are plans to make this a monthly event and look at different themes, open the floor to other performers, and have a fixed calendar of events. "We want to create a platform that marries poetry and music beautifully," says Husain.