"I want people to know the magic of Hindi": Vaishnavi Sharma on her creative journey
Mumbai, June 15
Poet and performer Vaishnavi Sharma, popularly known as Raag Vaishnavi, has opened up about the deep influence of Indian philosophy, epics, family traditions and language on her creative journey, saying she wants to make Hindi "cooler" and accessible to younger generations.
Speaking about the origin of her stage name, Vaishnavi said the idea emerged from her love for India's classical and literary traditions.
"Initially there was not a huge deep thought given, but like in Shastriya Raag Vyavastha there is Raag Saraswati, Raag Bhairavi, Raag Durga, there is nothing like Raag Vaishnavi, so I took a creative liberty with whom I identify. So Raag Vaishnavi came from there," she told ANI.
At a time when many young artists are gravitating towards hip-hop, pop and contemporary music, Vaishnavi chose poetry as her medium of expression. She attributed this choice to the literary environment in which she was raised.
"In my family, everyone is very fond of language. My grandmother's teacher was Mahadevi Verma, my father's education was in Hindi Literature, my grandfather used to do poetry. So from a very young age, I was introduced to language, I was influenced by the variation of language," she said.
The performer added that theatre played a significant role in shaping her artistic sensibilities and helped her appreciate the coming together of multiple art forms.
"And after that I got theatre, because of which I got interested in the amalgamation of all the art forms. So when I came to Delhi-Mumbai, I saw that there is a different status of language, people look at it differently. So I just wanted to bridge it, I want to make it cooler for the younger generation, those who are not Hindi speakers, they should get to know the magic of Hindi," she said.
Vaishnavi also shared insights into her creative process, revealing that while she writes lyrics and dialogues, many of the performances she presents are based on works written by her father, Satish Srijan.
"So I write, I write lyrics, I write dialogues, but the shows I do are written by my father. His name is Satish Srijan, and my favourite poem is Anhad," she said.
She noted that her father's works draw extensively from Indian philosophy and epics.
Through her performances, Vaishnavi continues to bring stories rooted in Indian philosophy, mythology and human emotions to contemporary audiences, while seeking to build a stronger connection between younger generations and the richness of Hindi literature.
Vaishnavi presented her special poetry performance Anhad at Veda Black Box, Veda Factory, Aram Nagar, Versova, on June 13. The event marked the first independently ticketed live show under her name and received an overwhelming response from audiences.
Originally conceived as an experimental poetry presentation, "Anhad" evolved into a mature and impactful cultural experience, drawing an enthusiastic audience from across Mumbai.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is beautiful but I wonder if it's just another elite project for the art crowd in Versova. The event was at a black box in Aram Nagar - how many young people from local bastis or smaller towns can access that? I hope she also takes her poetry to schools and colleges in tier-2 cities. Hindi needs to be made "cool" for everyone, not just Mumbai's art lovers. Still, massive respect for her family's literary background.
As someone who studied in an English medium school and now regrets not knowing Hindi well, this gives me hope. The fact that her grandmother learned from Mahadevi Verma is incredible - that's real literary heritage. But I'm a bit skeptical about the "Raag Vaishnavi" stage name - is it really okay to take creative liberty with classical raga names? Feels a bit like appropriation of something sacred. Still, if it gets young people interested in Hindi poetry, maybe it's worth it.
It's refreshing to see someone choosing poetry over hip-hop and pop in today's world. But I noticed she performs works written by her father - isn't that a bit like being a cover artist? I'm sure she writes her own lyrics too but the shows are based on his works. That's fine for now, but for her to truly "make Hindi cooler," she needs to find her own original voice beyond the family legacy. The lineage is impressive though - her grandfather being a poet and father a writer is amazing.
This is the kind of cultural revival India needs! 🎭 I'm a theatre guy from Bangalore and I've seen how language-based art is dying in the south due to English domination. Vaishnavi's approach of using theatre to amalgamate art forms is exactly what we need. Her father Satish Srijan's poem "Anhad" - I've heard about it, it's quite profound. Would love to see her collaborate with regional language poets too. Hindi isn't the only
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