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A NEW ADVENTURE

Ah, there you are. Thank you for stopping by. My name is Tirthankar Poddar. (You can call me 2Blue.) If you have ever been charmed by the small-town way of life, I must tell you that I was born and raised in Agartala, Tripura. But in 1997, I was sold to Mumbai. The contrast was cruel. Among the things I did to cope with it, I formed an edgy hard rock band. I even quit my job for the adventure. Now you see, there is great power in contrast. How else would the universe lead me to you? And with you here, a new adventure may have just begun.

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JAZZ BY THE BAY​

II knocked on many doors after moving to Mumbai. Hungry and tired for months, I finally saw the light at Jazz By The Bay. After my show, I was so happy that I hugged a waiter and cried. That waiter now runs the city's finest diner. And to this day, he hasn't let me pay.


CHANGES

And so I started. I sang, acted, ate unrefrigerated left-overs, and coached leaders. I performed with my heroes from Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden while doing 16-hour days as a VP. And I survived the cataclysm of 2020 on a 3-digit bank balance. So changes? I sure have seen some. I am just glad I am still here.

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AWARDS

And so it has been 27 years since my first show in Mumbai. My old friend from Jazz By The Bay still cheers the loudest. Often with tears in his eyes. Now a friend like that is life's biggest award. But for those who don't understand it, the 'other' awards I won include:

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  • Best Band at Hungama, India

  • Song Of The Year at AVIMA, Asia

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You have no clue how grateful I am.

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JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

I am grateful for finding my people. In finding them, I found myself. People like you. People like Alyque Padamsee. Speaking of Alyque, I learned more from playing Judas in His production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ than I did in my convent school, engineering college, and management institute combined. Alyque gave me a whole new world to explore. But on November 17, 2018, that world came crashing down when I carried His body to the electric furnace. His son Quasar Thakore-Padamsee held me as I cried. But in hindsight, Alyque never left. On October 14, 2022, I swear I saw Him at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli when I climbed on stage to talk about His book. Then on April 9, 2023, I saw Him again at St. Andrews Auditorium in Mumbai when I stood under the lights bleeding on a cross. You see, this is where I had started as Alyque's Judas. Now that I returned as Jesus, I knew He was watching.

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JAYA: THE VICTORY

Alyque Padamsee changed my life. He planted in me the seeds of truth and dharma. Even though I didn't know it then, it was He who led me to the reigning queen of Indian theatre, Lillete Dubey. And I played the lead role in her operatic rendition of the Mahabharata, ‘Jaya: The Victory.’ Lillete was tough. But in the end, when I saw people rising from their seats with tears in their eyes, I understood why. And I just stood there, head lowered with gratitude. Lillete explained later at a party why she cast me as Yudhisthira. Behind my tattoos and tinted glasses, she said she could see the seeds of truth and dharma.

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DANCE WITH INFINITY

So here I am, head lowered with gratitude, because you are still here. 

 

Small-town boy, daddy's pride and joy

Up and left to fill a void

Door to door with a bag of dreams

He just kept knockin' but he wasn't let in

 

The city sun ain't for everyone

She asked him, "Are you willing to burn?"

And when he cried on the phone at night

She asked him, "Baby, have you even tried?"

 

What you seek is seeking you

This is not the end

What you seek is seeking you

Your life is in your hands

 

When you see the silver lining

When you see the stars aligning

You will see your life's a love affair
When you see the silver lining

When you see the stars aligning

You will see your life's a love affair

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That's 'Silver Lining,' a song from my upcoming album, 'Dance With Infinity.' And this me, Tirthankar Poddar. (You can call me 2Blue.) I guess I am just here to remind you that your life is in your hands. So make it a love affair. 

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