Hyderabad remains a city Vaibhav Joshi had not yet read his poetry. On March 1 that long-held wish will finally find its voice with Ritu Barwa, a special evening that brings together his evocative verses and the classical flute of Amar Oak in a confluence of words and music. The performance will unfold at 6.30 pm at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, King Koti, marking his first-ever appearance in the city and a significant milestone in his poetic journey.
Speaking about finally bringing his poetry to Hyderabad, Vaibhav admits: “It has always been my dream. I have been doing many shows in Maharashtra, outside Maharashtra and India too, but I have never come to Hyderabad to perform. So, I am very excited.” He adds that he has heard great things about the cultural enthusiasm of audiences in the city and is eager to experience it himself.
On what kind of response he expects, Vaibhav reflects on how audiences express themselves in different ways. He explains, “These days I don’t go by any expectations because there can be different people and types of responses, and clapping, whistling, or dancing is not the only response. Since, whenever there is some specific poem, responses can also be seen in their eyes.” Since he plans to present romantic, philosophical and spiritual poetry, he hopes each form finds its place in the listeners’ hearts.
Talking about collaborating with Amar Oak for Ritu Barwa, Vaibhav describes the partnership as an artistic dialogue. He says, “It is a lovely canvas, you know, because we start on a completely blank page, and to see somebody playing flute near divinity and you colouring it with your words feels magical to me. At times, I start into some zone, and then he accompanies me, so it is always a privilege. In fact, working with the Ritu Barwa team itself is a privilege because every musician is a great artist; collaborating, exploring and doing something new while understanding the parts and blending musical notes and flute notes with poetry creates a new picture, which keeps the butterfly in the stomach and the excitement alive.”
A large part of Vaibhav’s following today comes from young people, especially online. Sharing how one of his recent poems touched millions, he expresses, “Whenever I do live shows, mostly youngsters attend, and when we talk of the linguistic side or the existence of Marathi poems, it is heartening and hopeful because they not only come for the show but are involved, learn from me, start writing verses, understand poetry, experiment a lot, and it is very satisfying.”
Looking at the future of Marathi poetry, he remains optimistic. He notes, “The language is very much in the young hands.” Meeting aspiring poets across the world has strengthened his faith in regional literature.
Despite living in a world that can be critical, Vaibhav chooses empathy. He emphasised, “I practice humanity in my daily life, and I practice it by meeting people, reaching out to them and behaving well, because at the base everyone is a good human being. They become curt or a little harsh because of their lived experiences, so I try to smooth their rough edges by being friendly. Even people who troll me have some opinion, so I understand their psyche, give benefit of the doubt, stay humble, keep learning poetry and remain a happy student.”
As Ritu Barwa prepares to unfold in Hyderabad, Vaibhav Joshi arrives not just as a poet, but as a lifelong learner who believes that words, when lived honestly, can still move a room into silence.