Between 6 and 18 October 2025, Sthira unfolded across Chennai as a heartfelt celebration of music, dance, and conversation. Curated by Akhila Krishnamurthy Founder of Aalaap to mark the organisation’s 13th year, the 13-day festival brought together artists who have shared a close journey with her—each performance echoing trust, warmth, and artistic camaraderie.

What stood out most was the choice of venues—thirteen intimate spaces that reflected Akhila’s personal connections, often built over shared coffee, creative exchanges, or collaborations. Each setting added its own charm, making every evening distinct and memorable.

The festival opened with Rama Vaidyanathan’s Aalaap in Movement at The Folly, Amethyst, featuring Divya Nayar, Meenakshi Grama, and Sangeeta Isvaran, with Aditya Narayanan on vocals and Madan Mohan on violin. It was an interesting exploration of raga alapana in its many hues, interwoven with humour and expressive abhinaya, setting the perfect tone for the days ahead. The concept revolved around using varied ragas to explore duality and portray a woman’s daily struggles. Aditya Narayan and Madan Mohan excelled in their musical rendition — the ragamalika transitions were handled with ease, drawing several “aha” moments from the audience. The dancers’ portrayal was sincere, and the manodharma explorations stood out for their creativity and clarity in execution.

An evocative evening titled Sahrdaya featured senior dancers Urmila Sathyanarayanan, Srikala Bharath, Roja Kannan, and Vidya Subramaniam, who brought alive padams—from Tyagesa of Tiruvarur to Krishna—through their mature artistry. Priya Murle’s presentation, weaving Aalaap’s journey through stories of Krishna, stood out for its imagination and emotional connect.

A refreshing shift came with an evening of Hindustani music by Ankita Joshi, whose recital Mrignayani at Medai stood out for its ease and unhurried performance.

Equally enriching were the conversations that punctuated the festival—The Dancer as an Athlete brought together Srinidhi Chidambaram, Shweta Prachande, and fitness coach Adarsh Gopalakrishnan, who shared insights on well-being and strength for dancers. Another engaging session, Time Traveller: Staying the Course with Narthaki, featured Anita Ratnam in a lively and reflective conversation.

Other memorable performances included Fugue by Anil Srinivasan and Naveen Napier, Raga as Weave, Tala as Thread by Ritvik Raja, Samvaada by Karuna Sagari and Bhavajan Kumar, and Symballein by Renjith and Vijna. Kaleidoscope of Emotions by Priyadarsini Govind and Sense of an Expanse by G. Ravikiran, exploring the music of Muthuswami Dikshitar, added depth and diversity to the line-up.

The finale at Vinyl & Brew café was a fitting close to the festival.TM Krishna and Sangeeta Sivakumar took the audience on a musical journey that moved easily across genres — from cinema and light classical to classical and beyond — sharing music that had inspired them and pieces they simply enjoyed listening to. The evening ended on a touching note as they sang along with their daughter Anantha, who accompanied them on the guitar, bringing Sthira to an emotional close with a rendition of Edelweiss from The Sound of Music.

Across thirteen evenings, Sthira offered an experience of warmth, reflection, and connection—a gentle reminder that art flourishes most beautifully in spaces of trust and friendship.