Nikhil D'Souza performs at DU's Deshbandhu College: Dilli waalon, Mumbai ke crowd ko kuch sikhao!

Singer-songwriter Nikhil D'Souza belted out hits like Sham, Mere Bina and Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani during his concert at Deshbandhu College's fest Sabrang’26.

Deshbandhu College, Delhi University (DU), rose in unison the moment singer-songwriter Nikhil D'Souza grinned mid-concert while performing at the finale of the annual fest, Sabrang’26. “Dilli mein mazaa aata hai yaar, tum log kuchh sikhao Mumbai waalon ko ki kaise enjoy karte hain concert,” the singer told the crowd, adding: “This is the energy that we need. Let’s rock it and make this a memorable night!”

During his stage act on day 2 of the fest, Nikhil D'Souza mingled with the young crowd at Deshbandhu College. (Photos: Shantanu Bhattacharya/HT)

Nikhil kicked off with pure nostalgia. Singing his hit tracks such as Sham (Aisha, 2010) and Mere Bina (Crook, 2010), he instantly unlocked core memories for the 10,000 students who packed tight near the stage.

During his performance, Nikhil kept stepping right up to the edge, leaning into the crowd, handing over the mic and singing in chorus with the crowd. This made many attendees swoon to his magical presnece. “Nikhil’s songs are such a core memory of my teen years. For him to pass the mic to me and sing along was unreal,” said Gayatri Batra, BA (Prog) student.

Every few minutes, the 44-year-old hyped up the crowd with an 'Up or down?' letting the volume of screams decide the vibe. When the energy peaked, he dropped Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani (2010) and Ilahi (2013), turning the ground into one giant singalong.

The chants didn’t stop. Smiling, he told students, “wait karo” as he was there just for them. “To see Nikhil enjoy more than us, and repeatedly appreciate our enthusiasm has really boost our ego,” said Deepank Bharadwaj, a BA (Hons) English student.

The night’s most cinematic moment came when a student, holding a single white flower, hoped Nikhil would notice, and he actually did. The singer walked over, took it, and the crowd lost it. Mid-song, he tossed it back into the sea of students, and when one fan caught it, the cheers doubled.

Then came Har Kisi Ko (2013) to close the night. Flashlights on, voices synced, and a huge crowd singing like one big choir.

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