Miranda House turned into a sea of glowing flashlights and full-throated singalongs when singer Tulsi Kumar headlined its annual cultural fest Tempest, on Wednesday. But Tulsi didn’t just belt out chartbusters, she also revealed a deeply personal homecoming to the Delhi University stage. Before the music began, she paused, looked out at the crowd and said, “Hey, where’s the energy, Miranda House? Come on!” The roar that followed set the tone for the evening.
Tulsi announced to the students that this wasn’t just another college gig for her. “It seems like a full circle of life for me because many of you don’t know this but I’m also a Delhiite... I’m a Delhi girl,” she said, and cheers grew louder as she continued: “I was also in a girls’ college in Delhi. I’m from LSR.” Just this mention of Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy.
For many in the audience, seeing a DU alumna return as a popular artiste felt like watching a senior come back after conquering the world. Tulsi reflected on that journey with visible emotion, and said: “From being a student to being up on the stage here today, where all of you are giving me so much love... It’s been a journey! I’ve performed at various colleges in Delhi, but being here at Miranda today is special.”
Tempest quickly turned into a nostalgia trip as Tulsi sang Tera Ban Jaunga (Kabir Singh, 2019), with hundreds of voices instantly joining in. When she began Tum Jo Aaye (Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, 2010), the lawn transformed into a glowing galaxy with flashlights up, arms swaying, friends singing into each other’s faces like it was a Bollywood movie. And between these songs, she slipped into mentor mode, addressing the all-women crowd with an advice she said she lives by: “I really want to say this: each one of you can reach the stars! You just have to dream big, and follow three things that I follow to the T: practice... for music, I was very persistent, and very importantly, I’ve been very patient.”
{{/usCountry}}Tempest quickly turned into a nostalgia trip as Tulsi sang Tera Ban Jaunga (Kabir Singh, 2019), with hundreds of voices instantly joining in. When she began Tum Jo Aaye (Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, 2010), the lawn transformed into a glowing galaxy with flashlights up, arms swaying, friends singing into each other’s faces like it was a Bollywood movie. And between these songs, she slipped into mentor mode, addressing the all-women crowd with an advice she said she lives by: “I really want to say this: each one of you can reach the stars! You just have to dream big, and follow three things that I follow to the T: practice... for music, I was very persistent, and very importantly, I’ve been very patient.”
{{/usCountry}}The emotional high peaked with Soch na Sake, as students turned their flashlights back on, harmonising with her word for word. Many recorded, many cried, most simply sang. “It honestly felt like she was talking directly to us,” said Rhea Malhotra, a second-year History (Hons) student, adding, “Seeing someone from DU come back and say ‘When I can do it, you can too’ hit different.” Chiming with her, Aditi Sharma, a second-year Political Science (Hons) student, said: “When Tulsi performed Tum Jo Aaye live, it was surreal. But what stayed with me was her talking to us and giving us advice as one of us. We don’t hear that enough at concerts on campus.”
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