The crowd was in a trance as Indian singer-songwriter Ritviz performed some of his most popular hits as the headliner on Day 2 at the NH7 Bacardi Weekender in Pune. Like the conductor of an orchestra, the young artist — still only 25 years old — asked the audience to sing along to his tunes and, every time, they echoed in hypnotic unison. It showed not only how much people had yearned to listen to him but also how much they missed attending a live performance.

The excitement was palpable in both the performer and the crowd. It was perhaps for the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic hit that most of the attendees were viewing a live gig with such a large crowd. Their transfixed faces as the Punekar performed were proof of it. “Performing on a big or small or any sort of scale feels like home because Pune is home ground,” he said, in an exclusive chat with Mid-day Online on the sidelines of his performance. “Doing NH7 Weekender is just the cherry on top of the cake — this is the one festival that will always be special.”