Manasi Prasad, Shubha Mudgal, Sneha Khanwalkar, Sushant Divgikar

The music of India is as diverse as its people, however not all voices find equal representation in either traditional or contemporary music expression. Access to music education, performance opportunities, avenues for economic sustenance, peer and audience acceptance remain limited for many musicians on account of deep-rooted sociocultural and economic factors, including but not limited to caste, community, gender and societal norms.

This panel discussion explores questions of inclusion and diversity in Indian music and the performing arts. Invoking one of the most widely sung anthems of equality, the panel brought together an eclectic trio of game changing artists – renowned classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal, Bollywood music composer Sneha Khanwalkar and trans artist-activist Sushant Divgikar – who threw light on issues and solutions in the context of the Indian music and performing arts landscape.