The Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society is set to breathe life back into Delhi’s longest-running public ‘mushaira’ on April 4, 2026, at 7 pm. Taking place at Modern School, Barakhamba, the ‘57th Shankar Shad Mushaira’ continues a tradition that has anchored the city’s cultural calendar since 1954. This stage has long been a true home for the Urdu language, where the legends of the past and the boldest voices of today meet to protect a depth of storytelling that remains rare.
Organised by the Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society in association with DCM Shriram Industries Ltd, this year’s ‘mushaira’ marks a significant shift as the event brings a pan-India flavour to the capital. While digital reels might vanish in 24 hours, the verses shared on this stage are etched into memory through voice and tradition. This platform stands alone in its honouring of the legacy of the original ‘mushaira’, continuing the etiquette and grace that defined the gatherings of the past. It serves as a bridge where the classical meets the contemporary, ensuring that the soul of Urdu poetry evolves without being diluted.
The 57th edition pulls in voices from every corner of the map, representing the true heart of the country. From the rugged landscapes of the North to the vibrant pulse of our cities, poets are converging in Delhi to find the common language that connects us all. The lineup is a rare meeting of eras, headlined by the timeless Waseem Barelvi and the legendary Javed Akhtar. These masters share the stage with a new guard of storytellers, including veterans such as Sheen Kaaf Nizam, Iqbal Ashhar, Rajesh Reddy, Shakeel Azmi and Shabeena Adeeb. They are joined by the raw, contemporary energy of Charan Singh Bashar, Azhar Iqbal, Sunil Kumar Tang, Hina Haider Rizvi, Saif Nizami and Zubair Ali Tabish. Each ‘shayar’ and ‘shayaras’ brings the unique flavour of their home state, proving that while our dialects might be different, our heartbreaks and our loves are the same.
As the 2026 edition draws near, the Society is widening its embrace through the ‘2nd Shankar Shad Shayari Contest’, inviting every hidden voice to step out from the shadows of their private journals and onto this historic platform. By welcoming both written and video submissions, the search for new talent ensures that the ‘next great heart’ of Indian poetry has a home regardless of age or background.
The official announcement of the contest winners will take place on April 4, 2026, at the ‘Shankar Shad Mushaira’, celebrating emerging talent in the presence of legendary artists.
For the younger generation, this space has become vital. Gen Z is returning to ‘Shankar Shad Mushaira’ to find a language for things that are often hard to talk about - mental health, the weight of identity and the ache of heartbreak. It has become a haven for emotional expression and healing. This year, the event also honours the diversity of India through its inclusivity. We see women ‘shayars’ reclaiming their voices and a linguistic blend that welcomes Hindi and Hindustani dialects alongside Urdu. It is a night where silence often speaks louder than applause, where the emotional pauses between lines carry as much weight as the words themselves.
Reflecting on this journey, Madhav Bansidhar Shriram, Chairman of the Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Society and Managing Director of DCM Shriram Industries Ltd, shared that the ‘Shankar Shad Mushaira’ is a sanctuary where the ‘restless spirit finally finds its reflection’. He mentioned how we live in a world that has totally forgotten the value of a pause. Here, we provide a space where words carry the weight of existence and silence is sacred. As he noted: “By gathering a pan-India brotherhood of poets, we unite the different threads of our national heritage. This stage belongs to every Indian who has ever found comfort in a story. We are protecting the very breath of our culture. This is a soul that belongs to everyone.”