Mehfil with Panjabi Poetica

Join the ICA and Panjabi Poetica on Saturday, July 11th from 2-3pm for an afternoon journeying into one of Panjab’s most enduring love stories, Sohni Mahiwal, through live music, poetry, and song.

Rooted in the rich poetic traditions of Panjab, this intimate musical performance brings alive the timeless tale of Sohni—a woman whose love compels her to cross a dangerous river each night to meet her beloved, Mahiwal. Through music and spoken word, the performance traces Sohni’s fateful crossings, evoking themes of longing, devotion, courage, and surrender.

Presented in the spirit of a mehfil—an intimate gathering for poetry and music—the afternoon offers audiences an immersive encounter with one of South Asia’s great love narratives, where love becomes both longing and resistance, risk and transformation.

Unfolding amidst the evocative setting of Anoushka Mirchandani’s My Body Was A River Once at the ICA, the performance enters into quiet dialogue with the exhibition’s resonances of water, memory, movement, and the body. The performance features vocalist Ishmeet Narula and is curated by Sonia Dhami.