National Award-winning Hindustani classical vocalist Mahesh Kale, celebrated for bringing classical music closer to modern audiences, recently took time off to attend one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world - the US Open Tennis Championship in New York.
Calling the experience “a welcome change of pace,” Kale shared that he was especially moved by the audience’s energy. “Whoever was struggling in the game got cheered a lot. It told me the crowd wasn’t just rooting for a player, but for the sport itself,” he said after watching the thrilling clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
For Kale, this spirit mirrors his own world. “Both music and sport demand discipline, focus, and the ability to zone in amidst the noise. Whether you land the perfect note or serve an ace, the joy it sparks is the same,” he reflected.
Fresh off the success of his concert tour ‘Abhangwari’ and the recently released song by the same name, Mahesh Kale has always been a self-confessed sports enthusiast. “I was one of those four boys in class who played all the sports,” he reminisced. “Of course, like every Indian child, I played cricket, but I also ran short-distance sprints, played volleyball, badminton, and basketball.” Fondly recalling a personal memory from his early days playing badminton, when he accompanied his elder brother to practice and unexpectedly caught the attention of a coach, he expressed, “The coach asked me to play and ended up taking me into an advanced batch. He said I had a flair for the game… that moment has always stayed with me.”
That early encouragement has stayed with him, shaping not just his love for sport but also his approach to music and life. As he puts it, “Sports taught me to take life in a spirited way… to enjoy the process regardless of the outcome.”
