Performing in front of her Indian audience after four years, singer Dua Lipa set the stage alight with her breathtaking dance numbers and captured hearts with her soulful solos. The 29-year-old is currently on her Radical Optimism Tour and played a nearly two-hour non-stop set at the MMRDA Grounds at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai on November 30. Lipa previously performed in Mumbai at the 2019 OnePlus Music Festival with singer Katy Perry for a double whammy.
The Anglo-Albanian singer took to the stage wearing a one-piece white corset with a mesh overlay and a series of sensual moves and hair tosses that had the crowd screaming. She started her set with her hit Training Season and then went on to sing her other hits such as New Rules, Be The One, Dance The Night (Barbie; 2023), One Kiss, Break My Heart and more. Visibly excited to take the stage, Lipa said, “I love you Mumbai… I’m blown away by all the energy. We will have a lot of fun. Today is about us; it’s about me, you and us living in the moment.”
While performing her hit song Levitating, the songstress surprised fans by playing a trendy mashup of Woh Ladki Jo from Baadshah (1999) featuring actors Shahrukh Khan and Twinkle Khanna. She even broke the choreography and did a little jig to an iconic Indian song. With this little addition, the whole arena went crazy. Leepa is no stranger to Bollywood and even posed for a picture with King Khan during her previous trip to India.
In a past interview, Lips admitted that she had heard the track and was “blown away” by it, calling the combination “amazing”. When asked who her favorite Bollywood actor is, she said, “I love Shahrukh Khan!”
After faking a quick finale, Lipa returned to the stage as the crowd loudly chanted her name and sang Physical. She then ended her nearly two-hour set with her new Houdini song from the album on which her tour is based.
Calling this night “special”, Lipa talked about her connection with the country: “I am very shocked by the turnout. Thank you very much for being here.’ She then said, “I spent quite a bit of time in India traveling and coming here for work; to see and visit. I was so taken by the culture, the energy, the people that I keep coming back.”
The Hotter Than Hell singer added: “Tonight is really special because I started my year in Mumbai and I feel like I’m ending it here, in a way.” Her trip to India earlier in the year was a low-key and intimate affair with her parents, Aneesa Lipa and Dukajin Lipa, and her siblings sister Reena and brother Jin. She spent some time in Jaipur, Rajasthan, sightseeing, spending time with the locals, and going on wildlife safaris.
Speaking about her performance in Mumbai four years ago, she said: “The last time I came and did a show in Mumbai was in 2019 and I wish I had the opportunity to keep coming back, but obviously the world has changed and changed. And I want to thank you for your patience, support and love; for bringing me back and appearing for me in this form.’
The final surprise was Lipa’s performance of Cold Heart, a song she collaborated with the living legend, singer Elton John. In fact, during a special show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October, Lipa brought John on stage to sing the hit single. The song is a combination of four of John’s original songs – 1990’s “Sacrifice”, 1972 classic “Rocket Man”, 1983 single “Kiss the Bride” and a 1976 track called “Where’s the Shoorah?”.
