Chennai: The third edition of the Provoke Art Festival 2025 concluded with resounding success, lighting up Chennai’s cultural landscape with a spectacular two-day showcase of music, dance, and theatre on November 1 and 2 at The Music Academy, Royapettah.
Since its debut in 2023, the festival has become a cornerstone of Chennai’s artistic calendar, seamlessly blending the elegance of classical Indian art forms with contemporary creative expressions. This year’s edition once again reaffirmed the city’s status as the cultural capital of South India.
The festival opened to a packed house with a spellbinding Bharatanatyam performance by Rukmini Vijaykumar, followed by a soulful musical ensemble led by Subha Shree Thanikachalam featuring celebrated playback singers Haricharan Seshadri, Sai Vignesh, Disha Prakash, Santhosh Subramanian, and Vidya Kalyanaraman.
Day 2 saw a captivating stage play by Rohini Molleti and Pralayan, followed by an electrifying concert by Veena maestro Rajhesh Vaidhya, joined by young talents Rahul Vellal and Spoorthi Rao, whose performances earned thunderous applause.
Adding prestige to the event, eminent personalities from the world of art, cinema, and culture were honoured for their outstanding contributions, including Kathadi Ramamurthy, Guru A. Kanyakumari, Anitha Kuppusamy, Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Villu Paatu Bharathi, Sachu, AP Sreethar, Velu Aasan, PK Sambandhan, R. Pandiarajan, Director Vasanth, Thalaivasal Vijay, Unnikrishnan, Y. Gee. Mahendra, Nithyashree Mahadevan, Narthaki, Nalli Kuppusamy, M.S. Bhaskar, Nellai D. Kannan, Bharathi Sridhar, Malathy, Sowmya, Sanjai Shankar, and Dr. Sangeetha, among others.
The festival was graced by distinguished guests, including senior IAS and IPS officers, actor Nassar, director Vasanth, Unnikrishnan, and several luminaries from cinema, music, and theatre, making it one of the most star-studded cultural gatherings of the year.
Conceptualised and curated by Ashwini Sam Paul Vishwanathan, the festival embodied her creative vision and dedication to preserving India’s artistic legacy. The initiative was supported by Dr. Sam Paul, Chairman & Managing Director of Paulsons Beauty & Fashion Pvt. Ltd.
With its overwhelming audience response and stellar lineup, Provoke Art Festival 2025 has further strengthened its legacy as one of Chennai’s most iconic cultural events — celebrating the timeless beauty of Indian art while inspiring the next generation of creative talent.
