‘Dali’ Dhananjaya, Rachita Ram, Reeshma Nanaiah, Rajesh Krishnan wow fans

Mysuru: Despite steady rain, the fourth day of Yuva Dasara 2026 at Uttanahalli Grounds, near Jwalamukhi Tripura Sundari Temple on Ring Road, turned into an evening of music, dance and star appearances yesterday.

While some spectators took shelter under chairs, others stood in the rain, cheering their favourite actors and singers.

Mass dialogues, dance and a ramp walk by actress Rachita Ram, added to the excitement of ‘Sandalwood Nights’ show.

The event featured actors ‘Dali’ Dhananjaya, Rachita Ram and Reeshma Nanaiah, along with singers Rajesh Krishnan, Vijay Prakash, Chandan Shetty, ‘All-OK’ and Manasa Holla. Despite the rain, youngsters danced to the music and cheered the performers.

With rain forecast, organisers advanced the programme to 4.30 pm. Showers began at 4.06 pm and continued heavily until 5.30 pm before easing to a drizzle. Light rain persisted until 9 pm, but the audience remained enthusiastic, with some taking shelter under chairs and others continuing to enjoy in the open.

One of the highlights was the entry of Dhananjaya and Reeshma Nanaiah to the song ‘O Puttamalli’. Their brief dance steps drew loud cheers from fans.

Manasa Holla and Prarthana Holla brought a touch of nostalgia with retro numbers, while Chandan Shetty got the crowd moving with his DJ set. Rapper ‘All-OK’ struck a chord with the audience with tracks including the RCB anthem and ‘Maramman Disku’, bringing Kannada music to the fore.

Amid the high-energy dance numbers and thumping beats, singer Rajesh Krishnan won over the audience with his melodious voice. The familiar tunes had the audience swaying along, marking the evening’s high-energy performances.

He began with ‘Yaaro Kannalli Kannannittu Hodoru Yaaro’, followed by popular songs such as ‘Usire Usire’, ‘Parijata’ from ‘Premaloka’, ‘Hombale Hombale Preetiya Hombale’, ‘Endo Kanda Kanasa Adu Ninna Manasa’, ‘Telephone Gelathi Welcome Welcome’, ‘Bisilu Kudure Ondu Yedeiyinda Odidante’ and ‘Sum Sumne Nagtale’.

Koorak Kukkarahalli Kere… proves a crowd favourite

Renowned singer Vijay Prakash elevated the evening with his distinctive performance, bringing new energy to familiar favourites. His innovative re-arrangement of the title track from the late Puneeth Rajkumar’s film ‘Raajakumara’ drew loud cheers from fans. Even the popular ‘Koorak Kukkarahalli Kere’ song was given a DJ-style makeover, which delighted the young audience.

Alongside these, Vijay Prakash rendered crowd favourites such as ‘Kavithe Kavithe,’ ‘Jeevana Tonic Bottle,’ ‘Khaali Quatru Bottle Hange Lifeu,’ ‘Belageddu Yara Mukha Naanu Nodide,’ ‘Open Hair Bitkondu, ‘Love Me or Hate Me,’ and ‘Seereli Hudugira Nodalebaaradu.’ Each number resonated across the grounds, with young fans dancing in the rain to match the rhythm, turning the drizzle into part of the celebration itself.

Sid Sriram concert tomorrow at 5 pm

Playback singer Sid Sriram will perform at Yuva Dasara tomorrow (Oct. 18) at 5 pm, bringing back a much-awaited musical evening for Mysuru. The concert, which was postponed earlier, will be held at the grounds near Jwalamukhi Tripura Sundari Temple on the Outer Ring Road.

The District Administration and Yuva Dasara Sub-Committee are organising the programme, which is expected to be one of the highlights of this year’s celebrations. The organisers thanked Sid Sriram, his father and his team for agreeing to perform on the revised date.