These li’l rockstars light up the streets of Ponagutta village

Three kilometres from the bustling arterial road to Shankarpalli, connected by a dirt lane is an unlit little village called

Ponnagutta Thanda

. Life here becomes difficult when the sun goes down. Illnesses to snake bites — the villagers have had to endure it all. What’s more, the children stop attending school as days get shorter. But now there is a glimmer of hope, all thanks to the efforts of a group of Hyderabadi teenagers.

Lazee Weekend

, band comprising of five high school students, recently organised a fund-raising concert — ‘

Light up the Night — A Rock and Dance Party

’ — and generated over `2 lakh. This money will now be used to install street lights on the road connecting Ponnagutta village to the main road.
The initiative was the brainchild of 16-year-old

Ria Thimmaiahgari

, who volunteers with local schools i the village. While I was volunteering at the school in Ponnagutta, the children spoke about how difficult it gets at night. It got me thinking. I wanted to fix it. So, I approached my classmates, Abhishek and Dhruv, who are a part of a band. And we thought, ‘We have a band and we have a cause, so why not put them together.’ That’s how the concert happened.”
For Lazee Weekend-ers,

Abhishek Bathina

,

Arjun Andra

,

Dhruv Mudambi

,

Neil Bathina

,

Sumanth Rajkumar

, the idea of using their music to do something good was an exciting proposition. “It was extremely motivating to play music and make a difference at the same time. I heard that a woman died of snake bite when she was walking back home in the dark. That was scary. Hopefully, these lights will save lives,” says guitarist Dhruv Mudambi.
Abhishek Bathina, the bassist, says, “Music is our passion, and to utilise this passion and talent to help raise funds for kids who are less fortunate was a real kick. After the lights are installed, we know that at least 50 school kids in the village can walk back home safely after sunset.”
The concert was for a cause for sure, but that didn’t deter these young rockstars from having fun on stage. “We gave our 100 per cent to ensure everyone enjoyed the evening. When we played the song Zombie, Abhi, Dhruv and I lay down on the stage,” says Arjun Andra, laughing, as vocalist Neil Bathina adds, “Not to forget the crazy head banging for Highway Star.”