New Delhi, March 23 -- I first heard the song Defying Gravity a few years ago. Actor Idina Menzel's raw intensity made this a powerfully rousing piece about inner transformation and defiance of societal norms. The song, first performed as part of the Broadway musical Wicked, has stayed with me since. Some 20 years after the production premiered at the Gershwin Theatre, New York, Defying Gravity has emerged as an anthem yet again, especially for teens and young adults, with the release of the film series, Wicked (2024 and 2025), starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively.

But there is something visceral about hearing the song being performed live on stage, and a new musical, Wicked, being staged at the Ni...