A four day spectacle from 23-26th December, Mood Indigo saw a variety of speakers, competitions and events during the fest. We bring to you a list of some of the highlights of this annual cultural extravaganza that added colour, fun and frolic to the festival.
Conchord: The Acapella finals
Swaranjali, Hansraj College’s Music Society bagged the first place, while Gargi College came second, followed by Mount Carmel College. Swaranjali enthralled the audience with their rendition of Bad Romance and Barbie Girl, inviting praise from the judges for the balance in their notes and the impeccable coordination within the team. While the all-girls teams from Mount Carmel College and Gargi College earned accolades for their bass voice and versatility respectively, the team from Shri Mata Vaishnodevi University was appreciated for their choice of a medley of foot-tapping popular music.
Coke Studio singer Mame Khan steals the show:
With his rendition of ‘Damadum Mast Kalandar’ and other songs, Mame Khan stole the audience’s heart with his super energetic and enigmatic performance. Not only did he engage with the crowd, but also crooned the classic ‘Damadum Mast Kalandar’ that left everyone mesmerised and wanting for more.
FusionNite: Karsh Kale
The ‘fusion nite’ saw the renowned American Indian musician, composer and producer Karsh Kale set the tune straight for his audience as the jamming session pumped up the young lot.
Saurabh Shukla’s Barff
Saurabh Shukla’s second directorial venture, Barff, was an event that was eagerly awaited at Mood Indigo 2016. The three member cast of Sadia Siddiqui, Sunil Palwal and Saurabh Shukla had a packed hall hanging on to their every word as the stage transformed into a scene from Kashmir, snow et al. Sunil Palwal essays the role of Ghulam, a Kashmiri taxi driver, while Sadia Siddiqui plays his wife, Nafisa. Saurabh Shukla is Dr. Siddhant, coming from afar to treat their unwell child.
A palpable air of mystery and intrigue envelops the play, giving it the garb of a thriller revolving around the little child. Love, motherhood, a sense of attachment towards Kashmir, and fluidity in the perception of reality are intertwined to create an undeniable masterpiece. The acting is impeccable and lends depth to the three beautifully moulded characters. Nafisa’s heart-wrenching cries, Ghulam’s devoted love for his wife, almost bordering on naivete, and the doctor’s attempt to understand their world, could not have been portrayed more realistically. Reality becomes putty in the hands of imagination driven by intense pain and love. The set, which marvellously locates itself in a Kashmiri home and its surroundings, is meticulously thought out to the littlest detail.
Theatre Fest: Daddy Cool
A two-man act starring Jagdish Rajpurohit and Kevin Dave, ‘Daddy Cool’ is a hilarious play that charts the life of a father son duo. As the name suggests, the father is “cool” employing different parental tactics to fuel his son’s curiosity during his formative years. They include sending his son to a sex-worker so as to educate him about sex and smoking with him in order to dissuade him from doing so.
There are some inevitable questions that come from young children which place their parents in awkward situations. The play focuses on some of these, especially regarding those related to sex. In the process, the ingenious ways in which parents often deprive their children of the right answers rather than touch upon the taboo topic of “sex,” are highlighted.
The most remarkable facet of the play was the effortless acting of the two, which required role reversals and multiple roles playing. The sheer task of holding the attention of the audience for an hour isn’t easy, and they did just that while also cracking them up the entire time.
Jayaprakash Narayan on Demonetisation
As part of Mood Indigo’s Lit Fest 2016, renowned political informer and founder of the Lok Satta Party who boasts of a 16-year long career in government, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan conducted an interactive session with the audience on the aftermath of demonetisation.
Dr. Narayan explained that the policy of demonetisation will not work in isolation as a “mantra or panacea.” It must followed by attendant steps to ensure that benefits are released. “One man’s sudden whim cannot become policy in a short period in a country of our size. But, the people of India are extraordinarily forgiving and are willing to pay the price in the short term,” he said.
According to Dr. Narayan, the primary role of the government is to create conditions for people to discover their own enlightened self interest, by delivering quality education and healthcare.
In his closing note, Dr. Narayan appealed to the students to go beyond their textbooks and work towards transforming the nation’s future.
Street Play competition: Aagaaz
Agaaz, the street play competition at Mood Indigo 2016 saw participants bringing tremendous energy and innovative themes to the fore. The 12 competing teams brought out various significant social issues through their nukkad natak. An outdated education system, rigid caste hierarchies and discrimination based on caste, the freedom to express one’s own sexuality and the hypocratic taboos revolving around menstruation are some of the pertinent issues raised by the teams. The event was judged by Tanya Abrol, Chintaman Sahastrabuddhe, Yusuf Qasmi and Padmabhushan Agrawal and was also attended by actor Pankaj Tripathi. Some of the participating teams include College of Vocational Studies, Sri Venkateshwara College, PGDAV, IIT Kanpur and Ashoka University. The judges laid down the yardsticks of a good street play as one that disseminates a universal message and entertains the audience simultaneously. The judges appreciated the diversity and relevance of the social issues raised.
Feature image credits: Gerush Bahal
Reporters:
Riya Chhibber ([email protected])
Abhinaya Harigovind ([email protected])
Swareena Gurung ([email protected])
Kavach Chandra ([email protected])
Picture credits: Harshit Thukral, Prateek Singh, Hitanksha Jain and Gerush Bahal for DU Beat.