The inauguration ceremony of Oasis’17, the annual fest of Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS Pilani), started with an exhilarating dance performance by students of the host college. Based on this year’s theme ‘The realms of fiction’, the peppy dance performance revolved around the characters of Aladdin, Jasmine, and Joker.
Just before the arrival of the Chief Guest, Padma Shri S.S. Rajamouli, filler in form of a dance video was screened. The dance video that was shot in various locations of the vast campus received loud applause, but the Mime Act stole the audience’s heart with its quirky, funny and super relatable dialogues. BITsians broke in into loud fits of laughter numerous times during the short acts. Judging by the liberal content of the skit, which was full of direct references to alcoholism and marijuana, one could establish the freedom of expression that was overtly being practiced. After a couple of impressive fillers, the organising committee and the student heads of various departments were introduced and appreciated. The introductory note of each member/head was witty and sarcastic which elicited laughter from the audience. The Organising Committee members were joined by Chief Guest, S.S. Rajamouli and together they participated in the lightning of the lamp ceremony.
On the first day of the cultural extravaganza, one of the most exciting events was the Stage Play. Copious amounts of work, precision, details went into ensuring that the event went smoothly. The first three plays were performed on the Day 1, while the remaining three will be performed tomorrow, on Day 2. The sound and lights crew amongst a large number of volunteers were at work since early morning for the Stage Play performances. The three plays that were performed were- Rise and Shine by St. Xavier Jaipur, Gaareki Deewar by IIT-BHU and Aagaz, also by St. Xavier’s Jaipur. The judges were Manil Mayank Mishra and renowned theatre personality, Shilpi Marwah. The performances typically lasted fifty minutes to an hour. The energy of the fest was enhanced with dramatic excellence of Shilpi Marwah and her team, Sukhmanch theatre group. They performed their critically acclaimed play, A Woman Alone, and expressed issues like marital rape, societal oppression, and the various contouring of being a woman with finesse. The play garnered immense appreciation from the audience, with the event culminating with a standing ovation.
Day 1 also witnessed an array of other cultural productions. Oasis was host to a film fest which comprised of story completion, poster making, and trailer making competitions. They also organised Turncoat, the one-man debate and the Hindi debate, Cocktail. Exposure, the Photography exhibition was home to a myriad of artistic masterpieces. The evening closed with a classical dance performance by Priya Murle. Elimination rounds for events like the Drum Duel, Axetacy Films, and Desert Duel were organised,
Due to extensive practise and with the assistance of a highly efficient background team, every performance was breathtaking. It was a visual treat to be able to experience the colours, sounds and emotional thrill that came with these performances. The plays were appreciated by the audience and tomorrow’s three performances are highly anticipated.
Feature Image Credits:
Niharika Dabral
Kinjal Pandey
Saumya Kalia