College festivals have risen in importance to become the most recent fad amongst the youth. These festivals give a platform to students to exhibit their talents and prove their worth.
Most of the time however, the quest to show one's superiority becomes a major cause of enmity and inter-collegiate rivalry.
Among all the aggressiveness, there bloomed one love story. Here's how:
In junior college, Aryan and Sanaya were classmates. Though they shared the same classroom, they were always distant from one another.
Aryan was very social. He was the life of a party; and that is why he was always sought after.
Sanaya on the flip side, was very selective in choosing her friends. She loved to spend time with herself and was someone who would not trade her principles for anything in the world.
It was only later that Sanaya learned how to socialise. She made more friends and created more contacts. Aryan was one of them.
Somewhere Sanaya felt affection for him. But she never admitted it; neither to Aryan, nor to herself.
Soon she had to go elsewhere to pursue her Graduation. So she left her junior college (and her crush) with a heavy heart and ventured into a new space to gain new experiences.
Sanaya had lost all hope of seeing Ayan again. But here's where college festivals restored in her the faith that their rendez-vous had not yet met a dead end.
They saw, smiled and spoke to each other many a times during such festivals. But the climax occurred in Sanaya's ex-college itself, where their story had commenced.
The last event on the last day of the festival was about to begin. People were heading to the venue, when suddenly it started pouring heavily. Everyone ran helter skelter, and Sanaya was one of them who ran to seek shelter.
While she ran, she felt someone pull her in the opposite direction. She turned to look at the drenched Aryan holding her arm. Sanaya was perplexed and so were the onlookers. But Aryan slowly and gently swayed Sanaya and the two of them danced like swans on the melody of the fierce rain.
Sanaya stopped and asked Aryan why did he do what he did. Yes, this is exactly what she said. And Aryan simply smiled at her and whispered, "This is to make you realise how much I have loved you, how much I love you and how much I will love you".
Sanaya could do nothing but give a sheepish smile. She was smiling and she was crying; she was talking, yet she was quiet. She quickly embraced Aryan and didn't let go till the applauds of the spectators faded away...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Week that was
Dear Diary,
Phew! Oh how drained of energy I am!
Anyway, let me take some time out of my super hectic schedule and write to you the events of the past week.
It started last Sunday.
My uncle and his family have come from the US to visit us. They’re not here for long and that’s precisely why all our plans have become a hodgepodge.
I’m literally fishing out an hour or two after college hours to drop by and say Hello.
Our first visit to my Uncle was on Sunday itself. It was a weekend so we were all relaxed and we had lots of time to sit back and indulge in leisurely conversations.
But the dinner plan that we had on Wednesday took a toll on me. I had lectures going on till late afternoon; and with dinner scheduled that evening, there was no point going back home and coming to South Mumbai again. So I stopped by and rested at my Uncle’s residence in Mumbai Central.
Later that day, everyone gathered together and headed to the venue. We went to a terrace restaurant at Lower Parel. It was a beautiful place indeed. We had some real good food there.
Honestly, at this moment, I am tempted to admit that all the hard work of the day did pay off well that night. But indeed I was drained out of energy by then.
The next day at college was difficult. It was another long drawn out day, with a project submission only adding to the existing stress that I had.
And believe me, Thursday was no different :(
In spite of all this, I’m not yet relieved of all obligations. In the next 14 hours, I have another project submission due and then on Saturday, there’s a plan to watch a movie with my folks.
OMG! This reminds me I’m still way too busy to spare any time. I’m sorry buddy... got to go.
Will write to you again next week.
Till then,
Adios.
Phew! Oh how drained of energy I am!
Anyway, let me take some time out of my super hectic schedule and write to you the events of the past week.
It started last Sunday.
My uncle and his family have come from the US to visit us. They’re not here for long and that’s precisely why all our plans have become a hodgepodge.
I’m literally fishing out an hour or two after college hours to drop by and say Hello.
Our first visit to my Uncle was on Sunday itself. It was a weekend so we were all relaxed and we had lots of time to sit back and indulge in leisurely conversations.
But the dinner plan that we had on Wednesday took a toll on me. I had lectures going on till late afternoon; and with dinner scheduled that evening, there was no point going back home and coming to South Mumbai again. So I stopped by and rested at my Uncle’s residence in Mumbai Central.
Later that day, everyone gathered together and headed to the venue. We went to a terrace restaurant at Lower Parel. It was a beautiful place indeed. We had some real good food there.
Honestly, at this moment, I am tempted to admit that all the hard work of the day did pay off well that night. But indeed I was drained out of energy by then.
The next day at college was difficult. It was another long drawn out day, with a project submission only adding to the existing stress that I had.
And believe me, Thursday was no different :(
In spite of all this, I’m not yet relieved of all obligations. In the next 14 hours, I have another project submission due and then on Saturday, there’s a plan to watch a movie with my folks.
OMG! This reminds me I’m still way too busy to spare any time. I’m sorry buddy... got to go.
Will write to you again next week.
Till then,
Adios.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Administering Polaris and Post-Polaris
Polaris preparations had begun even before our new term at SYBMM had begun. But it was almost one month before the festival, that the whole class was roped into the Polaris process. All this left me deciding which event to head or which department leader to assist.
Just then, my classmate and friend who was also the DCP for Admin and Finance for Polaris approached me with a proposition of taking on the responsibility of becoming the Admin Head for Polaris.
One condition which was announced to me right at the start was this that I would have to dedicate all my time to Administration and would have to practically miss all the events which were scheduled for the festival.
I gave this condition a serious thought because missing events was a big compromise to make. But, at the end, my determination to work for our college fest, helped me decide in favour of Admin.
What followed was a big Surprise for me and the rest of the official (and unofficial) Admin team.
With the Admin handling the registrations of participants and most importantly scoring and certificate writing, fulfilling the requirements of Admin was quite a task.
Calling of Contingent Leaders (whose call list was perpetually missing), issuing POPs to participants, collecting-keeping-and-tallying scores, answering queries, learning the schedule for the day, were all under Admin.
Oh yes, not to miss Crowd Control, which was a shared responsibility between Security and Admin and which is something why I lost my voice. :(
However, amidst all the commotion, the noise, the cheering, the frenzy, the coordination and communication barriers, the walky talkie conversations and a lot more, there was a spirit to make Polaris larger than life. And this is exactly what drove the Admin to do everything within their capacity to work under pressure and yet appear cordial and approachable.
Polaris and Janice have helped me fall in love with what I did. I admit that I went berserk during the fest with all the work that was pending. But when the results were announced, I felt a sense of relief and satisfaction. I knew, somewhere at the back of my mind, that those results were a consequence of the number game that we played as Admin, all through the final day of Polaris.
Those three days gave me an opportunity to become friendly with our FYs, socialise with people from other colleges, re-connect with long lost friends, have a party with my current college friends and do so much more, while I was heading the Administration Department for Polaris 2011.
Just then, my classmate and friend who was also the DCP for Admin and Finance for Polaris approached me with a proposition of taking on the responsibility of becoming the Admin Head for Polaris.
One condition which was announced to me right at the start was this that I would have to dedicate all my time to Administration and would have to practically miss all the events which were scheduled for the festival.
I gave this condition a serious thought because missing events was a big compromise to make. But, at the end, my determination to work for our college fest, helped me decide in favour of Admin.
What followed was a big Surprise for me and the rest of the official (and unofficial) Admin team.
With the Admin handling the registrations of participants and most importantly scoring and certificate writing, fulfilling the requirements of Admin was quite a task.
Calling of Contingent Leaders (whose call list was perpetually missing), issuing POPs to participants, collecting-keeping-and-tallying scores, answering queries, learning the schedule for the day, were all under Admin.
Oh yes, not to miss Crowd Control, which was a shared responsibility between Security and Admin and which is something why I lost my voice. :(
However, amidst all the commotion, the noise, the cheering, the frenzy, the coordination and communication barriers, the walky talkie conversations and a lot more, there was a spirit to make Polaris larger than life. And this is exactly what drove the Admin to do everything within their capacity to work under pressure and yet appear cordial and approachable.
Polaris and Janice have helped me fall in love with what I did. I admit that I went berserk during the fest with all the work that was pending. But when the results were announced, I felt a sense of relief and satisfaction. I knew, somewhere at the back of my mind, that those results were a consequence of the number game that we played as Admin, all through the final day of Polaris.
Those three days gave me an opportunity to become friendly with our FYs, socialise with people from other colleges, re-connect with long lost friends, have a party with my current college friends and do so much more, while I was heading the Administration Department for Polaris 2011.
To push when you write
How often do we challenge our thoughts? How often do we push our boundaries of creativity? Do we ever let our creative juices flow?
These questions seem like pittance when you’re not into the field of media. But if you’re aspiring to make a career in mass media (in all its forms), effective writing must lie at the very core of your talents. It serves as the nucleus for your future.
When I started out with leisure writing, I had limited versatility. But after a year of studying media, its fundamentals and writing skills, my mind has opened up to a lot of other styles and forms of writing.
Writing one piece of literature in different styles gives a different feel to the story. Every genre of literature has a different element which adds its own special uniqueness to a given story.
One of my missions now is to push my creative boundaries and try new styles of literature.
Though studying literature or writing a novel seem to be far off goals for me at the moment, I have realized the power of words, the impact it makes on your soul and the impression it leaves in your mind.
Another revelation that BMM has made is quite contrary to the popular belief that flowery language is the only tool of popular writing. To my surprise, lectures in creativity have established how words of everyday use, when placed together wisely, make a statement that creates an everlasting memory.
A simple example of the same is from the renowned novel Love Story by Erich Segal. What makes people remember the novel is a simple quote which reads like this, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Bearing in mind the teachings of creative writing, I ventured to attempt brevity. A topic like this can be discussed much at length. But I hope and pray that my select words have told a tale that will leave some impression on your minds.
I hope and pray that my attempt at brevity is not a futile one. :)
These questions seem like pittance when you’re not into the field of media. But if you’re aspiring to make a career in mass media (in all its forms), effective writing must lie at the very core of your talents. It serves as the nucleus for your future.
When I started out with leisure writing, I had limited versatility. But after a year of studying media, its fundamentals and writing skills, my mind has opened up to a lot of other styles and forms of writing.
Writing one piece of literature in different styles gives a different feel to the story. Every genre of literature has a different element which adds its own special uniqueness to a given story.
One of my missions now is to push my creative boundaries and try new styles of literature.
Though studying literature or writing a novel seem to be far off goals for me at the moment, I have realized the power of words, the impact it makes on your soul and the impression it leaves in your mind.
Another revelation that BMM has made is quite contrary to the popular belief that flowery language is the only tool of popular writing. To my surprise, lectures in creativity have established how words of everyday use, when placed together wisely, make a statement that creates an everlasting memory.
A simple example of the same is from the renowned novel Love Story by Erich Segal. What makes people remember the novel is a simple quote which reads like this, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Bearing in mind the teachings of creative writing, I ventured to attempt brevity. A topic like this can be discussed much at length. But I hope and pray that my select words have told a tale that will leave some impression on your minds.
I hope and pray that my attempt at brevity is not a futile one. :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Polaris Parade
Image Courtesy: Riya Ma'am
The HOD of our BMM course Mr. Sudhakar Solomon Raj came up with a novel idea of organizing a carnival parade for promoting our BMM fest Polaris. This was an idea which attracted a lot of anticipation as well as anxiety!
A promotional parade was held never before, neither in Wilson College nor in any other College in Mumbai. Though this idea was very unique, we were sure that we would have to do a lot of follow ups.
The precursor for organizing such an event was acquiring permission from the Mumbai Police. With the agenda of the procession being that of walking a distance of 1 km on Marine Drive (the busiest and the most happening drive way here), the task of acquiring the permission appeared pretty daunting!
But with the efforts of the Security Head of the event, we managed to get the Go Signal for the Parade, which was held in the early hours of a lazy monsoon Sunday.
Another concern for us was the rain; the unpredictable force of nature which is only under the control of rain God Indra. And that was not just our concern. The participating contingents were also skeptical about the rains and what it would do to their props.
We could never answer them when they would ask, "What if it rains?" But when it did rain during the parade, neither one of us seemed to be disappointed. On the contrary, our excitement of dancing in the rain added to the gusto of the carnival parade.
The Wilson College Gymkhana was our final destination. The long walk and all the chanting and cheering left us a little drained of energy. But what could have been a better way of rejuvenating than a session of singing and dancing!
Many students from our college volunteered to entertain the participants with singing, beat boxing, rapping, dancing, etc.
The winners of the promotional event were declared soon after. This was followed by a round of lip smacking samosas for every participant and volunteer.
At the end of it all, we can proudly say that the parade which happened was a grandiose affair. For as much as we enjoyed it, so did the 12 participating contingents.
The carnival party of Polaris 2011 had so begun!
A promotional parade was held never before, neither in Wilson College nor in any other College in Mumbai. Though this idea was very unique, we were sure that we would have to do a lot of follow ups.
The precursor for organizing such an event was acquiring permission from the Mumbai Police. With the agenda of the procession being that of walking a distance of 1 km on Marine Drive (the busiest and the most happening drive way here), the task of acquiring the permission appeared pretty daunting!
But with the efforts of the Security Head of the event, we managed to get the Go Signal for the Parade, which was held in the early hours of a lazy monsoon Sunday.
Another concern for us was the rain; the unpredictable force of nature which is only under the control of rain God Indra. And that was not just our concern. The participating contingents were also skeptical about the rains and what it would do to their props.
We could never answer them when they would ask, "What if it rains?" But when it did rain during the parade, neither one of us seemed to be disappointed. On the contrary, our excitement of dancing in the rain added to the gusto of the carnival parade.
The Wilson College Gymkhana was our final destination. The long walk and all the chanting and cheering left us a little drained of energy. But what could have been a better way of rejuvenating than a session of singing and dancing!
Many students from our college volunteered to entertain the participants with singing, beat boxing, rapping, dancing, etc.
The winners of the promotional event were declared soon after. This was followed by a round of lip smacking samosas for every participant and volunteer.
At the end of it all, we can proudly say that the parade which happened was a grandiose affair. For as much as we enjoyed it, so did the 12 participating contingents.
The carnival party of Polaris 2011 had so begun!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Reality (really?) shows:
It started with Big Boss and has now taken the shape of innumerable shows. Reality television has gone from being 'life on screen' to 'melodrama on screen'.
This one novel idea has revolutionized the silver screen and how people view it.
But have reality shows been able to sustain their basic premise of conveying the true picture?
In a race to acquire high TRPs, religiously loyal audiences and slots in the Television prime time, reality shows have resorted to various attention grabbing stunts. Fake controversies, inconsiderate and unapologetic judges and intervention in people’s personal space are just a few to mention.
Names of few reality shows that have had a history of performing cheap gimmicks are Big Boss, Indian Idol and Emotional Attyachaar. These shows do almost anything to grab those eye balls; and it’s not surprising that they are immensely popular with the Indian audiences.
'Selling Serials' has now become the name of the game. The so-called reality shows package themselves so well, that it becomes almost impossible not to be addicted to them.
Reality shows are not only changing the nature of television, they’re also changing the nature of themselves.
This one novel idea has revolutionized the silver screen and how people view it.
But have reality shows been able to sustain their basic premise of conveying the true picture?
In a race to acquire high TRPs, religiously loyal audiences and slots in the Television prime time, reality shows have resorted to various attention grabbing stunts. Fake controversies, inconsiderate and unapologetic judges and intervention in people’s personal space are just a few to mention.
Names of few reality shows that have had a history of performing cheap gimmicks are Big Boss, Indian Idol and Emotional Attyachaar. These shows do almost anything to grab those eye balls; and it’s not surprising that they are immensely popular with the Indian audiences.
'Selling Serials' has now become the name of the game. The so-called reality shows package themselves so well, that it becomes almost impossible not to be addicted to them.
Reality shows are not only changing the nature of television, they’re also changing the nature of themselves.
7 years between you and me
“You’ve been here for long, you’ve seen me grow. You’ve fought at times but your love, you’ve always shown.
Sometimes you offered a candy and sometimes you gave me a kiss. You’re delightful, my precious sis.”
Yes, physically there is a seven year age gap between my sis and me. But emotionally we’re one and the same.
My sister Rizwana is the life of our party. By party I mean all the crazy times we’ve spent together doing things like dancing late at night on Bollywood songs, giving wacky nicknames to each other et al.
When we’re together, the age difference seems to just vanish. And there is no way we can figure out whether it’s her who is the fun loving one or it is me who is the matured one.
Because for as much as we have fun, we also lament our sentiments on issues that affect us and discuss them for hours together.
It’s such a pleasure for me to see my sis after a long, tiring day at college. She always greets me at the door with her beautiful smile and her adorable voice calling out my name.
At times when we’re both heading home at approximately the same time from our respective railway stations, one of us makes it a point to meet the other in the same ladies compartment.
On such occasions, we make several calls to decide exactly which part of the platform to wait at and which one of the two compartments to get into.
This might sound absurd and it won’t be surprising even if it does. But small and simple events like these have created a memory that is so fresh and pure that no force in the world can erase it from our minds.
My sister is 25 and in a couple of years she’ll get married. She’ll go to her new home and develop new fond memories with her relatives.
But just like time has been unable to distance us, I’m confident that even physical space will fail at this Herculean task
This is a little something that I dedicate to my joyous, fun filled, restless and energetic sis.
Thanks for all these precious memories,
Writer of
7 years between you and me.
Sometimes you offered a candy and sometimes you gave me a kiss. You’re delightful, my precious sis.”
Yes, physically there is a seven year age gap between my sis and me. But emotionally we’re one and the same.
My sister Rizwana is the life of our party. By party I mean all the crazy times we’ve spent together doing things like dancing late at night on Bollywood songs, giving wacky nicknames to each other et al.
When we’re together, the age difference seems to just vanish. And there is no way we can figure out whether it’s her who is the fun loving one or it is me who is the matured one.
Because for as much as we have fun, we also lament our sentiments on issues that affect us and discuss them for hours together.
It’s such a pleasure for me to see my sis after a long, tiring day at college. She always greets me at the door with her beautiful smile and her adorable voice calling out my name.
At times when we’re both heading home at approximately the same time from our respective railway stations, one of us makes it a point to meet the other in the same ladies compartment.
On such occasions, we make several calls to decide exactly which part of the platform to wait at and which one of the two compartments to get into.
This might sound absurd and it won’t be surprising even if it does. But small and simple events like these have created a memory that is so fresh and pure that no force in the world can erase it from our minds.
My sister is 25 and in a couple of years she’ll get married. She’ll go to her new home and develop new fond memories with her relatives.
But just like time has been unable to distance us, I’m confident that even physical space will fail at this Herculean task
This is a little something that I dedicate to my joyous, fun filled, restless and energetic sis.
Thanks for all these precious memories,
Writer of
7 years between you and me.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Mumbai Nagri(k)
Image via Enchanting Challenge
A day in the life of India, the initiative of TOI, has a sub-title which reads 'celebrate a circus called India!' This celebration of wackiness is very prominent in our city of dreams.
Mumbai is a circus and we’re the jokers whose tricks, at times, are not even funny!
One day of keen observation and you know how different each one is and how diverse they make this metropolis. The most absurd things happen right before your eyes and all you do is giggle it out and move on!
On 27th June, I was heading to college, walking on Marine Drive. I saw a well-shirted man plucking flowers from a mogra bush near the station exit. And I wondered, “Dude, are you going to make a gajra out of this?”
“How petty people can get,” I exclaim.
But somewhere at the back of your mind you do remember that sometime as a kid or during an impromptu proposal, you’ve plucked flowers as well.
Never mind that! Talking about something I’ve personally not tried and hopefully never will; spitting. Be it your saliva, phlegm or the pan residue, it’s the yuckiest thing you get to see, even in the so-called sophisticated city of Mumbai.
Vendors spit their pan on freshly painted building walls and commuters just take the liberty to use the tracks for this purpose.
Oh! This reminds me that railway tracks have a dual purpose. One of being spitted and shitted on and the other of serving as a trash can for billions of Mumbaiites.
Also the law of the land states that it’s a shame to not be able to give correct directions to helpless new comers. Even a pedestrian, living miles away, is expected to direct you to the right destination; though the popular culture here is to ask shopkeepers, policemen and watchmen for directions.
If you’re misguided, you look back and speak ill about the person or probably even blurt out swear words.
But what’s special about Mumbai is that even in our hectic schedules; during times when we run to catch a moving train or walk straight to cashier to withdraw money, we take some time out to notice others and in little ways connect with them and their habits.
There are many things that we do differently and yet so many things that we don’t do differently. The life of Mumbai is difficult to explain. So just sit back and celebrate a circus called... Mumbai! :)
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