Mohit Chauhan belted out one hit song after another — Kuch khaas hai, Tum se hi, Pehli baar mohabbat, Sadda haq....
When the best B-brains in the country take a break from studies they make it a time to remember, and that is exactly what the students of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, did for Carpe Diem, their annual cultural fest, held from January 30 to February 1, powered by The Telegraph —You.
The energy and vibe on campus and the picturesque setting — there are eight lakes within the Joka campus — even made Mohit Chauhan, the final act of the three-day fest, nostalgic. After all, the theme of the fest was Nostalgia of ’90s.
“I grew up in the hills and studied in college in Himachal Pradesh. For an artiste like me it was very difficult to focus on studies with a beautiful campus around me. I used to spend a lot of time dreaming and writing poetry. I remember the youth festivals that used to be organised back then. I too participated in a couple of them. Students from all over the state would come to one college and do theatre, live music, debate and other events,” reminisced the singer. He also spoke about his Bengali connect: “I had a lot of Bengali friends in Delhi. The bands there had Bengali musicians, for example Indian Ocean. We use to have a good amount of adda and sing songs through the night.”
The Bollywood romance man began with Jo bhi main from Rockstar, then moved on to Kuch khaas hai from Fashion while giving hi-fives to the audience. “It is always great coming to Calcutta especially to IIM, Calcutta. They are all music lovers and have great energy,” said Mohit, as the audience screamed and sang along. Nadaan parindey, Tum ho, Tum se hi, Dooba dooba.... flowed.
The theme Nostalgia of ’90s got everyone talking about their school days. Some spoke about ’90s Bollywood movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and some joked about the ’90s cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo.
THE MOHIT SHOW
If the mornings saw a variety of on- and off-stage events like Euphoria (group dance), Razzmatazz (fashion show), Joka Idol (singing competition), Nukkad Natak (street play), Abhinay (drama competition), Archery, Treasure Hunt, and Cyberwarz (gaming), the evenings were all about music — the Red Bull Bus Tour with Underground Authority and Reggae Rajahs on the first day, Coke Studio featuring Agam on the second day, and Mohit Chauhan on the final night.
“I have wanted to hear him live for a long time, so we have been looking forward to this day from the time we got to know Mohit Chauhan would be coming to IIM.... I was there with my friends, dancing and singing along. I just love his voice and among all his songs Sadda haq and Tum se hi were my favourite,” said Mayank Agarwal, a first-year student from Praxis Business School.
se hi. The best part of him singing live is that he interacted with us and made us feel he was a part of us too. I recorded him singing Tum se hi,” said Sreyashee Pal, a final-year student from Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology. “I attended the fest just to hear him live. He seemed to be a down-to-earth person as he interacted with the audience while singing. I love his voice and his singing style. The minute he came on stage I clicked his picture and checked in on Facebook,” said Ishita Singh, a first-year student from Praxis Business School.
“Mohit Chauhan is my favourite singer and he sang all my favourite songs like Masakali from Delhi 6, Tum se hi from Jab We Met and the songs from Rockstar. I was standing in front and while singing he came forward and touched my hand — that was a wow feeling for me. I have taken a video of the performance and I will watch it every day!” said Varsha Goyal, a first-year student from Praxis Business School.
“I enjoyed every bit of Mohit Chauhan’s performance. I feel he lived up to the expectation all his fans had. My favourite was Barfi and Tum se hi,” said Rohit Sarkar, a final-year BTech student from Netaji Subhash Engineering College.
“This was the most awaited night of the fest for us all. Mohit Chauhan has a melodious voice. Sadda haq and Tum se hi were my personal favourites.... And our campus reminded Mohit Chauhan of his college days,” said Sidharth Rawat, a final-year student of IIM, Calcutta.
RAMP WALK
Over Drama was the theme chosen by the students of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Their aim was to pay tribute to Lady Gaga. Not only did they manage to impress the judge but also left the audience in awe. “I was looking at the overall concept, presentation and also the garments they wore. NIFT deserved the first position. Lady Gaga just nailed it,” said designer and Razzmatazz judge Paromita Banerjee.
ART ARENA
DANCING SHOES
STARRY NIGHTS
Coke Studio featuring the band Agam performed on the second day. The Bangalore-based band belted out original numbers like Malhar jam, Swans of Saraswati and Rudra. “This is the first time we are performing in Calcutta. Performing in a college fest is always fun. They are always full of energy,” said Harish (right), the lead singer of the band.
Malancha Dasgupta
Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray
