On 17th January,2105, after a lot of excitement and impatient waiting by everyone on campus, the final banners had gone up and all briefings were completed; and
Audacity- the first cultural festival of IIM Udaipur was ready to begin!
The two day cultural fest began with a
bike rally, which was flagged off by boxing veteran
Vijender Singh and organized by team Audacity in association with
MTV Roadies, and saw a large group of students enthusiastically joining in with flags and banners to celebrate the beginning of the fest. The group wound their way through the lanes and by lanes of Udaipur with the rally eventually ending back on campus.
The next event that took place was the Nitro Carnival- that saw dare devil bike stunts performed by professionals Atinderjeet aka Atom, Harshial aka Inferno, Rishabh aka Mutant, Lakshay aka survivor and Abhishek aka Shin. The audience experienced a number of heart stopping events as the bikers performed different types of wheelies and stoppies. People waited with bated breath as rubber burnt and a collective sigh of relief, followed by a roar of appreciation went up every time a gravity defying stunt was performed.
For all Bollywood enthusiasts, the PUB quiz provided an opportunity to pit their skills and knowledge against other teams, to answer some of the toughest questions about our film world. With a pub like ambience and a really interesting format, the PUB quiz was a major attraction of the first day.
Auditions for solo dancing and the finals for Karaoke singing were also held on day one. Both events saw strong competition with over twenty five students participating in each. For all drama lovers, there was a street play competition where four different colleges fought it out for the final prize.
For all those who wanted a break from competing, there were a number of fun events like Anjaana Anjaani which was aimed at getting people to meet others and strike off interesting conversations. Angry Chicks- the all women kick- boxing event, paintball and sumo zorbing were also very well patronized. For all the artistically inclined, there were events that involved graffiti and face painting.
The event was a delight for all foodies, with a number of stalls serving a variety of cuisines and appetizers put up especially for the event. Post lunch, there was a Rajasthan Tourism Cultural Performance which helped highlight the different aspects of our cultural heritage.
The fest had an event packed evening, with Rock-a-Faire the war of bands, group dance and mime events that were held. The highlight of the evening, though was Rampage-the fashion show, which had Vijender Singh as a guest. With each team depicting their interpretation of the theme-Audacity, the ramp saw a number of walks that were the epitome of sophistication and confidence.
However that was not the end of day one. Insomnia- an all-night gaming event was a roaring success with students fighting it out in CS and NFS while also trying their luck at Lucky seven. The chess matches saw a battle of wits, while the carrom tables were thronged by the aces. To add to the excitement and keep the cold at bay, there was also a bon fire and an impromptu garba performance around it, which added to the thrill of the nocturnal escapade.
If day one was eventful, day two of the fest was even more power packed with a number of performances lined up from morn to evening. Day two of Audacity started off with a very unique event- Demystrefy Udaipur where each group of participants had to complete specific tasks at different places around the city. The event saw students race up the stairs to Karni Mata Mandir then gulp down Dal Baati at Santosh dal baati, take a dip in the chilly water at Gangaur Ghat, click selfies at Celebration mall, play ‘volunteer hunt’ in the winding paths of Gulaab Bagh and finally click a picture with the cube at Fateh Sagar. The jubilant winners then made their way back to campus to pick their prize.
The day also saw the finals of the solo dancing competitions which had contestants performing contemporary, hip hop, folk, Bollywood and a number of other dance forms. The grace of the dancers and their extraordinary performances had the judges and the audience completely impressed and spellbound. To add an element of fun and creativity, the fest also included a face painting competition which had a number of contestants compete with paint and brush, to win the ultimate prize.
The main sparkle of the day’s events was the performance by Sarod vaadak Ustad
Ayaan Ali Khan & Ustad Amaan Ali Khan along with Shri Vijay Ghate, who complemented the duo with the tabla. The classical event sponsored by Spic Macay started with the lighting of lamp by Mr. Manish Vora, Sr. President & Regional Business Head, Yes Bank. The show was a huge hit with spectators coming from a variety of places. Being a noon show, the raagas played had their own uniqueness and the synchronisation of soft as well as swift music made it worth the cheers for the audience. The aura of the performance was so strong that no one could move from their places throughout the show duration. It was a blissful feeling for everyone to hear such excellent pieces of mesmeric music. The 3 hour show ended with a small note of thanks by the performers and it was the whole student community which went out to bid a bye to the maestros.
The SPIC MACAY performance was followed by the prize distribution ceremony which had the winners of all the events organized during the course of the last two days, receive their prizes. The last event for the fest was the rockband performance by Parikrama which had everyone cheering and head-banging to ‘Fear of the Dark’ by Iron Maiden and ‘Highway to Hell’ by AC-DC.
With the entire gamut of performances, competitions and events that took place over the span of two days, Audacity was indeed a major success, with everyone looking forward to its following addition, next year! Everyone who visited the fest had a great time, and the fest really lived up to its name to… Be Audacious, Be You!
