“Hey, how you doin?” seemed to be the buzzword at Effervescence, a two-day cultural fest organised by The Bhawanipur Education Society College, on October 4 and 5. It was a charged atmosphere as the Elgin Road institute resumed offline events maintaining Covid protocols.
Not only did students get to meet and greet each other in person, those who performed had a blast getting back on stage after a gap of one-and-a-half years.
More than 10 colleges participated in 12 competitions over two days. The Bhawanipur Education Society College became the overall winner of Effervescence. Jadavpur University came second and IIHM was placed third.
We caught up with the participants on why this moment was extra special for them.
Mono Act
Participants enacted characters based on the theme of ‘darkness and sadness within’. Prerana Mukherjee, a third-year Economics student of The Bhawanipur Society Education College, was the winner. Riya Singh, a third-year English student of THK Jain College, was the runner-up.
“The warmth of the lights on stage felt surreal. It was nerve-racking to go back on stage after so many months. I felt alive on the day of the competition,” said Prerana.
Improv Act
Students performed according to situations given to them. Monosij Banerjee, a second-year postgraduate student of English at Jadavpur University, bagged the first spot. Sahil Lakhmani, a third-year BCom student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, was the runner-up.
“It felt unreal to perform on stage once again. I played a scared ghost and a drunkard whose solution to all problems in life was ‘another peg’. It was improv. The competition was quite challenging,” said Monosij.
Boardroom Drama
This competition was all about team effort. Participants were shown a space before the competition. They had to conceptualise and perform, making the best use of the space. The Bhawanipur Education Society College grabbed the first place; Shri Shikshayatan College was placed second.
Battle of Bands: Western and Bollywood
The auditorium was once again alive with music and rival teams with their mics drawn. The Bhawanipur Education Society College topped the Western band competition. IIHM won the Bollywood band competition.
Classical Group Dance
From Bharatanatyam to Odissi and Kathak, classical dance brightened up the fest arena. The Bhawanipur Education Society College took home the first prize by matching steps to Aigiri nandini. Jadavpur University took home the runner-up trophy.
“Performing on stage felt like home after such a long gap. Due to the rain and cyclone, rehearsals were difficult. We had just four days of proper practice. But we didn’t give up,” said Debarima Sanyal, a third-year Philosophy student of Jadavpur University.
Face-Off
Street dancers flawlessly competed in dance battles. After several energetic face-offs, Ishant Agarwal, a third-year BCom student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, was declared the winner.
“I competed with an equally good opponent. The locking dance style is my forte which lets me express myself. It was refreshing to perform after one-and-a-half years of sitting numbly at home,” said Ishant.
Solo Vocals: Western and Bollywood
Participants delivered some kickass musical performances. Sinchan Dasgupta, a second-year Chemistry student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, sang Be My Mistake by The 1975 and walked away with the first prize.
“It felt magical to be up on the stage again. I chose a song that is very close to my heart and that helped me sing with all my emotions,” said Sinchan.
Pritam Kumar, a third-year History student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, captured the audience’s heart with his rendition of Phir le aya dil and Kalank and took home the winner’s trophy in the Bollywood category.
Bollywood Group Dance
Participants set the stage on fire with their smooth moves while the audience cheered them on. The team from The Bhawanipur Education Society College danced away with the first prize. IIHM bagged the runner-up spot.
“Getting a stage to showcase our talent after so many months was refreshing for me. We couldn’t get our whole team together for practice sessions but within all the constraints, we enjoyed every bit of our event,” said Nandini Binani, a third-year BCom student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College.
Street Play
From mental health and peer pressure to sex education, theatre buffs tried spreading awareness through their street plays. The Bhawanipur Education Society College won the first prize, while Shri Shikshayatan College was the runner-up.
“The thought of weaving a play in five days after almost sitting at home for one-and-a-half years was very challenging. We practised on the Maidan despite the sun, rain and crowds. It was difficult yet the team pulled it off,” said Ambiya Muzaffar, a first-year Political Science student of Shri Shikshayatan College.
Rapping
Young rappers stirred up a musical storm with their rhythm and lyrics. Rahul Jagpal, a third-year BCom student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, grabbed the first position. Raunak Das, a third-year BCom student of THK Jain College, came second.
