Cultural festival to begin today

H.L. College of Commerce is all set to celebrate its millennium cultural fest in style this year. On the cards for the next two days is everything from Kathak recitals to creative theatre to a spoof on fashion shows.

The college has been organising the event for the past seven years, and in a departure from the ordinary, the programme this time will kick off with non-filmi events.

The programme will be inaugurated on Thursday morning by noted art director Mira Lakhia.

Students and teachers alike are looking forward to a Kathak recital by Anar Shah, who will perform on Thursday.

Anar is to perform at the national level in February 2000. Soon after, the fest moves on to theatre.

This time around the theatre section includes items like Nostalgia, Fantasy, Katha, which are based on Indian mythology and Shakti, based on the changing role of women in the new world.

The best performers in the two-and-a-half-hour programme will be adjudged by Raju Barot and Annapurna Shukla. Then there is also Exovation (read experiment plus innovation) and finally Rough and Tough, the spoof on fashion shows.

Students will also perform folk -dances and a classical dance programme called Rangbirangi Nrityavali. "We have decided to do with film songs, and go in for original programmes," said a college teacher.

On December 24, there is a mushaira, Gujarati songs and Ritu Chakra - a classical music-based enactment. This will be followed by dance dramas Okha and Krishna.

Curtains close with a personality contest to be judged by a three-person panel.

Compiled from local news media