Mood Indigo 2013 highlights

Lights, camera, action! You are welcome to the largest cultural college festival in Asia - 'Mood Indigo'.  Conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (IIT-B), Mood Indigo also known as MoodI or MI was inaugurated on December 20, 2013. The fest is said to have welcomed over a lakh students this year which is a huge growth from last year’s 88,000 attendees. The cultural fest will spread over three days (December 20-December 22) and is sure to keep students glued to it with its interactive music arena, EDM Night and International music fest.

As always this student festival is sure to provide participants with much remembrance. So, let’s have a look at the impressive event plan of this youth fest:

Day 1:
The fest commenced with a two-floor high thermocol dragon welcoming the visitors which was the oriental theme of the fest. As many as 3,000 colourful Korean lanterns lit up and swayed across the campus on the very first day.

Keeping true to its name the fest kept everyone enthralled with Korean dancers performing their masked dance, Korean Bongsantal which was followed by the Chinese dragon dance being performed by the dancers from the Shanghai streets. What more can one ask for when they get a change to witness all such fascinating display of colour and culture and that too all under one roof at the IIT-B campus. Events such as tea-tasting, lantern-making, taekwondo workshops, eating with a chopstick, use of Korean post cards etc. were also a part of the fest.  

Another key highlight of the event was Outside Track, a band from Ireland which preformed the tap dance while playing the harp, guitar and violin on the tune of Jai Ho by AR Rehman. However, the USP of the first day of the event was witnessing 2000 IIT students twisting, licking and dunking Oreo biscuits in milk so as to create a Guinness World Record.

Day 2:
Kicking off with a footfall of 28000 students, Day 2 at Mood Indigo saw approximately 2800 colleges register for the fest.

The key highlights of Day 2 at Mood Indigo 2013 include the following events:

Nike Outrun- Nike concluded its popular Nike Outrun series with their first-ever ‘Night Run’ at Mood Indigo. Indian Tennis player and Nike athlete Kyra Shroff flagged off the race. Over 2000 people ran a distance of 4 km on the campus along with celebrities from the likes of Gul Panag and Milind Soman. The event which took place at N.M College, Sophia’s College and IIT Powai, gave runners a chance to represent, run and earn points for their respective colleges before the race.

Stand-up comedy: A young stand-up comedian from England - Chris Turner entertained the audience to an hour of comic acts.

Surprise event: A mini radio jockey hunt was the surprise element of the event. Out of 250 students, one lucky winner was chosen and was given a chance to go on air as soon the contest came to an end.

Speaker sessions: Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, and Nishant Rao who is the head of LinkedIn India were a part of the speaker session at Day 2 of the fest.

Workshops: Students were kept entertained with workshops on whistling and eating with chopsticks. Now when such fun activities can be learnt at a fest who wouldn’t want to come and be a part of the same.

The day came to an end with the Indian rock band Euphoria performing for the crowd.

IIT- B’s Mood I kept students engaged in its very elaborative line-up of artists. Let’s take a sneak peek into what the event had in store so as to keep its audience enthralled:

Neal Morse Band Featuring Mike Portnoy (USA): This was a concert conducted by International artists at MI

International Music Festival: A sumptuous musical feast which included:

• The Outside Track (Ireland): musical panache + infectious vivacity
• Robin Sukroso (Germany): technology transcends musical barriers
• Flagas’k (France): Music + Humour
• Ana Gog (Ireland): folk + rock
• Arambolla (Israel): desert reggae band

FringeFest- An event conducted to preserve and promote street art, a dying art.

• Just Edi Show(Poland): One Man Army Comedian Tumbler
• The Street Circus (Canada): nerve wrecking and hair raising
• Fanzini Brothers (Italy): your imagination is the only limit.

Humorfest-tickling that funny bone: This event kept up to its promise of keeping its audiences in splits. The line-up included:

• Schorsch Bross (Germany): aAmultitalent in the art of variety
• Chris Turner (UK): A sure head turner
• Vir Das: The Go Goa Gone fame Bollywood actor cum standup comedian
• The MI Squad: Get conked!
• Stand Up Comedy Competitions: Give people the best medicine

The Food Fest to unleash the foodie in you: Events lined up in this included the following:

• Culinary Theatre: Food + Art
• Food Tasting: Give your taste buds a challenge to remember
• Mass Cooking: Too many cooks enhance the broth
• Food Doodle: Foodle and fuddle people!
• Food Presentation: Explore the difference dressing food up can make!
• Hogathon: Hog for free!

MI Intervarsity: An International Debate Competition

This year for the first time ever, Mood Indigo also saw the launch of a mobile app that was developed by students of IIT B themselves.

Mood I kept up to the expectations set by it the previous years and what can we say we are already waiting to see what this interactive and engaging fest will have in store for us the next year.