Indian Institute of Management Bangalore kickstarted its annual cultural fest, Unmaad 2021, as a virtual experience for the first time. Themed ‘Happiness Reloaded,’ it is all set to provide an exciting weekend with various cultural events. The event was inaugurated by Director Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan, and PGP program chair Prof Padmini Srinivasan.
The first day of the fest started with the 'In the Spotlight' speaker series, which hosted personalities such as singer and music director Sonu Nigam; sportsperson Abhinav Bindra; and Mirzapur-fame actor Rasika Dugal. The series was hosted by the anchor and entrepreneur, Kavea Chavali. Nigam's talk revolved around his life, his motivation to pursue music, and persistence to follow his passions. Bindra talked about his journey and the inspiration behind his success. He emphasised the importance of enjoying the whole journey of preparing for success, pushing yourself every day, not merely to win medals, but because you love what you are doing. Dugal's talk, centred around the shift of mainstream cinema to OTT platforms, and finding work-life balance in the media industry. She encouraged the audience to be open to experimentation and keep the energy going to pursue their dreams.
Padma Bhushan awardee Abhinav Bindra shares nuggets from his journey as an sportsperson at IIMB cultural fest.
A solo instrumental music event, "I AM B-FLAT," provided a platform for young musicians. The top five musicians from the video/voting round performed live in the event. For all the logophiles of the community, "Wordsworth" pushed the participants to challenge their grey cells, solve exciting word puzzles and prove their mastery over words. With the "Footloose" event, dance enthusiasts got an opportunity to form dance troops, kick off their shoes and show their amazing moves to the audience. Unmaad's flagship dramatics competition "Cinetopia" saw participants from various colleges portraying their cinematographic skills through delightful short movies.
As part of the World Cultural Fiesta, three-time Spanish freestyle football champion and four-time world footbag champion, Paloma Pujol, delighted the audience with her masterclass tricks. Indie band Phavors performed. Comedian Kanan Gill created a laughter riot. The first day of Unmaad 2021 ended with 'Unplugged Nights,' a night music arena with live music and an open mic, which set the mood of the fest.