IIM Bangalore Unmaad 2021, Day 1

Bangalore: IIMB (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore) kickstarted its annual cultural fest, Unmaad 2021, with a complete virtual experience for the very first time. India's largest B-school fest, themed 'Happiness Reloaded,' is all set to provide an exciting weekend with various cultural events from March 5 to March 7, 2021. The event was inaugurated with best wishes from the 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 eminent personalities like the singer and music director Sonu Nigam, the outstanding sportsperson Abhinav Bindra, and Indian actress Mirzapur fame, Rasika Dugal. The series was hosted by the anchor and entrepreneur, Kavea Chavali. Mr. Nigam's talk revolved around his life, his motivation to pursue music, and his persistence to follow his passions. Mr. Bindra talked about his journey and the inspiration behind his success as a sportsperson. He emphasized 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. Mrs. Dugal's talk revolved 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.

A solo instrumental music event, "I AM B-FLAT," provided a platform for young musicians across the country to express their emotions through music and highlight their immense talent. The top 5 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 off 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 beautiful soul-touching music from New Jersey. A rib-tickling comedy show by the stand-up comedian Kanan Gill created a laughter riot to set the vibes for the days to follow. 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 with a night full of melody and harmony.

The second day is all set to host the famous actors Namit Das and Harshita Gaur and the great author of 'The Shiva Trilogy,' Amish Tripathi, as part of the speaker series. Adding to the fun, some informal events are lined up like "Beg Borrow Selfie", a scavenger hunt, and "Haute Couture," the fashion show. "Spent Quiz," a sports and entertainment quizzing event, was a thoroughly rewarding experience for all the hardcore sports enthusiasts. Participants also got to show off their dance talent in the Duet Danza and Get Set Solo dance competitions. The second day will come to an end with the enthralling performance by Sunburn.