The IIM-A 'chaotic' trip.

RDB, India Quiz, Birthday, Hindi JAM, Jal , Strings and the dance party.

Crossposted on my travel blog

Jan 26

1. Watched ‘Rang De Basanti’ with almost the whole of final year. People had been preparing for it for weeks. Yes, all the girls were there. Nothing happened. We went, we ate pop corn, we saw the movie, we came back. Didn’t understand what the whole hoopla over ‘Movie Day’ was, when you go with your group, sit and watch the movie with them and come back. While in the hall, everyone’s veins were brimming with patriotism with cries of ‘Bolo Bharath Mata ki jai’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. And all that remained in the minds of India’s future was Aamir’s dialogue on something like ‘Past this, future that and aaj pe muuthe hain’, the firang’s curves and the sudden emergence of Soha as the latest hot girl. Will probably write about the movie in my next post.


2. Won the ‘India Quiz’ held on the eve of Republic Day. 61% of the questions were repeated and we knew 29% of those which weren’t repeated. So the quiz was only 10% interesting. Bilkul Mazaa nahin aaya. Now we don’t mind not qualifying for the finals or even losing after qualifying. We need better quality quizzes now.

3. Got kicked royally in the backside midnight. I became public a day after we celebrate our Republic Day!

Jan 27(Morning and afternoon)

1. Jan 27 was my b’day. Left for Ahmedabad at 2:00 a.m. to be in time for the
general quiz prelims at Chaos. We knew we wouldn’t qualify for the finals for any of the quizzes conducted there, but as I said earlier Quality matters now. There was a lit quiz and an entertainment quiz along with the general quiz. I found myself to be in a better position than the last time. Last time, I just couldn’t make out the head or tail of some questions. But this time, there was something I knew in each question, except the answers in some cases!!!

2. Another event I eagerly look forward to in Chaos is the word games. I still vividly remember how Shashank and I were clueless for the initial ten minutes and then answers popped out like hot pop corn out of the machine. Though we didn’t qualify for the finals, it did give me a feeling that I’m not totally worthless and the countless hours on the net haven’t gone waste. This time though, the fatigue of the journey, high difficulty level of the word games and absence of Shashank took its toll and resulted in a real below par performance.

3. What followed was my first attempt at JAMming in Hindi. JAMming ranks fourth in the order of my loves. Books, movies, music and then comes JAMming. My performance there was downright pathetic, got a chance to speak only once. The JAM master got a very bitter taste of my PJs. I objected to a late start and the JAM master didn’t concur with me. Instead he said that I could’ve objected for rambling and time-wasting tactics. And then came my master piece. I said-“Isn’t starting late a waste of time as well?!!” Had it been just the two of us there, I’d have had my throat slit.

Being a South Indian, I can say that Hindi is not my language. But, when was the last time I JAMmed? Can’t remember. Was left wondering then, like I’ve always wondered for the last two years, why the hell can we not have more JAMs in the college? So that I’m not embarrassed when I’m at Chaos!! Sad, studying in a ‘technical’ college and have ‘wasteful’ interests like JAMming and quizzing.

4. Sapped of all my energy and due to lack of a ‘chutiya’ partner like Shashank, I let go of any thoughts of participating in the English Debate.

5. Thank God there was no earthquake that afternoon. Had there been one, I’d have been dead by now. That was such sound a sleep that no earthquake would’ve been able to wake me up. The six of us sleeping, someone’s legs over someone’s stomach, another’s hands on someone’s face and another one sandwiched somewhere in all this. Of course, all of us were fully clothed.



Jan 27 (evening)

Jal opened the evening’s show. After numerous sound-checks and the customary ‘We love Ahmedabad’, came the music. It was a bit disappointing. Was it because Atif was missing? Or because we’ve had an overdose of Jal? Or maybe because they just have very few songs? Don’t know the reason. But again, our group seemed to be the only ones around who knew all the songs. It’s a great feeling when you are at a concert and know the lyrics of the songs. It adds to the excitement when you jump, scream and dance mouthing the lyrics of the song. They played Woh Lamhe, Aankhon se, Jhollay Lal, Aadat and two more of their new unreleased compositions. These six songs were enough to get us charged up for what was to follow.

Great performers somehow establish an instant connection with the crowd. Strings did that very well. They got the crowd going even before they started to sing. They played Na jaane Kyon, Dhaani, Chhaaye Chhaaye, Sohniye, Anjaane, Sar ki yeh pahaar.

There were two surprises waiting for me. While playing Duur, Strings played ‘Where the streets have no name’. That is one of my favourite songs and I found people staring strangely at me while I was jumping like a monkey and singing the song. The feeling was something similar to the one when I spilled pop corn on my neighbours while watching RDB. Shantaram is the book which Aamir’s shown showing Sue during the song ‘Tu bin Bataaye’. Many wouldn’t have even noticed. But that feeling of familiarity and knowing something which others don’t is such a pleasant one. But hey, isn’t that too ‘trivial’?

Another surprise was being thrown high in the air while Strings performed. It was my b’day remember?!! That’ll be one moment I’ll treasure forever. Thanks Pong, Ankush, Koodi, Sandy, Vinzu, Hari, Joji, Amol, Anky,Kenny and Ashish.

Then there was supposed to be an all night movie screening. But that was called off. As the movie screening was called off, we went to the canteen for a coffee. My eardrums almost burst with the loud ‘Aah-sick banaaya aapne’. Oh, that was the dance party. With no female company, I didn’t want to dance with guys and lay the foundations of a gay movement starting at IIM-A. Was quietly observing ‘India’s future’ in real pain and trouble. Didn’t understand what/ whom they were calling out with ‘Ek baar aaja aaja’. Him-ass Spare-me-miah. You’ve made my life hell.

Then I saw Vandana. Had met her during the theatre workshop at last year’s Chaos. Danced with her friends from MSU. And I’m sure they won’t forget my attempts at dancing. All I did was just keep jumping initially and it was difficult to pick up a totally new dance step just when I thought I had got a grip over the previous one. But I’m sure they would’ve enjoyed dancing with me, not because I look like Aamir or because I dance like Hrithik. But because of my funny dance steps and awkward attempts at dancing.

Back in our room at the dorm, we had some discussion on the 'dilemmas' that Ankush’s facing and went to sleep, albeit this time in civilized and comfortable positions.

Checklist for further posting.

1. What happened on 28th and 29th ?! English JAM,Face painting, graffiti, Indian Ocean, Sivamani, Dumb Charades and the return journey.
2. People I met- Devadas,Sidin, Boka, Paro, Srijith, Nikhil Chinnappa.
3. Why IITs will remain IITs and NITs NITs?(In context of Chaos and almost everything).
4. My movie plans.(Not watching, making!!!)