Year 2019-2020

A year of expanding new dimensions

With the start of a new year, the club expanded itself, not just as a family, but also as a creative group of artists, exploring new dimensions of theatre. From Jugaadu Nukkad to Professionally produced Stage Plays and Mimes, the club has come a long way in a very short span of time. 

Coordinator: Vinayak Kuthiyala
Direction Dada: Ashu Chandelia
Scripting Dada: Bhumanyu Goyal 
Exectution Dada: Aditya Mishra
Plays:
1st semester: Panchhi aise aate hain, Pagalkhana

2nd semester: Corona break ;(

Mime - A well-received experiment in Aakarshan 

“Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney

This year, instead of going with the oft-trodden path of short-skits, the club widened its spectrum by performing its first mime on the stage. Apart from being the first mime of the club, it was also our first step in the genre of comedy - opening a completely new-unexplored dimension to the club culture. 

The mime was well received by the intended audience of freshers, gathering a standing ovation upon the completion of the performance.
Thereafter, the club also took to the stage for the first time in the Mime Competition at the Inter-IIT Cultural meet.

Stage Play Workshop (open for everyone) by - Nivaan Sen

“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand”

In today’s dramatic times, everyone could do with encompassing an extra dimension of Drama engulfed within their personas. The Drama Club of the institute organised a week-long workshop on theatre. 

The Club had not yet explored the arena of Stage Play and hence a very well-known personality in the theatre and television industry, Mr Nivan Sen was called.
30 students participated in this and had great memories to look back at.
The workshop introduced the participants to the concept of drama by using different dramatic tools, experiences and discussion. The first few days aimed at equipping the students with dramatic tools and making them more familiar with the stage. Short exercises were held to compel the students to come out of their shells. A lot of activities were planned which helped the participants in becoming critical thinkers in real-life situations. Students were forced to micro-analyse things around them and understand different everyday situations with greater precision.

 ‘Panchi Aise Aate Hai’ by Vijay Tendulkar, a well-known classic stage play, was decided to be acted out. Next few days were spent reading the script and analysing the scenes and characters. After establishing a good base and knowledge about the play, the cast was decided through auditions. As the workshop mentor, Mr Sen helped the students throughout - from script reading to the auditions; he ensured that the participation was maximum and gave personal attention to each and every participant sitting there. All the aspects of Stage Play were discussed. From lightings and sounds to props to be used on the stage, he was there for the team. The workshop was extremely helpful for beginners and everyone found the experience novel and immensely engaging. 

By halfway through the semester, the foundations for the formation of a ‘team’ was ready and laid down. Now differing mindsets were groomed and ready to work upon major theatrical projects - whilst preserving their element of individualistic uniqueness that they bring to the table, and yet converging to create, learn and express coherently. 

Now it was time for the club to eye and initiate upon the biggest stage it was set to take for the year - The Inter IIT Cultural Meet ‘19,  IIT Bombay.

Inter IIT Cultural Meet 4.0

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. ”

The Cultural Meet 4.0 was an overall success for Gustaakh Saale as the Street play bagged the 3rd position leaving behind old IITs and the club levelled itself up by participating in Stage Play and Mime for the first time with remarkable performance in both ( Mime - 7th position alongside a special mention and Stage play - 10th position).

Street Play: 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚 | पागलख़ाना |

Result: 3rd Position out of 15 other IITs

Each year Gustaakh Saale has been leaving its mark in this fiercely competitive and popular Street Play event of the Inter IIT Cultural Meet - bringing forward issues of social importance in front of an enlightened youthful crowd that’s not only best suited to understand these issues, but also to affect change in the future.

This year, a completely self-written, directed and executed play -PAGALKHANA, presented at IIT Bombay, explores the power of the ever-growing and omnipresent consumerism culture, how it manifests itself in our lives and the effects it can have on us.

‘PagalKhana’ is arguably the club’s finest street play till date, both in terms of the script as well as execution. 

The journey of the play started from July itself with a simple idea revolving around the market and the notion of consumerism. This simple rough idea was then gradually heated in the fire of numerous brainstorming discussions and web articles to turn it into a strong conceptual foundation which was then mixed with creativity, swag, energy, and enthusiasm of the whole Nukkad team to finally forge it into a street play worthy of the audiences and the stage it was set for.

As has been the tradition, this play was also performed at the Indira Market in Mandi for our local audiences. A public demonstration of the same award-winning play was planned to be held within the college premises before the remainder of the semester had to be called off abruptly.

The Play was also instrumental in boosting the scripting culture within the club, as it was prepared by the scripting team of the club - right from a scratch. On a separate note, this play (and hence this year’s Cultural Meet endeavour) also engulfed the biggest involvement and participation the club has amassed till date.

Stage Play: 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐀𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐢 | पंछी ऐसे आते हैं |

Result: 10th position out of 17 other IITs

The team's first stage play production, presented at the 4th Inter IIT Cultural Meet at IIT Bombay.

Being the first stage play of the club, it has its own special place in the club. Having a good head-start from Mr Nivaan Sen’s workshop on Stage Play, the club started the preparations from the middle of semester itself. Also, it was the first play, which in itself witnessed an extensive pooling of collective resources and efforts towards the set-up and logistics that proper theatre demands.

The commendable performance by the cast helped secure the 10th position among 17
other IITs. The journey from the script discussion in October to the final performance turned out to be a memorable endeavour for everyone involved - right from the cast to those who worked out the fine details from behind the curtains and handled the backend with efficiency and proficiency.

Mime

Result: 7th position out of 16 other IITs with Special Mention from the Judges

With minimal resource diversion made possible through the sheer efforts of members, a short and sweet mime was also taken to the stage at IIT Bombay. The mime was well received by the crowds therein, and owing to the fine depiction of the element of humour, this silent act also got a special shout out.

Although due to the lack of resources and experience, the mime was not that “professional” per se, but the overall depiction of the idea and acting of our members compelled the judges to give an honorary Special Mention to our act.

Adapted to the new "Normal"

The very nature of Drama, and our internal culture within the club is based on extensive cooperation

and coordination amongst the various elements and identities involved - and hence, this shift from

taking on the streets and packed auditoriums to taking the ‘Virtual Stage’ is not an easy transition.

However, that does not imply that we leave on capitalizing the endless potential encapsulated in these

virtual social platforms as “The new Stage for Art”.

From sharing ideas and art to building communities, from hosting contests and competitions to going

“live” with artists, it requires a good grasp on the various virtual social platforms, their functionalities,

and the reach associated with them.

Keeping these facts in mind and growing along with this new age, the club has already put its feet into

this social world with the vision to -

• To share our ideas and art

• To build a community

• To ensure indulgence of the club with the people (and vice versa) constantly. 

Building on the same concepts, the Facebook page of the club was initiated in the beginning of this

academic year, and the page has grown a lot from then, both in terms of content and followers (~500).

In the lockdown period, the club expanded its virtual base and started its Instagram page with its new logo.

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/gustaakhsaaleiitmandi

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/dramasociety_iitmandi

The year in itself was a successful run, - the biggest achievement for us was not any award or accomplishment but the establishment of bonds and a culture, that would last way beyond any legacy of awards and/or recognition.