This year’s Diwali Dhamaka was an energetic event, with an estimated 450 attendees participating at the Blind Duck on the night of October 23.
Diwali Dhamaka, hosted by UTM’s Hindu Student Council, is held annually in celebration of Diwali, the Hindu “Festival of Lights”.
Around 8 p.m., a trio of hosts including UTM alumna Shreya Narang started off the show with a string of punchlines and anecdotes before announcing the performers for the night.
Notable dance performances were delivered by the Erindale Punjabi Association and the HSC’s dance group, Fusion. While EPA took a more conventional route, donning traditional Bhangra costumes and playing the sapp (a Punjabi musical instrument), Fusion bopped along to more modern Bollywood chart-toppers.
Other noteworthy dances were performed by trio Alistair D’Cruz, Isha Thaker, and Mayank Sharma and duo Aziza Islam and Mit Patel. Among singers was Megha Manvi, who performed Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”.
The week prior to the pub night, Fusion organized a flash mob at the Meeting Place in Davis. The group danced to several songs to cheering students in the food court as a way to promote the event.
“I think our biggest challenge was living up to people’s expectations. Since we’re always trying to top our previous efforts, people expect a lot more as the years go on, and that was one of our biggest challenges this year,” said Rachana Sai, VP of HSC.
The organizers chose to give this year’s Dhamaka a contemporary flair. In contrast to previous years, the HSC accommodated English performances and arranged for popular English music to be played during the event.
Performances were followed by a four-course vegetarian Indian buffet, after which the pub was converted into an open dance floor soundtracked by DJ Lune.
When asked about the best part of Diwali Dhamaka 2015, Sai said it was the open dance floor segment. “I absolutely loved seeing so many people enjoy and dance along to Bollywood, even in Canada.”
