If there was a competition to test the decibel levels of people, one had to give it to the students of SSN College of Engineering. From whistling, hooting to shouting, the students had gathered enough energy to last throughout the inaugural function of ‘Instincts 2011', the college's cultural fest.
The event went on for over three hours, including an hour-long wait for actor Vishal, the chief guest. But the wait for the actor was worth it as he instantly established a rapport with the crowd.
To add to the excitement of the packed auditorium were the loud speakers that belted out peppy numbers from Tamil movies. “I am coming to a college function after one-and-a-half years. When in college I was in the organising committee,” Vishal said, applauding the work of the students committee.
The actor pleased quite a number of the students in the auditorium by encouraging them to ask questions and gave smart replies for a few. To a question if he liked “Thalapathi” or “Thala”, Vishal thought for a minute and replied “Superstar” to which the crowd hooted.
Music is the theme of the three-day cultural festival. Following the inauguration, the students performed classical and western dance.
The excitement was spread out in the sprawling campus after the events began at different blocks. Cricket fans participated in an “IPL bidding game”, where Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni were the favourites with every team. The event lined for the next two days include a virtual movie bazaar where the participants have to convince the judges and audience on the script and the actors they chose promises to bring out the creativity among students in filmmaking. A photography workshop with focus on fashion and portrait would be another attraction.
Director Gautam Menon would judge the short film contest. Talking about how Instincts has grown over the years, K. Siddharth, event coordinator, said in the first year it received 5,000 participants. “Last year, it attracted 21,000 people and this year it is still better,” he said.
The Hindu is the media partner for the event.
