The lockdown, it seems, may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for residents of the Paravur block panchayat along the suburbs of Kochi as the local body authorities seem determined to discover hitherto hidden talents among its residents.
The 'Lockdown Family Fest' organised by the block panchayat in association with the artists of the State cultural department will run through the length of the lockdown. The event is promoted as “an easy way to become a star while staying at home.”
“The idea was conceived to address the boredom of people locked up inside their homes and to discover their hidden talents while also facilitating bonding among family members. People can send video entries of their performances to two WhatsApp numbers, which will be uploaded to our official Facebook page from Monday,” said Yesudas Parappilly, block panchayat president.
The fest features contests for both individuals and families who can perform any art form of their choice not exceeding five minutes. The block panchayat with a population of around 1.75 lakh spread over five panchayats seems to have taken the contest quite seriously.
“We have already got around 100 entries featuring various art forms ranging from paintings to skits,” said Vishnu Maheedharan, one of the artistes deployed to the block by the cultural department. A single entry will be accepted from each household while those using pre-recorded applications like Dubmash and TikTok will be disqualified.
The best five performances each from among the individual and family entries will be selected at the end of the lockdown by a special jury though the number of likes received in the Facebook will also be a deciding factor.
“Paravur being home to popular film actor Salim Kumar, we plan to request him to be a jury member,” said Mr. Parappilly.
