The Oasis English Press sat down with Aarush Bhargav Mahesh, the Coordinator of the Department of Theatre, to learn more about the department’s plans for the upcoming fest.
Aarush described the department as the force behind seven competitions: FashP, a fashion show; Choreo, a contemporary dance competition; Street Dance, an underground hip-hop dance battle; Pitch Perfect, an acapella competition; Tarang, a fusion battle of the bands; Stage Play, a classical theatre performance; and Street Play, a Nukkad Natak competition. Apart from these, the department also hosted the well-known Delhi-based group Sukhmansh Theatre, which performed a play in the NABauditorium.
These events have been main attractions throughout the years. In the fest’s uncharted territory, the department found its footing in what it knew best: music, dance, and drama
A good rapport with the Student Union kept the gears turning smoothly for the department. Aarush shared no major setbacks and called his experience of working with the StuCCA ‘very pleasant’, adding that the Student Union had been very approachable.
Aarush explained that the preparations for the fest began in September, with event pitches and outreach. Before the mid-semester examinations, the team consulted with the Department of Publication and Correspondence on the rulebooks and entries. Afterwards, the focus shifted to booth backdrops, scheduling, judges, and accommodation.
The hardest part of the preparation, Aarush said, was keeping track of all the events while giving each the same effort and zeal, albeit the most rewarding. To him, managing a team of 35 was a learning experience, with the anticipation of newer recruits proving that joy and stress can coexist. He mentioned that to cope, he changed his ringtone, calling it the ‘Oasis ringtone’, so that it would not carry any lingering stress forward.
When asked what the department would do differently with hindsight, he said that there had always been scope for one more excel sheet, but that the team had done its best with what it knew. He also hoped that participants would leave with a greater appreciation of talent. In a university full of engineers chasing placements, he argued, culture is what differentiates us from AI, and Oasis brings out that shared humanity within us.
On a closing note, Aarush invited everyone to come to as many events as possible, promising that there would be something happening at every hour. He added, with a hint of both stress and pride, ‘Please come…’