Bollywood Night, a Bollywood-themed variety show, took over the Illini Union Saturday night, welcoming all students and staff.
The Indian Graduate Student Association is an RSO dedicated to helping Indian graduate students find community upon arriving in Champaign.
“It’s our family away from home for Indian students,” said Atharva Nemade, general secretary of IGSA and graduate student studying civil engineering. “(It’s) how we can feel at home far away from our country.”
The show started around 6:30 p.m. with three IGSA board members coming up to the stage to dance and hype up the crowd before laying down some ground rules: “Nobody is allowed to get bored or sleepy.”
Bollywood Night featured a variety of student performances, with students from various RSOs showcasing their talents. The night’s first performance was a violinist’s rendition of a popular Bollywood song, followed by a high-energy dance mashup mixing Bollywood and American pop hits.
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Throughout the night, the three hosts would come onstage to host quick rounds of Bollywood trivia where they had volunteers guess movies from film snapshots or the names of popular songs. They then had volunteers act out poses and dances from famous Bollywood films.
“I would be lying if I said we didn’t have a personal connection to Bollywood,” said Parag Bajaj, vice president of IGSA and graduate student studying electrical engineering. “It has been a big part of our lives, something we grew up with. We try to hold on to it so we can reminisce on life back home.”
Following the trivia segment, there were additional performances from students, including a solo piece in traditional costume and a rock band’s performance that blended rock with Bollywood influences.
Following the initial show, which ended at 8 p.m., audience members were invited to a DJ party at the Anniversary Plaza, which ran until 10 p.m.
“Bollywood is very dear to my heart,” said Samyak Chordia, president of ISGA and graduate student studying material sciences and engineering. “It’s one of our cultural things. It has jazz, it has funk. It’s just very fun.”
The IGSA also hosts an annual Diwali event on the Main Quad, which will be on Oct. 18.
