Invictus: Day One

For the past few days, Manipal has seemed a little different. The food court was more packed than usual, and stalls had been set up in Greens. An astute observer would notice that there was a sudden increase in the number of people asking for directions around Manipal, and that there was an unmistakable buzz in the air, which could only mean one thing in a University town like Manipal. A fest was taking place. Day One of the second edition of Invictus, the much-anticipated intercollegiate fest conducted by KMC Manipal, started off smoothly on the 24th of April and set the ball rolling for many more exciting events to come.

Monoact

“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”

There couldn’t have been a better way to describe the first cultural event of Invictus 2018 than these words by Sanford Meisner. The Monoact event took place from 3pm to 4pm in T.M.A Pai Hall – 3. The contestants were given topics an hour before the event and had to come up with a short monoact on topics as diverse as “the story of a doctor” to as relevant to the current climate as “being religious”. Topics like “Picture Perfect Society” and “The New Cool” gave the participants a chance to explore their creativity, while topics like “The Curious Case of Nirbhaya” or “Be a Man” pointed out various flaws in society, all of which were performed with such éclat that left the audience feeling goosebumps. The event was judged by Madhavi Bhandary. In the end, slot 11 from KMC Mangalore and slot 2 from JNMC Belgaum tied for the first position in this showdown of thespian art.

Classical Vocals Solo

“Rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”

In the cacophony of noise in life, it is easy to forget the joy of music. The Classical Vocals Solo provided a respite from the mundane popular music and took the audience on a journey that spanned the ragas and the taalas through Hindustani as well as Carnatic music at T.M.A Pai Hall, from 4-5pm on 24^th of April. The amazing performances transported everyone in the audience into a trance-like bliss leaving them wanting more. This melodious competition was won by Slot 8 from MIT, Manipal. The judge for the event was Uma Shankari.

Opening Ceremony

Invictus’ 18 kicked off in style with a small yet expectant crowd gathered in the KMC Greens on 24^th April. Mr. T. J. Muthanna, the chief guest and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MAHE, after the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Tasnim Shahjahan, Sports Secretary of KMC, Aaditya Shreehari, Literary Secretary of KMC and Aniket Naik, President of KMC, addressed the sun-bathed audience. His speech, which included pearls of wisdom gained from his distinguished 25 years’ experience in the healthcare system, inspired the audience. Next up, the Dean of KMC, Dr. Pragna Rao, began with complimenting the current student council for their hard work and ability to galvanize participants. She also wished them luck for the upcoming events and vouched to extend all the support she could provide. The staff advisors, Dr. Chandni Gupta, Dr. Sushma Kotian, Dr. Vikram Palimar and Dr. Vinay Khanna also gave valuable inputs and lauded the effort it took to make Invictus’18 see the light of the day.

Eastern Vocals

The event was an invocation of Invictus into KMC Greens and a melodious invitation to the spirit of music. The voices of the participants breathed life into the vibrant stage and the vibrating ground. The elite assortment of judges, Saroja Acharya, Parana and Uma Shankari seemed to enjoy the performances a lot. With the golden sun setting in the western skies and the murmuration of birds in the background, the event packed with solo, duet and group performances heralded the immense energy that was to follow as the evening aged.

Western Dance Solo

As the sky turned dark and the lights turned on, the energy on stage rocketed to a new high. With power packed performances the participants left the audience, and the judges Swapna, Mamtashri and Narayani in awe. Melodious medleys tuned to intricately choreographed steps and an unending supply of stamina was befitting the magnanimity of the fest.

The night and thereby the events of Invictus Day One ended on a high note with one last fiery show by KMC’s own dance troupe ‘Phoenix’, who performed despite the cancellation of the Western Dance Group event – a testament to their “unconquerable souls”, to borrow the words of William Ernest Henley in his acclaimed poem Invictus, which lent its name to the fest.

“Out of night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.”

– As reported by Shrey Srivastava, Rohan Basak and Vinay Reddy.