Umang 2018

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing, a wistful affection for the past – a trip down memory lane, as it were. And it is on this trip that Umang 2018, took the audience and the participants over four eventful days in January this year. 

The sheer scale of the event, the levels to which the organisers go to ensure success, the expertise with which everything from planning to final execution is conducted are enough to put professional event organisers to shame and BESC can rightfully claim for itself the crown as the organiser of the most glittering of all events that the city witnesses. Events that are replicated with equal finesse, year after year.

This year, Umang paid tribute to Nostalgia, even as it created memories that will be fondly, nostalgically remembered in countless hearts for years to come.

Umang Nostalgia witnessed the participation of 46 colleges, which were represented by participation of 2551 students. As many as 250 BESC students were actively involved in organising the event from the planning stage to the execution of the individual events (for which there were another 350 student volunteers) through to the distribution of prizes and the Guest Performance which traditionally brings the curtains down on the event.

Champaklal A Doshi, the Chairman of BESC officially declared Umang Open after the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Dr Suman Mukerjee, Director General; Dr Suchandra Chakravarty, Teacher-in-Charge and Prof Dilip Shah, Dean of Student Affairs of the institution spoke on the occasion. The Title sponsor for the event Dr Lal Bhatia, author of “Indicting Goliath” also addressed the gathering. The high point of the opening ceremony was the college magician Ranaditya Sengupta with his tricks and the unveiling of an original piece by the Late M F Hussain which was displayed on stage. To add to the entertainment  DJ Harish and Wagah Road band collaborated to produce soulful music that had the audience singing along to the tracks of Summer of 69, Sayonee, Jugni on day1.

January 18th, 2019. Singer, Composer Amit Trivedi is the kind of “Emosional Atyachar” that every-one likes to be subjected to, albeit musically.   Naturally, when Amit Trivedi is billed to perform at Umang, it is a sell-out and a ten thousand strong crowd waits to greet him with bated breath.

The anchors for the show, Navneet Dugar and Anurag Dhanania keep the crowd on the edge as the time ticks by for the star of the evening to make his grand appearance. He does and the show begins.

One chartbuster after the other. Amit Trivedi makes the crowd eat from his hand, mesmerised youngsters hanging on to the hugely popular tunes that are his trademark. And when the chart-topper declared that he has never seen such an enthusiastic crowd before, there was naturally no stopping. The foot tapping combustion was spontaneous, and the dancing frenzied to put things mildly.

Even as the music played on, the Champions were called on stage to be felicitated. BESC emerged the overall Champions and being the host, was gracious enough to pass the Champion’s trophy to St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta who had taken the position of the runners up. Amity University, Kolkata took the bronze. Surendranath College was adjudged the most disciplined college.

Yash from IIHM won the crown for the Best CR (male) while Anand Rewat of Goenka College was selected as the Best CR (female)

Suhel Johan of BESC was declared the Star of Umang (male) while for the Star of Umang (Female) there was a tie between Puja Jalan and Mandira Gupta (both from BESC).     

Umang Nostalgia could not have dropped the curtains with more style – bringing to close the officially four-day long revelry. However, as the contestants and the volunteers and everybody associated with the event will vouch, it was a lot more than a mere four-day long affair for the preparations had begun months in advance. It is also technically wrong to say that Umang reached its grand finale – for like Life, Umang too is perennial, eternal even.