With the number of new fashion weeks cropping up each year, the fashion industry is clearly pacing rapidly and has no dearth of investors who are willing to spend big. With the recently organized Lakme Fashion Week, the season of fashion shows has officially begun and what follows for the models is a string of opportunities to gain exposure and a considerable income. But what really is it like being a model in India? EE caught up with Sony Kaur, Sheela Tiruchi, Parul Duggal, Aakshi Khari and Pooja Bhamrah who are often termed as the “next big thing” in the fashion industry today. These women spoke exclusively to EE and shared their experiences. “I had actually never given so much thought into becoming a model”, says Parul Duggal. Born and brought up in Bhopal, Parul was a runner up in Miss India Universe and has also represented India internationally. “I actually went to Delhi to pursue my course in fashion design and there I was spotted by a fashion choreographer who encouraged me to walk the ramp. After initial hesitation I agreed as it was a good way to earn some extra pocket money but after walking the ramp for Lakme Fashion Week where I was among the top 5 models and was heavily applauded by judges I decided to participate in I Am She”. When asked upon how do such fashion shows provide a platform for young women? Parul responds by saying that these events are the best way to get noticed. “I do not want to pursue acting for now as I am having an amazing experience here. There are institute fashion shows coming up next where I will be walking the ramp again and apart from that I have my own business that keeps me busy”, says Parul as she discusses her future plans. Sony Kaur, born and brought up in Hyderabad, is also one of the major upcoming names in the fashion industry today who recently walked the ramp for Lakme Fashion Week. “For me modeling happened in college as my friend’s sister was a model and they needed one more for a show and the money offered was good. Today I have more than 5 years of experience in the industry and the profession gets more exciting with every passing day”-says Sony when asked about the start of her career. But is there a piece of advice that she would love to share with all the aspiring models? Sony says- “Just be confident about your looks and carry what you wear. Also, do not think too much and have immense confidence in yourself.” Sony will next been seen walking the ramp for the Amazon India Fashion Week scheduled to start today. Sheela Tiruchi an Indian origin model was born and brought up in Germany and moved to India to be a dance choreographer. “I was modeling in Germany too but when I moved to India my main focus was to become a choreographer but then modeling just sort of happened.” So what are the major differences between the models in India and Germany? Sheela responds by saying-“In India, we as models need to have a lot of face value as that matters a lot here. But in Germany you need to be very skinny, be at least 5’11 inches of height and need to have a lot of attitude in your walk. Looks are not that important there as the models are not very pretty.” Speaking on the challenges for a model in the Indian fashion industry Sheela says,”It is very easy to get it touch with people here but sustaining yourself in the market is very difficult as new models are coming up every day. I feel it’s a very safe profession for girls to be in contrary to the myths prevailing.” Pooja Bhamra, an actor and model, who stormed the audience recently with her walk at the Lakme Fashion Week did not have a conventional start to her modeling career. “I always wanted to participate in Miss India but as I belong to a protected family my parents always refused. So being an obedient kid I continued my engineering and was preparing for MBA when I participated in Miss Queen pageant that I eventually won.” “Today you have to be bold and standout among the rest to sustain in the industry. If I was to give an advice to young models I would say come prepared and don’t be disappointed with rejections as preparation and patience are the key words to survive here” -says Pooja as she completes her stance. Aakshi Khari who was born and brought up in Delhi has established herself as the one of the most versatile models of her time as she walked for all major fashion weeks of the country today. “I started my career as a model when I was 21 at a show in Panipath. Though the show was not of a huge magnitude by my circumstances had me walking the ramp for money. Even when I was in Delhi I regularly visited Malviya Nagar to search for photographers and models but after 6 months of struggle there I moved to Mumbai and decided to establish myself here”- says Aakshi when asked upon her choice of modeling as a career. “In Mumbai, I met Achala Sachdev, Shakhir Sheikh and Utsav Dholakia who became my mentors and taught me everything about the industry from scratch.”- she completes. When asked to give a piece of advice to the aspiring models Askshi says- “Don’t believe in anyone randomly and always remember to be yourself as it will go a long way in helping you.”
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Technology over the years has evolved into an indispensable fact into the lives of a consumer. From the new and improved means of communication to the enhancements made in all things around for a smoother life, technology in the modern times has truly established itself as a human’s true friend. Marketers today also want to capitalize on this aspect by coming up with engaging ideas that integrate technology in creative ways to generate valued experiences. As a result, technological innovations have led to the creation of a variety of diverse experiences for a prospective consumer. This time at EE, we list down 5 of the best technology driven experiential campaigns witnessed across the world. 1-Ben & Jerry’s Ice-Cream Campaign This particular campaign is an example of how the simplest use of technology can yield into the best experiences for brands as well as people.Ben & Jerry’s executed one of its most successful campaigns which was also their least costly one. By simply tweeting “We are in Burlington. Who wants ice cream?” Ben & Jerry’s triggered a local rush for free ice cream, generated a ton of Instagram pictures, and kept Ben & Jerry’s 59,000 Twitter followers on their toes for future updates. Another highlight of the campaign was that the scoop trucks also delivered to homes and offices, if asked nicely. As a result people in the city got their favorite ice-creams to cherish with an enhanced level of brand value and social media marketing success for Ben & Jerry’s. 2-Western Union Singing Telegram Western Union has been facilitating the money transfer option for 160 years now. It was only natural that the brand wanted to spice things up while promoting a message that sending money continues to be remain a valid option in the digital age. So it resurrected the idea of a “singing telegram”. The modern singing telegram allowed users to perform duet with a music star such as Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, Sunidhi Chauhan or K’Naan. Face mapping technology combines the users face with the celebrity’s face. The footage can then be e-mailed or uploaded to social media. The campaign, run by 180 Amsterdam, ran for six weeks, reached 50 markets and got coverage in the best of newspapers such as the New York Times, Rolling Stone and others. Truly the use of, technology at its best. 3- Maybelline the GlamourEye Campaign Maybelline New York, one of the world’s leading beauty brand, partnered with ICED Media and interactive technology platform Rapt Media to educate women globally on how to apply the latest make-up trends through the first-ever interactive video optimized for iPhone and Android, for the worldwide launch of Big Eyes Mascara.#TheGlamourEye leveraged Kelly Framel’s combined audience of over 200,000 while simultaneously localizing the video for Maybelline New York’s global audiences including Canada, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands. In the spirit of product education, one of Maybelline New York’s key brand pillars, the campaign garnered over 1.5 million earned impressions and enabled the brand to engage deeper with the consumers. 4- General Electric Jet Engine Campaign General Electric, the American multinational conglomerate corporation that deals in technological equipments and machines wanted to come up with a never experienced before initiatives in relation with their brand and hence they hired holographic projection specialist Musion Systems to create a 3D holographic jet engine. Members of the public can go on stage and assemble the engine virtually. Watching thousands of parts float around in mid-air, before they come together to form an engine, consumers could experience the expertise of General Electric’s engineers. GE hired the agency after its technological expertise amazed music fans at the Coachella rock festival in California. The agency drew gasps of amazement when it projected a hologram of murdered rap star Tupac Shakur at the festival, which then performed with real life rappers Snoop Dogg and DrDre for 15 minutes. 5-Nike Chalkbot Campaign This is one of the most celebrated examples of technology meeting the real world to create experiences that would never be forgotten. Wieden& Kennedy, Portland, Deeplocal and Standard Robot in 2009 created a roving vehicle that imprinted messages of hope sent by tweeters along the route of the Tour de France. It also snapped images of those chalk notes and sent them to those who tweeted them. Meant to promote Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong, the effort led to a 46% increase in apparel sales for Nike. The campaign aimed at creating sentimental experiences through the use of technology and was a big success in attaining memorable experiences for consumers.
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Also known as the home of great ideas, Cannes Lions is perhaps the highest honor forcreative excellence in advertising, each year inspiringa global community of brands, visionaries and advertising specialists. This year at the 62nd Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity,117 Lions were awardedfrom a total of 3,196 entries in the Promo & Activation category.Wetake a closer look and chronicle the reasons behind the success of some of these experiential campaigns. One of the biggest wins of Cannes Lions this year was The Grand Prix being bagged by Grey London for Volvo UK for their product, “Lifepaint” which, as per Jury President Matt Eastwood, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of J. Walter Thompson, had not only raised the bar creatively, but also made a positive contribution to humanity. Eastwood said, “It reinforces a life-long commitment to a strategy of safety and then elegantly turns that to a guiding purpose not just for the cars, but for all of society. It’s a simple, easy to apply solution that will genuinely save lives.” As established from the promo this highly reflective spray paint was developed to extend the brand’s commitment to safety, helping to make cyclists easier for drivers to spot on the roads at night. One of the main highlights of the campaign was not only of how it was designed but also because how it was executed. The thought process of coming up with something that promotes safety on the roads for passionate cyclists is indeed a noble idea but the cheery on the cake is how the promo begins with cyclists describing the problems that they face on the roads and the constant fear of an accident always lurking around the corner. With the sentiments of cyclists driving the qualities of the product, this campaign was bound to win all the accolades it received. Another big winner from the night was the Burger King Proud Whopper campaign which took home a Gold.The experiential campaign was all about how brands with small initiatives can make huge differences. Raising the issue of homosexuality and delivering a powerful sentimental message with such ease was something that has never been attempted by any other brand before. It is a classic example of sometimes how too little becomes too much and how a brand has the power of positively influencing the society with a simple sincere thought. This one is certain to go down in the memory lane as one of the simplest yet most effective experiential campaign ever. Nivea Doll for Nivea in Brazil, was another experiential campaign which bagged the Gold Lion for its innovative thinking and execution. The experience designed by FCB Brazil reminded kids of the reasons for applying sunscreen through a smartly thought of doll activity. An important message which was simplified for kids and taught to them in the manner they would easily understand and deliver for life. This campaign was already in the news for enhancing the sales figure for Nivea as a brand in Brazil and the simplicity and uniqueness of the campaign makes it a worthy winner of the coveted honor. Further worthy and world-enhancing Gold winners included Mexican Red Cross’ SOS SMS, an alarming campaign to motivate and instigate safety among people by the Red Cross society of Mexico. The campaign proved to be a big success as it makes the best use of technology that we all take for granted. The execution was crucial as it needed active participation from the citizens however this campaign proved that you can never go wrong if a sincere efforts are made to bring social awareness to the masses.
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A decade ago, festivals were considered simply a household ritual, but the last decade has seen the events industry heavily capitalizing on such festivals to organize some of their best events. The idea behind is simple, life is incredibly exhausting already, hence why slave over preparations for these celebrations when you can join the latest Holi party or Garba Dandiya event that is already organized and also features your favorite celebrities, interactive activities, food, friends and so much more. But overtime, it seems monotony has caught up making it difficult to tell one event from the next. Heres some inspiration with this list of cultural festivals from around the globe that offer a generous dose of quirk- 1- Dragon Boat Festival, China The Dragon Boat festival, also known as the Dwanwu Festival has been celebrated in China for more than 25,000 years. The main festivities in this festival are drinking realgar wine and dragon boat racing. Dragon boats are giant sized boats painted attractively and embellished with a dragon head and tail. The race begins with the rowing of boats to the rhythm of pounding drums. Once the night falls the breath-taking Dragon Lanterns and brightly lit creations come alive and truly steal the show. 2- Burning Man, Nevada Burning Man is a weeklong annual art, music and everything-else festival held in the middle of Black Rock desert, Nevada. It usually takes place between August 27 and September 3. The festival means it’s a City of Art; the motto is ‘No Spectators’ and everybody has to contribute something to that year’s theme. This very special event which started with 8 people on a San Francisco beach in 1986 has grown to a huge art festival where hundreds of artists come and build art installations, sculptures, art cars and make performances. With lot of talented and skilled professions in the country just imagine the success of a festival like this if organized in India. 3- Lantern Floating Festival, Hawaii Held annually on Memorial Day on Oʻahu’s south shore, Lantern Floating Hawaii brings together over 40,000 people on the beach, joined by thousands around the world via live streaming and telecast for an evening of honoring loved ones and generating collective hope toward the future. Lantern Floating Hawaii is a ceremony where all can come together for a personal and collective moment of remembrance, reflection, and offering gratitude to those who have gone before us. The concept behind the festival is that we are strengthened as a community as we reach out to support others and build understanding of our common values and experiences. 4- Roswell UFO Festival The Roswell UFO incident, also known as Roswell, was a report of an object that crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. To celebrate their belief that aliens have landed on earth, there is an annual parade where patrons can dress up in alien-like costumes and attend brief conferences given by alien experts and authors. However, these alien activists don’t discriminate. Non-believers of the alien theory are also welcome to enjoy the festivities and dress up. 5- The Songkran festival Every April, to celebrate New Year, the world’s largest water gun fight takes place in the country of Thailand. And no, it’s not just some small isolated village. We’re talking about an entire country drowning itself with super soakers. But the fun isn’t limited to water guns, as some people prefer buckets or even elephants. Though in India, holi is organized in a similar format but an exclusive water gun fight festival in our country is bound to be a massive crowd churner. 6- La Tomatina What started as something of a street fight between teenagers using tomatoes from nearby vegetable stalls has turned into the largest tomato fight in the world. It happens every year in the small Spanish town of Bunyol and over the course of about 1 hour the town gets so covered in tomatos that the fire department has to come in and spray everything down. This particular festival is already a craze in India with many Indian films showcasing it over the years and several cities having hosted mini versions of it; but a collective large tomato-lunging fest would be oh so spectacular. 7- Cheese Rolling Festival Every year near Gloucester, England hundreds of people gather to watch as locals chase a huge cheese off the top of Cooper’s Hill and tumble a couple hundred yards to the bottom where they are almost inevitably scooped up by paramedics and taken to the hospital. Supposedly if you cross the finish line at the bottom first though, you win the cheese. Being a festival majorly catering towards those with an enthusiasm for sports this one has ‘fun’ written all over it.
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Apart from being a global event for those working in the creative communications, advertising and marketing related fields, the seven-day long celebration of Cannes Lionsalso attracts thousands of delegates, visionaries and brand specialists across the world. Hence the event transforms into a confluence of the biggest stars from the creative communication genre at one platform which also provides notable brands the opportunity to create memorable brand experiences. Much like its previous editions Cannes Lions 15 too saw some of the biggest brands around the world using the majestic platform to capitalize on the elite crowd and proving their creative genius through brand activations. The biggest brands names which seized the opportunity in the context were undoubtedly Google and Facebook. Google’s brand experience at Cannes featured a colorful beach activation on the coastline which also showcased the activation from sister brands such as YouTube and Android. The engaging part of this experiential activity was that guests could use Google technology to order their drinks, which they could enjoy on a deck of bright beanbags. The Beach Bar side of the venue by Google hosted a diverse variety of experiential events for the visitorssuch as Cookie Delights, a culinary experience from YouTube star Cupcake Jemma – and Sensational Punches with Rich Hunt, a cocktail master class from Jamie Oliver’s DrinksTube. Google Beach (the venue occupied by Google to create experience) also featured a YouTube stage for music performances, a volleyball court, a Google Cardboard activation and an experiential version of its interactive Abbey Road experience. Similar to Google, Facebook also managed to design its experiential campaign surrounding the beach. Their experience featured a beautifully designed relaxing space for the visitors who could unwind themselves amidst the hustle and bustle of the festival. Instagram, facebook’s offshoot also joined the experience generation bandwagon by creating a white art gallery space entirely featuring photos taken during the festival using the app. The Broadcaster Eurosport tried to add a more competitive ambient to the Cannes Lions atmosphere as they thrived upon the competitiveness of the marketing world by organizing a mini beach soccer world cup tournament on the beach. This unique experience immediately became everyone’s favorite as they could not only support but also play for their country team. However the most successful experiential campaign at Cannes Lions 15 was orchestrated by Linkedinwhich came up with scintillating idea of a LinkedIn Clubhouse. The clubhouse promised an in-house party and calm atmosphere for gold and platinum pass holders as it featured a bar, food and a balcony view of the Croissette. The visitors of Cannes Lions who were looking to experience something new and interesting apart from the flamboyance of the festival were swept off their feet with the concept of the Clubhouse and were highly appreciative of the same. LinkedIn is further expected to be hosting a number of sessions such as ‘The Secrets behind Content Marketing from LinkedIn’ and a drop-in profile page clinic at Cannes Lions ‘15. These experiences are only expected to add brownie points for LinkedIn as a brand who has truly managed to use the opportunity in the best manner possible.
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fter holding exclusive pre-parties in twelve different cities, the hunt for the perfect bloc for the Karbonn Smart MTV Bloc Party is finally over. The party people have voted for Juhu Bloc in Mumbai to host the Bloc Party where MTV will pack in a crazy sundowner by the beach and massive after-parties spread all across the city-bloc. MTV brings together more than 30 world-class DJs to spin the music for the Karbon Smart MTV Bloc Party. The 2 day dance music festival set smack in heart of party capital Mumbai will be headlined by DJ BL3ND and Bassjackers, and will feature Rewire & Varski, Nucleya, Ash Roy, Ashwin Sharma, Ankytrixx, Reggae Rajahs, Lost Stories, Su Real and many more spinning music right across the bloc on April 11 and 12, 2015. Hosted by MTV’s music man Nikhil Chinapa, MTV is all set bring the dance music scene alive. MTV is bringing to India for the first time DJ BL3ND to headline the MTV’s Bloc Party. This Los Angeles native, DJ BL3ND has a staggering 360 million YouTube views and more than 4 million Facebook followers for his crazy videos and electrifying live sets. Few electronic artists can match the stage presence and energy of DJ BL3ND, something that his legion of super-fans (popularly known as BL3NDERS) would vouch for. Over the years, his success has been documented by everyone from Billboard, to SoundCloud, to DJ Mag. He’s the record-holder on Billboard’s Uncharted Chart, holding the top spot for 62 weeks; and was also named SoundCloud ‘Artist of the Year.’ And, joining him are the American DJ and Producer duo who share a great passion for house music, Bassjackers. Comprising of Marlon Flohr and Ralph van Hilst, Bassjackers is known for beatport toppers like ‘Mush Mush’, ‘Hey!’, ‘Grid’ and many more. The duo have remixed for Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias and Moby; and performed in Ibiza alongside Tiësto, and in Las Vegas alongside Afrojack, and continue to tour around the globe. MTV is also featuring Electronic Dance Music producers and DJ performers including Rewire & Varski, Nucleya, Ash Roy, Ashwin Sharma, Ankytrixx, Reggae Rajahs, Lost Stories, Su Real and many more! On April 11th, gates open at 3PM and the party starts at the beachfront Juhu Hotel and spills out to multiple night-party blocs across Juhu. The wrist-band that the party goers will get at this gate will serve as the entry pass for all the party venues across the entire bloc. It’s a party in the heart of the city starting on the sands of Juhu Beach – nothing like a sundowner to kick-off a party at the beginning of the summer season. So, no need to waste monies on flight-tickets, no long drives, no booking hotels, no applying for travel leave, and no backpacking trips! This is a two day dance music that comes right at your doorsteps, bang in middle of the city and is much more than incredible music. The party-goers will need just ONE TICKET to attend all the parties all through the bloc. They can club hop with the MTV hop-on-hop-off Bloc Party cabswhich will ferry them across venues and the music travels with them to ensure a seamless party transition. Speaking about this unique party concept Sumeli Chatterjee, Head – Marketing, Media and Insights, MTV said, “MTV’s Bloc Party brings the party right at your doorsteps in the city with not just one or two stages, but integrates the whole of Juhu bloc. Crazy audio-visuals and massive sundowner live acts by our world-class DJs that spread across both the days; young people will definitely take back happy party memories from this music festival. We are playing with concept of light and geometry that will make it a spectacular and musical sunset by the beach, and a treat in the Mumbai summer. And, to top it all, with just one ticket one can ride on a fun club-hop post the sunset, where music follows your footsteps.” Speaking on the association with MTV Bloc Party, Shashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn Mobiles says, “MTV has the finger on the pulse of the youth and by partnering with the channel on exclusive concepts like MTV Bloc Party, we are looking forward to reaching out to the urbane youth who prefers to be connected with their peer groups 24X7 and enjoys innovative technology. By combining cutting-edge mobile technologies with the best of music & dance experience, we at Karbonn endeavour to bring the consumers larger-than-life opportunities of entertainment, fun and engagement.”
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Welcome the monsoon with an umbrella full of world-class experiences through a unique seasonal camp initiated by Mount Litera School International (MLSI), Bandra and Findurclass.com. This camp has been conceptualized keeping in mind the necessities and interests of children representing the age groups of 4-7 years & 8-12 years. Monsoon camp will engage young ones through interactive sessions and workshops on aero modelling, forensic research, computer programming, gardening, photography, soccer, culinary education, music, paper craft, and storytelling, fitness and dance comprising of jazz, among others. Aforementioned activities have modules which are easy and hassle free, leading to a well-rounded personality fostering both success and happiness for the child. The main objective of this camp by Mount Litera schools is said to be helping kids acquire a perfect balance between skills and academics while creating diverse experiences for their overall development in the process. Another interesting part of the camp is that students from all walks of life and different backgrounds and can be a part of this camp for free. Dates: 29th June, 2015 – 31st July, 2015 Age group: 4-7 years & 8-12 years Duration: 3 hours per day for 4 weeks Contact: 9930910000 or log onto http://www.findurclass.com/monsoon-activity-popup
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Known as one of the pioneers of international dance in India, Ashley Lobo, Indian Australian choreographer has recently started India’s first repertory dance theatre company Navdhara, thus adding another feather to the cap of the choreographer post DanceWorx which has over 5000 students. With the aim to put India on the Globe in terms of dance theatre, the USP of Navdhaara lies in its abstract format. The audience can draw their own conclusions about the dance and the performance will be followed by an interactive session where the audience can share their own perspective at the end of the show. With their theatrical productions ‘Amaara’ scheduled to be premiered in Mumbai on March 26, followed by shows in Delhi and USA in the next 3 months; EE spoke to the choreographer about their latest production, its concept and other integrating elements. “International Dance Theater as an art is very new in India, the dance form is very abstract in comparison to Indian contemporary art forms which have a story so the idea behind the setting up of Navdhaara India Dance Theater (NDIT) was to bring something new in the country.”- says Lobo, as he explains the idea behind the setting up of NDIT. When asked upon what separates International Dance Theater from other forms of dance, Ashley Lobo responds by saying, “The movement style of this form of theater are very abstract. With most dance performances in India being hugely scaled with multiple highlights the international dance theater symbolizes minimalism, so just like modern art you also have modern dance.” Producing theatrical productions is a costly affair so how does NDIT manage upon the return on investment? To this Ashley Lobo says- “The return on investment here is that we are carving a way for others to follow. Our main aim through Amaara is to go out and do dance better and bring the industry to a different level as far as Dance Theater is concerned.” “In India currently most dancer performances rely on tricks and their main aim is wowing the audience rather than engaging them in dance. In the international world that is looked down upon, so we are trying to go to the international space and it’s a big experiment even for us as the Indian audience is used to being wowed. But through NDIT we aspire to bring in India an international dance form and to elevate the level of dance in the country.”- completes Lobo.
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Furtados launched their music training school activity for kids today at KidZania Mumbai the global indoor theme park. The launch of the Furtados School of Music (FSM) activity was done by Gino Banks a versatile musician who has worked at both local and international level. In its 15 months of operations KidZania Mumbai has attracted more than 500,000 visitors. As it is a concept that drives fun through learning, over 150 schools have sent 125,000 kids to KidZania through their school excursion program. It is also becoming a popular place to host birthday parties. At the FSM activity children will learn the nuances of music like rhythm, melody and tempo.Through this activity kids willget together to form their own bands, experience playing various musical instruments like keyboards, drums and guitars and give a public performance. This activity aims at helping children to understand their interest in music and teach them importance of team work and co-ordination while honing their creativity. Speaking on the occasion, Viraj Jit Singh – Chief Marketing Officer, KidZania India, said “KidZania believes that creative expression is an important part for the overall development of kids. We are very happy to welcomeFurtados School of Music asour marketing partner to offer kids a fun filled experience of learning to play various musical instruments and build their confidence through their performance as a band. It was our pleasure to have the activity inaugurated by a most versatile player Gino Banks whose love for music started at a very young age. ” Tanuja Gomes, Co CEO, Furtados School of Music, said “The vision of FSM is to offer quality music education in an interactive and fun filled manner. We are excited to partner with KidZania and offer our band sampler programme. Music is such an integral part of a child’s development and has virtually no barriers of accessibility. We are sure this will make our programme among the favourites at KidZania. Our greatest rewards will be seeing proud and over joyed parents and friends watching their children perform live on stage. We are delighted and thankful to Gino Banks, our Drums Mentor at FSM and renowned musician, for making himself available and agreeing to inaugurate our offering at KidZania.”
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The second edition of the Comedy Central Chuckle Festival was able to generate a tremendous amount of buzz from the moment it was announced. After all it was the first ever performance of the satirical British comedian, Russel Brand, in India. While reaching the Talkatora Stadium on June 26 ’15 one could easily anticipate the amount of hard work put in by the organizers of the event. Clearly displayed sign boards at equal distances and well mapped out security ensured that the problems of traffic were taken care of. The entry into the auditorium was easy but like most events, not even a bottle of water was permissible inside the auditorium. Clearly the organizers have not experienced the horrifying heat in Delhi the way we have, Anyhow. As I entered it was surprising to notice that not even half of the total seats of the venue were occupied and the results of an inadequate marketing campaign were widely evident. We did see some outdoor advertising in the city and Comedy Central had been announcing the event for a while, but clearly that wasn’t enough given the turn out at the event. The event did not start on time (Namaste India!) and the audience faced a collective dilemma whether should they move out for some food or stay and patiently wait for their moment to Chuckle.The curtainsrose at 8 PM as the insanely funny Sanjay Manaktala welcomed the audience. Sanjay was effortlessly charming with his puns on his own accent and his corny yet hilarious representation of an Indian woman while taking seflies pulled the crowd together. And so just 5 minutes into the beginning of the fest the audience could already be seen chuckling. Second in line was Jeeveshu Ahluwalia who was absolutely riveting with his unabashed and unapologetic depiction of the problems of a fat man dealing with ordinary struggles of life. NeetiPaltawas OK!Her performance at the most was average as the audience struggled to find reasons to laugh. The biggest surprise came when Sanjay Manaktala announced the absence of Papa CJ from the show. With Papa CJ being prominently advertised to perform at the event,I too like most fans present in the auditorium felt somewhat cheated. Though organizers claimed the reason for the last hour cancellation wasa result of him missing his flight, inside sources reveal that Papa CJ was very well present in Delhi on the day. His absence was because he never signed the contract with Chuckle Fest to begin with. The source quotes, “Though negotiations were ongoing, a final deal was never struck. Live Viacom18 sent Papa CJ an amended contract at 6PM while the show was about to begin at 7.30 on the same night.” Interestingly, validating this point is the fact that Papa CJ who is quite active on social media never really posted anything about being a part of the Chuckle Festival. So was this event an effort to capitalize on his popularity? Oh well. The disappointed audience was comforted almost instantly as Russell Brand took to the stage. The 40-year-old performer truly lived up to his name from the moment he stepped on the stage and had the audiences hooked onto his one-liners and strong witticismsright from the get go. His signature British accent, crude cockney slang and the part where he involved the audience through phone conversations made the audience stand up from their chairs and applaud him. Needless to say Brand was at the top of his game here and delivered a great performance to his fans in Delhi. Big smiles exiting the auditorium were evidence of an audience having received its money’s worth. Though it may have grappleda bitin terms of execution but the second edition of the Comedy Central Chuckle Festival 2015 indeed managed to make the audience Chuckle as promised. Yes a lot of things from dirty toilets to Papa CJ-gone-missing irked me, but it is the overall enjoyment quotient that actually matters for an event at the end and,as far as the deliverables of the main content is concerned,the Chuckle Festival was absolutely bang on.
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