On Nov. 10, staff and students attended an event named Bollywood Night, organized by the Southeast Asian Student Association. The event was a celebration of the cultures of Southern Asia. The purpose of this event was not just to commemorate India’s cinema industry, even though the name given to the event was Bollywood. Bollywood is the informal name of India’s cinema, officially called Hindi cinema.
Students of various backgrounds gathered in Lares building to watch individuals perform dances, read poems, play games and converse with attendees to whom they had never spoken. For this event, the cafeteria was decorated with flags, string lights and disco balls.
One interesting feature of this event was the exotic types of clothing worn by students to show pride in their ancestral homelands. The majority of students were dressed in attire like saris, gagra cholis and shalwar kameez. In addition, a competition was held to see who could properly put on a sari in less than a minute. Supposedly, a sari is draped around a woman’s waist and then a shawl is worn to cover the top half.
Furthermore, a game was played by volunteers to learn how to make a nan, a Southern Asian bread that is similar to a Middle Eastern bread known as pita. The audience was informed that nan is the most commonly eaten bread in those countries.
Arguably, the most enjoyable part of this event was when students danced to Indian music in some of the traditional dancing styles. One of the dancing styles performed is called Bhangra, created in Northern India and very popular among ethnic Punjabis. Yet, Bhangra was not the main performance of the night. The main dance was similar to a ballet. Sadly, its name was not disclosed. Throughout the performance some of the attendees joined the dancers on the stage.
Also, it was revealed that to the region’s people, Bollywood not only refers to India but also to countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma and Afghanistan. These countries were described as being culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse. Apparently, the most commonly practiced religions in the region are Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism. Indeed, those attending the event were informed of important facts related to the region’s culture, traditions, music and cuisine.
Interestingly, in this event the food did not consist of pizza, burgers, hot dogs and soda. The foods served were tandoori chicken, rogan josh, samosa and a variety of other delicacies.
Above all, it was an educational event for individuals who wanted to expand their knowledge by gaining information about the traditions, culture and the music of Southern Asia.
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