By Adriana Salinas and Imani Ellis
The traditional Diwali celebration is a major religious holiday in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism, during which loved ones gather together to celebrate family, friends and the prosperity God has bestowed.
On Saturday night, Vanderbilt’s Masala–South Asian Cultural Exchange celebrated the holiday, adding a “Slumdog Millionaire” twist to its 2009 Diwali show.
Masala-SACE lightheartedly mocked the eight-time Academy Award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which had the audience laughing. The show combined trivia, complete with the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” theme song, skits, homemade movies and dance routines. A performance by the Black Student Alliance kicked off the show by incorporating Indian music with hip-hop, and performers wore salwar kameez while doing the stanky leg. Vandy Taal, Grad Band, Vanderbilt alumni and more than 150 students also performed.
Diwali showcased South-Asian culture from the classical dance form of Bharatnatyam to the modern dance of Fusion, which combined hip-hop with traditional Indian dance. Indian food was included in the evening as well, as a catered Indian buffet on Library Lawn preceded the program.
Junior Nadia Hussein was thrilled to see the end product of everyone’s hard work.
“It’s so great to watch it all come together,” Hussein said. “Everyone put in so much work and to see the final performance is really amazing.”
Freshman Komal Shah co-choreographed the Raas performance.
“It was a really great bonding experience and allowed us to really get to know people, but in a very different way,” Shah said. “The best part of Vandy Diwali is that though it is an Indian holiday, we have so many other races participating and celebrating it with us. It allows us to share our culture with everyone else.”
Friday’s Jay-Z concert was a big act to follow, but Kimi Nathani, secretary of the SACE Board, said she thought the show was a big success.
“The show went really well, but we were all naturally stressed before,” Nathani said. “It took a lot of practice to bring everyone together, especially with the arrival of Jay-Z the day before the show.”
The annual Vandy Diwali tradition of the senior dance was a crowd favorite. The senior dance closed out the night after the million dollar question was answered and Guru Shah, who played the contestant on the show, finally won the heart of his “lou Sheena.”
SACE President Tushina Jain choreographed the senior dance.
“Diwali is my favorite time of the year, and it makes me sad that this is my last year because I’m a senior,” Jain said. “It’s a lot of hard work with great people and late-night practices, but it’s so worth it.”
