INJURIES, STAMPEDE, POSING AS GUARD: ANYTHING TO HEAR ANKIT TIWARI SING?

Shivaji College’s fest, Vibrations ’23 recently witnessed the OG spirit of Delhi University fests with unmanageable crowds turning up

Bheed-bhadaka, dhakkamukki, but there were no let-ups in students’ enthusiasm at the finale night of Shivaji College’s two-day fest, Vibrations ’23, where singer Ankit Tiwari was to perform live. So much was the drama that the backwith-a-bang attitude of DU fests has now raised security concerns.

ROWDY AUDIENCE, ANXIETY

Lobbying to enter the venue in time, some youngsters turned up hours in advance while Tiwari took the stage at 8pm. While waiting for the performer, some students flung bottles at the empty stage, and soon, security personnel spread out. A few students miffed with the delay, left the venue before the act began. “He’s not coming,” exclaimed Bhumika Chauhan, a first-year student of BCom (Hons) at Shivaji College, after waiting for two hours. “Itna rowdy crowd dekh kar anxiety ho gayi,” shared Devyanshi S, a student of a Noida-based college, adding, “Due to the long wait, a kind of stampede situation arose and my feet got injured.”

STUNTS MAT KARO, AARAM SE DEKHO MUJHE: ANKIT TIWARI

When Tiwari finally took the stage, some students climbed the scaffoldings and goalposts to catch a glimpse. Keeping safety first, Tiwari told them: “Doston, aap neeche aa jao, latko mat, stunts mat karo. Aaram se dekho mujhe.”

Performing with even more gusto, he proceeded to croon popular hits such as Sun Raha

Hai Na Tu, Jugni and Tu Hai Ki

Nahin.

CROWD MANAGEMENT CONCERN

Police officials from three different stations were on duty at the venue, but the crowd still seemed unmanageable. Many students broke through the barricades to run towards the stage, which made Tiwari cut his performance short.

Principal Shiv Kumar Sahdev says, “There were so many students outside the gates that we had to allow a lot of them from other colleges to enter just to manage the footfall and traffic outside... This is the first DU fest that saw such a huge turnout.”

IMPOSTER GUARD?

Some outside students got into heated arguments to gain entry. “One person dressed up as a security guard and sold fake passes for ₹200 each,” informs Priyaranjan Dehury, a first-year student of Zoology (Hons), adding, “We had put up an Insta post saying no passes are being sold for the star performance, but I guess misinformation spreads faster than truth.”

There were so many students outside the gates that we had to allow a lot of them to enter just to manage the footfall and traffic outside. SHIV KUMAR SAHDEV, Principal, Shivaji College

The team from Sri Venkateswara College won the Western dance competition with their wow factor Somay Gupta, a second-year BCom (Hons) student of Shivaji College, sang and kept the crowd engaged before the star performance on Day 2

PHOTOS: RAAJESSH KASHYAP/HT The Niazi Brothers belted some soothing melodies on the first day ▲ The singer took to the stage wearing a mask in the theme of Ek Villain Returns (2022 film)

A crowd of over 4,000 showed up to attend Ankit Tiwari’s concert, and turned unruly. Some tried to break through the barricades to get entry inside the college

▲ MADARI The Band performed on day one, and even invited some of the college’s professors onstage to try thumkas, London style!

Singer Ankit Tiwari bewitched the audience with his voice and even asked the youngsters in the crowd to not climb up the scaffoldings

Jahanvi Bainsla, a student of BA (Prog) third year was the compere on Day 2, and kept the energy high

Shivaji College’s fashion soc made a statement, on day 1, with their super chic styling