Reeling in the likes, KMC principal, faculty become Insta hits
FThanks to the reel, we got to know how not much has changed about college life in all these years, Be it the sports ground, boys’ hostel or the blue gate.
DITI KAUSHIK, BA (Hons) English, Kirori Mal College
or students of Delhi University, the ’gram has often proved to be a handy tool for audition calls, fest announcements and other things. But in the freshest instance, 15 teachers of Kirori Mal College (KMC), including principal Dinesh Khattar, have featured in a reel announcing the college’s upcoming alumni meet.
The video begins with the principal holding a placard with the details of the event in English, followed by shots of the staff doing the same but in other Indian languages and at some of the iconic spots in the college campus, which is 70 years old. This was conceptualised by Abhishek Verma, convener of the Alumni Committee. “Originally, I had suggested having a few faculty members along with the students to add some gravitas to the fun, but then the student volunteers who were helping us suggested featuring only the faculty in this video. That’s how we became the stars of the show as the students helmed the direction, editing and reel creation. I got to learn so much about content creation,” says Verma, who is also an assistant professor in the Chemistry department.
One of the student volunteers, Avika Mishra, firstyear student of BA (Hons) Geography, shares how thrilled she was at the prospect of filming her teachers. “Initially, we thought our teachers might not agree to shooting with us. But they were so receptive to the idea! Principal sir even told us, ‘Jaise jaise placard unfurl hoga, meri smile badhti jayegi!’” she laughs.
Talking about the idea of info on placards written in different Indian languages, Diti Kaushik, a first-year student of BA (Hons) English, shares, “KMC has students who come from all parts of the country, so we wanted to ensure that our alumni felt special and represented. Some of our teachers are also alumni of this college, so they began suggesting spots to shoot, in order to evoke more nostalgia among viewers.”