Around 40,000 students expected to attend; organisers aim to overtake Malhar.
With a budget of Rs2 crore, it’s being said that Alegria — the annual inter-college fest of Pillai group of institutions — is going to transform the way colleges celebrate fests in the metropolis.
The second season of Alegria, between January 28 and February 1 at Dr KM Vasudevan Pillai’s Campus, New Panvel, is expected to be attended by around 40,000 students from across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Franav Pillai, deputy CEO of Mahatma Education Society, said they want to change people’s perception that Navi Mumbai isn’t a happening place. “With this fest, people in Mumbai will surely see it as one of the most sought-after places,” said Pillai, who is the brainchild of the mega fest.
So far, with only Mumbai being the centre of all big college fests, Alegria can now be another destination for students to showcase their talents. “Mumbai has all the big fests — Malhar, Umang, Mood Indigo and Mumbai university’s fest; students hardly see towards Navi Mumbai and Panvel is far for them,” said Pillai.
However, he’s now optimistic and sees Alegria becoming bigger than Malhar over time. “In the next couple of years, Alegria will be ahead of Malhar in terms of number of students and celebrities visiting the campus,” he added.
Around 5,000 students of Pillai group of institutions on Tuesday joined in the banner-unveiling ceremony for Alegria 2014. The ceremony witnessed a big procession of students, dancing and rejoicing the commencement of the fest, which was followed by a flash mob.
“Alegria, which gets its name from the Spanish word for joy, is a fun-filled inter-collegiate festival that provides a diverse platform for students to showcase their talents in various fields,” said Nivedita Shreyans, chief PRO of Pillai group.
Alegria is already the biggest inter-college fest in satellite city and, this year, with the number of celebrities expected to attend, it will a set a higher benchmark. The event will begin with Farhan Akhtar Live. “Bollywood celebrity and youth icon of India Farhan Akthar will be starring in the Rock Night at Alegria with his band Farhan Akthar Live,” said Pillai.
Another celebrity at the fest will be Elli Avram of Bigg Boss fame, along with Ashwini Ponnappa, Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist.
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