R.D. & S.H. National College, Bandra hosts one of the oldest, most authentic and unarguably the biggest Media festival for many colleges to participate in. Students from all the three active batches participate enthusiastically, with their beloved seniors on the lead, under their co-ordinator Dr. Meghna Kothari, to brew the perfect tea with their months’ of hard work and exponential learning throughout the making of Cutting Chai, every year to put up ‘The Best Show’. The Three Day Festival will soon be celebrating 12 years of success, starting 1st of February, 2019.
The Festival is ‘Core to its Content’ as it has manifested bizarrely grand and trend-setting themes over the past 12 years. The Olympian Gods, The Bureau of Sorcery and the Tale of Once upon a Chai precede the current theme with this year’s theme of Purgatory which is loosely derived from the poem describing ‘Dante’s Inferno’. The unique annual themes follow a storyline where the theme is either independent or in continuation with the previous themes; the story helps bring the different contingents represented by participants together to compete for the ‘Chai’. The festival is known for its huge footfall every year and if you pass by Linking Road when the festival is running, one just cannot ignore that enthralling vibe that it exudes.
Cutting chai recognizes its responsibility towards society and takes significant steps in order to fulfil it. On January 26th, 2019, the students of R.D. National College, Bandra specifically the committee members of Cutting Chai were all at Shivaji Park to organize a CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) activity. The students of BMM gathered at Shivaji Park with signs appealing on the importance of voting. The students witnessed the famous parade which had all the forces that keep India safe, the Air force, the Navy and the BSF. Along with them, some nearby schools also joined the parade with their bands. Also, some common issues that the common people face, had their spot in some of the parade caravans. The parade was overall an amazing experience.
The festival even has its own set of social media accounts handled by the students organising the festival. It also promotes how unity is the biggest strength of media as all the media students flowing in from all over Mumbai are exposed to each other, familiarised and cross-platform talent recognition for self-evaluation is made possible, as the events have strict, transparent and fair eliminations with top judges from the industry, so that the ‘creaminess of the chai’ is balanced. The Festival is a must to go for every Mass Media student as it will only take you closer to the spirit of media and the media community.
