Youth Incorporated Magazine

The 57th Edition of IIT Kanpur’s annual cultural festival, “Antaragni” soared to new heights of excellence and euphoria with some dynamic back-to-back competitions and jaw-dropping performances that went on till the wee hours. The vibrant festival experienced a footfall of over 30K, along with 15M+ eyeballs tuning in to feel the charisma. Antaragbi was completely offline this time after 3 years and every participant was captivated by the euphoric experience. 

A plethora of events was organized to keep the audience intrigued and enthralled. The International Carnival featured many refreshing talents from all over the globe. Matt Bacon charmed one and all with his music; and was followed by the exceptional beat-boxer Black Rhythm, who had us sway and groove at his beats and rhythm. To keep the musical vibe alive we had next in line amazing classical opera singer Alexa Burnston whose awe-inspiring performance left us wanting for more. As a part of the Alum Inspired event, the festival was graced with the presence of distinguished alumni- Mr Udai P.Singh (Vice-President of CH2M Hill, Florida) and Mr Ranjan Singh (CEO Habitstrong, Ex-IPS). Their inspiring words made a lasting impression on the 30K-strong gathering. 

The carnival turned magical with some harmonious ragas during Classical Eve. The captivating melody of electrifying Flute player S. Akash, Tabla virtuoso Shubh Maharaj, Classical Vocalist Nirali Kartik, Tabla virtuoso Unmesh Banerjee and Illustrious Harmonium maestro Lalit Sisodia left the audience in awe. Synchronicity — the competition to celebrate the beauty of rock music culminating in a grand finale was headlined and judged by the proficient rock band GUTSLIT. The captivation was accentuated with Kavi-Sammelan which included performances of renowned names like Fehmi Badayuni, Charagh Sharma, Manika Dubey, Amit Sharma, Ekagra Sharma, Priyanshu Vatsalya and Swayam Srivastava. The Mehfil event witnessed several talents like Swastika Rajput, Ishika Chandelia, Mirza Suleman, Chetna Balhara, Sangita Yaduvansi and Muskan Saxena pouring their hearts out through literature as they pervaded the air with jolts of longing, nostalgia, and comradeship. 

“The Color Run”, a fun-filled run where the crowd celebrated amidst a burst of beautiful colours, ended with a power-packed performance with the finalists of DJ War. The fest stage was also taken over by India’s largest Fusion and Eastern Rock Competition — Junoon. The audience was awestruck by the combination of rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, timbre, texture, and form displayed by the prelims qualifiers in their final set of performances. In the finale of Antaragni Idol, the solo singing competition, a sequence of brilliant performances showcased the vocal talent of the country. Antaragni’s umbrella included Dance Battle and Estampie — a solo dance tussle; Nrityangana and Jitterbug, the classical and western group dance competitions that witnessed overwhelming participation from across India with each one putting their best foot forward.

At the Mr and Ms Antaragni event, the crowd encountered the heat of competition as passionate participants competed for a chance to wear the coveted titles. Nukkad Natak and Radio Play finals also lived up to the hype with a plethora of stirring performances. Further in our series of line-ups, we had “Monologue”, in which the audience got a chance to set the stage ablaze with their heart-warming acting. Ritambhara, the biggest inter-college fashion competition got to witness some innovative and supremely chic designs by enthusiastic competitors. 

The rock-nite of the festival featured the brightest emerging luminary in the Indian music scene Kasyap, who had the crowd in frenzy with his captivating riffs, following him we had the pumping performance featuring sensational rock band, Antariksh. Their power-packed performance swept the crowd off its feet, with the Auditorium dancing in tune at full capacity. The EDM night infused our bodies with feelings of elation as Pina Colada Blues performed the opening act and was followed by 39KINGDOM who presented their unique fusion of cutting-edge electronic music and soulful melodies. The atmosphere, the smell of thrill and exhilaration coupled with the euphoric music made every second feel like an hour and the entire show, was gone in a minute. On the Fusion nite, we had magical music experienced as Mohammed Irfan left us in a state of eternal bliss with his soulful voice and electrifying performance. 

The whole carnival came to an enclosure with the extremely versatile and sensational superstars Salim and Sulaiman rocking the stage and giving the audience an experience of a lifetime. They infused the air with their luminous aura and ignited the night with their electrifying energy and melodies leaving everyone quivering and wanting the gig to never end. 

As “all good things must come to an end”, Antaragni 2022 bid us a fond valediction, with a promise to come back with an even greater festival next year. This year, Antaragni was presented by Hero Xtreme160R, co-presented to you by PERF, powered by Lohia Corp, co-powered by RIMJHIM ISPAT, driven by UPEIDA, in association with Dainik Jagran and co-sponsored by Yono SBI.