SRM Milan

MILAN is a spectacular National level cultural competition where best talents from colleges across India converge and compete. Started in year 2008, Milan has graduated to its 4^th edition with ebullient, innovative and creative events. About 10,000 college students from all over India are expected to turn up for the events. Milan has 45 exciting events and a professional show. This four-day cultural fest is an opportunity for young college students to socialize and also showcase their hidden talents.

'Celebrating life' is the theme of Milan. SRM shares this joy with less privileged children in a program named 'BUTTERFLIES'. As a prelude to Milan, every year SRM University organizes this annual event where the government school teachers & students look forward to this event enthusiastically. About 500 students from around 25 schools from Chengelpet & Kancheepuram participated this year. A host of events - sports, literary & cultural events were conducted. A special Eye camp was organized for the school children. They received gifts, winners their medals & certificates from the victory stand, which was a heartening & joyful experience. Film celebrities were invited to give away the awards for this event.

The curtains to Milan'11 opened on the 9th of March with the presence of a well-known Indian actor 'Chiyaan' Vikram & popular legendary singer Dr Balamurali Krishna. 'Chiyaan Vikram', the Chief Guest for the Inaugural ceremony emphasized the importance of national integration and adapting to cultural differences. Recognising the need for a Department of Music in the University, the living legend of Carnatic Music and Guest of Honour Dr. Balamurali Krishna stated his willingness to be a part of the venture. An interactive session with Actor Vikram was followed up by Bharatnatayam and Bengali dance performances.

Panorama, Rang Manch and Viz Art, Jhankar, Literati, Step Up, X Factor, Glamourazzi, the seven main domains along with the online events were the attractions in Milan 11. Since inception, Milan has grown from 25 events in 2008 to 45 in 2011. Events spanned from Sand Sculpting and Origami in 'Canvas' of the 'Panaroma' domain to intensive group discussions and debating in 'Talkathon' of the Literati domain. Some of the other celebrities who graced Milan' 11 were Dr Manibharathi, Gandhi Kannadasan, Shwetha Mohan, Dr Radha Bhaskar, Oviya, Andrea, Purna, Shreya Saran, Tapsee and Mr. Harihar Das.

Introduced for the first time in Milan, workshops attracted students in large numbers. The Chennai Photography Club's Photography workshop and Pixellete's 'VFX Graphic Motion' workshop received a huge response from enthusiasts. Some of the other workshops in Milan included Gurukulam's 'Self Defence' workshop, 'Magica'- the magic workshop, and 'I Chef', organised by the Department of Hotel Management.

'Choreonite' saw Loyola College walk away with the title of the 'Best Dancing Team' along with a cash prize of Rs 30000. 'Thirak' had some of the finest dancers in the classical genre while 'King of the Ring', a new entrant to the Step Up domain, had individuals facing off in a battle of impromptu dance moves. 'Doubles' featured participants waltzing in pairs with props.

X-factor encompassed events testing the participants' lying ability in 'Bluffmaster' to quizzing in the Milan Main Quiz. Some of the other events in this domain were Shipwreck, Final Countdown, I Survivor, Spent Quiz, Friends forever and the Variety Show. The 'Fashion Show'- a highlight of the Glamourazzi domain- had the theme 'Night at the Oscars' and showcased teams strutting in gowns and tuxedos. The musical domain, 'Jhankar', was witness to a debate on "The use of Instruments as a means of Communication". From bands battling it out onstage in 'Rock Bhoomi' to singing of western, classical and eastern songs in 'Vocals', the various events were an auditory treat .

'Pen It', an on the spot essay and poetry writing, was one of the initial events to occur. The participants had to write on topics varying from 'No one like me' to 'Does Social Networking enhance or serve as a substitute for real social life'. Several other events seen in the literary domain, Literati, included 'Enigma'-a puzzle based event, 'Talkathon' for the debaters and 'What's the Good Word' for the erudite.

The screening of short films on a plethora of topics from drug abuse to slapstick comedy in 'Microchalachitra', an event in the Rang Manch & Viz Art domain turned out to be a visual treat. With the acting capabilities being tested in 'Nano Nautanki' and 'Tera hi Jalwa' and the composition of music videos in 'vMuze', the presence of enthusiasts at the venues, was observed. The highlight of March 11^thwas Shreya Ghoshal's open air concert in the evening, where she mesmerised the crowd with a stunning performance.

Milan'11 concluded with Mrs Vani Jairam, the legendary playback singer and musician, gracing the valedictory ceremony as Chief Guest. Addressing the students, she said, "God gives us nuts; you have to crack them at the right time. If you don't, then you yourself are a nut." Stressing on the importance of discipline and focus, she advised the students to adopt the Gita's message, "It's very simple to be difficult, but very difficult to be simple". The Sivaji Ganesan award for the maximum number of participations was presented to Lavanaya Iyer, a 2^nd year student of SRM University. The Best college award went to 'Thanthai College of Engineering, Perambur'.

http://www.srm-milan.com/