When do we Rendezvous in Delhi?

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Trust the IITians to go all out, no matter what they do. Rendezvous, IIT Delhi’s cultural fest, is a national phenomenon in its own right and attracts over 50,000 students every year from across the country.

Participation is strongest from colleges in Delhi, nearby states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan with a sizeable contingent from the southern states also in the fray. Anushruti Keshav from Bengaluru is hoping her college would send a team to Delhi next month just like they did last year. “A win at Rendezvous is a prestigious affair. And everyone wants to be in on it.”
IITD’s Board for Recreational & Cultural Activities (BRCA), which puts together this extravagant event each year, is understandably tight-lipped about the budget, which has been known to touch `70 lakh. “We are focusing on increasing participation in the competitive events of various cultural clubs like debating, fine arts, dance, dramatics. We want to make Rendezvous equally a platform for students to showcase and develop their talent,” said the Saurabh Gupta, general secretary of the BRCA and chemical engineering student.
However, the big crowd puller would remain the Pro-Shows —Dhoom, Blitzkrieg, Spectrum, Kaleidoscope, etc. — held every night at the OAT which can house over 6,000 people. Although this year’s line-up hasn’t been revealed yet, the committee is rumoured to be in talks with VH1 which hints at some illustrious stage performances in store for this year. Ankit Kapoor from Mumbai’s MIIM is looking forward to being in Delhi between October 19-22. “Our rock band is especially excited about performing in Blitzkrieg.” The rock show usually holds prelims in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata but that has been dispensed with this year.
Rendezvous has in the past played host some big names in the music and entertainment scene like Javed Ali, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Imran Khan, Kailash Kher, Shubha Mudgal and bands like Mindsnare, Rockfour, Prestorika and Indian Ocean. Samrat Bose from Delhi, who had been part of the festivities for the past two years, has fond memories of Parikrama, the RedBull racing can competition, the fashion and choreography show among others. “It’s a great platform to meet and compete with your peers from all over the country. Winning is secondary. Everyone is really there for the challenge and, you can’t deny it, the fun.”