Audacity, the annual cultural fest of Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur presented by State Bank of India, in association with Indian Oil Corporation, took off on the second day from exactly the same spot where it left at the end of the first – amidst the frenzy of hundreds of participants ready and raring to seize the moment. The excitement in the air was palpable as people formed long queues at the registration desks from early morning proving that the late night events of the previous day weren’t a deterrent to the crowd.

The first event on the day was ‘‘Demystify Udaipur”, a one-of-a-kind extravaganza modeled on the lines of “Amazing Race”. More than fifty teams participated in the event which is an ultimate test of various faculties of the participants – physical fitness, quick thinking and intelligence.

The first round was a treasure-hunt where the selected member of each team had to run through the length and breadth of the institute’s hostel looking for a clue that would ensure their qualification for the finals. Ten teams were shortlisted for the finals where they had to travel to some of the most popular tourist spots in Udaipur and perform tasks as instructed. The tasks ranged from hilarious ones such as having to dance to Gangnam Style in the middle of the Sukhadia Circle to ludicrous ones such as shouting “Kya Tumne Kisise Pyaar kiya hain” at the Amrai Ghat.

The solo dance event, “Sway” conducted in association with the dance club of the institute, was another audience favourite. The participants from colleges in and around Udaipur danced on various styles ranging from contemporary, locking and popping to traditional folk. Eight participants qualified for the final rounds which was conducted in the format of a ‘face-off’.

The dramatics society of IIM Udaipur organized the ‘Street Play’ competition as part of the fest. The teams enthralled the audience and judges alike with brilliant displays of acting prowess backed by power-packed scripts. Two of the performances stood out because of their bold themes which addressed pressing social issues like gender discrimination and crimes against women.

In alignment with the Institute’s mission of giving something back to the society, Audacity also acted as a platform for budding young minds to showcase themselves. Prayatna, the social welfare club in association with Silver-tongues, the public speaking club of the institute organized a bilingual debate for school students. Students from prominent schools across the city like Indo-American, St. Anthony’s, St. Pauls, St. Gregorios, Maharana Mewar, Delhi Public School, and Alok School participated in the event. The topic of the debate was ‘’India going cashless – A future reality or just a mirage’. While some of the participants were of the view that India has already evolved into a cashless and digitized society to a great extent, others countered that making such a huge population cashless is nothing but a far-fetched dream.

The day also witnessed several other fun events and games such as virtual gaming face-offs, rap-battles, bowling with a twist and a medley of challenges called “Dare to Compete” that was immensely popular among the crowd. The finalists of the solo and duet dance event turned the audience crazy with their mind-blowing performances, setting the stage on fire. The Antakshari event witnessed a huge turnout too, with both participants as well as spectators enjoying the popular chart-busters performed.

The final attraction of the fest was the performance of popular Bollywood singer, Shalmali Kholgade. Known for her super-hits like ‘Balaam Pichkaari’, ‘Shanivaar Raati’ and ‘Baby Ko Bass pasand hai’, Shalmali mesmerized the audience with a typically energetic performance. The long list of chart-busters ensured that not a single member of the crowd could help themselves from not shaking a leg.

Audacity 2017 was even bigger, better and more entertaining than its predecessor. The medley of events witnessed a gamut of emotions – the passion from the organizers, the determination of the participants, the desperation of the ones missing out narrowly and the jubilation of the winners. The two-day carnival came to an end on a magical note with the audacity of hope that the next year it will rise to even greater heights.