The Students of the Indian Subcontinent will have traditional Indian cuisine, comedic skits, dancing performances and a fashion show Saturday night in the EMU.
The group’s annual celebration, Utsav, which means “celebration” in Hindi, will begin with a dinner and dessert in the EMU Skylight at 5:30 p.m.
The event will then move to the EMU Ballroom for the showcase of cultural entertainment of subcontinent nations.
The dinner will feature traditional dishes like Shahi Paneer, Daal Makhani and the popular dessert Gulab Jamun.
“A lot of people come for the food, of course, but in the past there have been people turned on to movies and other things of the culture,” SIS President Bhavaya Sachdeva said. “Some people that I talk to now even know most of the famous actors.”
The performances of Utsav will be heavily influenced by Bollywood, India’s popular film industry that creates more films per year than Hollywood. Sachdeva said Bollywood movies are based around song and dance – along the lines of a fairy tale classic.
“Some usually find it weird, but it appeals to a lot of people,” Sachdeva said. “I’ve talked to people who started watching Indian movies, and even where the style of clothes after going to Utsav – a lot even know most of the famous actors.”
The SIS has put on Utsav since the group was formed in 1999. The festival usually brings 500 to 600 people, Sachdeva said.
“It give us a chance every year to get the community together and get a taste of all aspects of our culture,” she said.
The comedy skit will portray the culture shock of a student adapting to life at the University after arriving from India. Dances will be performed by students and members of the Eugene community, including a group of children ages 6 to 10, as well as a performance by a group from Portland State University.
“The event does help give a sense of style for our culture,” former Student Senator Jessica Nair said. “Our clothing has many different styles that use a lot of bright colors, and the dancers, people will see, express the words that are being sung.”
There will also be booths set up with information about different aspects of India, Pakistan and the rest of the subcontinent.
Tickets for the event can be bought at the EMU ticket office. They are $5 for students and $7 for non-students.
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