Delhi University’s Sri Venkateswara College hosted its much-awaited fest, Nexus ’24, with Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan headlining the event. The evening was filled with excitement as Chauhan took the stage to entertain the crowd with his chartbuster melodies. However, the fest also faced challenges due to the overwhelming turnout of enthusiastic attendees after a hiatus of four years.
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Chauhan’s Musical Marvels
Mohit Chauhan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular as he serenaded the audience with hits like “Jo Bhi Main” from “Rockstar,” “Yeh Dooriyan” from “Love Aaj Kal,” “Abhi Kuch Dino Se” from “Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji,” “Masakali” from “Delhi-6,” “Tum Se Hi” from “Jab We Met,” and “Tujhe Bhula Diya” from “Anjaana Anjaani.” His captivating melodies had the crowd mesmerized, with many singing along to his popular tunes.
Speaking about his experience performing for the lively and vibrant crowd, Chauhan expressed his joy, saying, “It’s always amazing to perform for students and young people because they have an amazing energy, which is completely infectious! Delhi is very special to me… The last time I performed at a DU college was back in 2015, and sometimes things don’t work out — you may have commitments, prior work, et cetera. But I was really happy to be here and I look forward to performing at DU more often now!”
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Crowd Control Challenges
Despite the electrifying atmosphere, the fest encountered challenges with managing the massive influx of attendees. Delhi Police and CRPF personnel were stationed at the gates and inside the college premises throughout the fest. However, on the final day, chaos ensued as gates were closed early, allowing only Sri Venkateswara College students with valid IDs to enter.
According to Akash Maurya, a second-year student and member of the fest’s organizing committee, the closure of gates led to disappointment for many students, including those from other colleges who allegedly tried to gain entry with forged Venky ID cards. “Several of my juniors were stranded outside and couldn’t enjoy the fest,” Maurya shared.
Principal Vajala Ravi emphasized the necessity of strict measures, stating, “We have incurred losses in terms of the gates being manhandled and several benches were used to barricade the entrances. But, none of these reasons could move us. We already had a crowd of over 10,000 inside the campus. How could we have allowed anyone else to enter the premises? It was due to our strict measures that Nexus, which happened after so many years, was a glittering success.”
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Mixed Reactions
While Nexus ’24 was hailed as a success by the college administration, some students expressed disappointment over the restricted entry on the final day. Aditya Ghosh, a first-year student, shared his disappointment, saying, “I was among the students left outside when the gates closed early on the final day. It’s sad that I was unable to get entry at my own college fest, and this is when I even volunteered as part of the team on day 1 and 2.”
Despite the challenges faced, Nexus ’24 managed to captivate the audience with Mohit Chauhan’s stellar performance, showcasing the spirit of celebration and unity among the students of Sri Venkateswara College.
