SCIA show spotlights South Asian voices


The Southern California Indo-Americans’ culture show Saturday night brought talented South Asian voices and artists triumphantly into the spotlight. (photo courtesy of  Sarvani Kolachana)

A gust of wind fans over a field dotted with green and yellow. A dapper brown man, dressed in all black and a chic fedora with a feather in its brim turns before smiling cheekily at the camera and opening his arms wide. Then, a girl — a beauty in a flowy white churidar — gazes back longingly before happily running into his open embrace. 

To any Desi, the soaring strums of guitar and swell of music that marks Simran (Kajol) and Raj’s (Shah Rukh Khan) loving reunion isn’t just familiar — it’s a mark of home. The now-legendary scene from “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” a classic 1995 Bollywood film, is one that captured the hearts, minds and imagination of USC’s South Asian community this past Saturday at the Southern California Indo-Americans culture show.  

The event, packed with a dazzling array of dances, skits and musical performances, brought out South Asian talent from all corners of the SC-Desi multiverse allowing Indian American voices and experiences to exist centerstage. With roughly 200 attendees, the show sought to celebrate the diversity of the region while considering the complexities of Indian Americanness as a dual identity — the primary goal of the show’s organizer’s, Riya Mehta and Anish Kelkar. 

Mehta, a senior majoring in law, history, and culture, said her own journey at USC drove her co-direction of the show.

“Coming to university is such a unique experience — not only are you learning how to live on your own, but you’re also responsible for finding your identity,” she said. “I wanted to showcase South Asian culture and provide a taste of home to those missing it.”  

The night opened with a monologue from Mehta and SCIA co-director Sanika Sahasrabudhe, whose ghagras glimmered as they bantered over whether Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan would make it to the show given his surprise appearance on campus a few days prior. Attested by numerous calls for performers and dancers on the official SCIA Instagram page, putting together the showcase was no easy feat. 

“[This event] really didn’t seem feasible as everyone on the board never got to experience it [a previous show] because of COVID,” said Sakshi Thakkar, SCIA’s co-director. 

This year’s production is the first since 2019’s culture show, which took place March 30, just weeks before campus was shut down because of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreaks. Given this, the theme of the 2019 showcase — “Hum Phir Milenge,” meaning “We will meet again” — managed to be both reassuring and prophetic.

The show kicked into gear with a charming vocals-and-guitar set by Siddanth Bajaj and Aditya Mathur. The night also saw a flurry of dances, from an energetic Bhangra performance set to the thrumming Punjabi beats to a Bollywood number that brought out classic hits such as “Kaala Chashma.”

One particularly memorable act was the kathak, a dance historically associated with storytelling and performance, choreographed by Poorvi Singh, a sophomore majoring in business administration.    

Initially shrouded in darkness, the five dancers from the new kathak club, USCAdaa, made up in traditional costume, held artificial flames in either hand. The performance’s overall impact was ethereal, with dozens of tiny fires glinting in the black. Then, as colorful lights flooded the stage and surrounding walls — effectively immersing the audience in the narrative — the dancers leapt out, skirts flaring in rings around their deft feet. The dance was set to the song “Mahabharat,” centered around the narrative of the classic Indian epic of the same name. Singh said the song appealed to her because it struck a balance between a Bollywood hit and a more classical melody while staying true to the narrative nature of Kathak. 

“A lot of the movements were symbolic or for storytelling purposes, which I think is unique to Kathak as a dance form,” Singh said. “[Kathak is] the amalgamation of different places in India and different religions as well, so it’s like an adapted dance form.”

She was also grateful for being given a platform to showcase a form she has grown up perfecting from when she picked it up at six years old to her Madhumita (debut performance) last year.

“For us to be able to have a platform was a really big deal. And because I guess, classical dance isn’t as represented in the community, it’s good to get the word out there,” Singh said.

The show culminated in a final performance — of the night and of the school year —  by Zeher, USC’s award-winning Bollywood Fusion dance team. The tightly choreographed number was replete with glitter and dance moves that married hip hop with Indian dance techniques. Sanjana Sambhwani, one of Zeher’s dancers, found the experience deeply meaningful.

“Zeher has had a pretty rocky season with a competition in Chicago and a canceled competition due to COVID, so being able to end our season with a performance for all of our friends was such an amazing opportunity,” said Sambhwani, a freshman majoring in cognitive science. “The music, crowd and delicious refreshments really made USC feel like home.” 

Mehta was especially touched after seeing the show come together and the teams hard work pay off. 

“Seeing everyone — from our dancers, choreographers, singers, actors and writers — come together to put on a fantastic show was truly heartwarming,” Mehta said. “To see the turnout in the audience was even better.”