Bombay in the Bay gets ready to put on its latest show

Since fall of last semester, Indian Cultural Awareness Club members have been in non-stop action as they prepare for their annual show, Bombay in the Bay, which will take place in the McAfee Center on Feb. 13 and 14.

Among the array of performances are grade-level dances; two Indian-style dances, including classical and bhangra; an all-girls senior dance; an all-boys senior dance; and a performance from the school’s competitive Indian fusion dance team, Toga Tamasha.  The all-boys and all-girls senior dances are comprised of a select group of students who have participated in Bombay in the Bay for all four years.

With all these these different pieces needing to be put together in weeks, club officers are focused on finalizing each performance.

“We have a lot of different moving parts right now,” said ICAC co-president senior Samir Ingle. “We have to make sure each grade gets their lighting requests, all their dances are on time and get costumes delivered before the show.

On top of this, officers must talk to parent volunteers and make sure that they have food for the performance days. Finally, they have to contact sponsors to ensure that the show can run within budget.

Every year, the proceeds from the show go to charities that benefit the Indian community. This year, the selected charity is Pratham, a foundation aimed to increase literacy for students in India.

In order to provide for a fuller education for children, Pratham recruits teachers to hold after-school tutoring programs.

“This charity has proven results that persuaded us to donate to it,” Ingle said. “For example, test scores have increased by almost 50 percent in a lot of standardized tests.”

Along with its support of causes in India, the show brings fun and entertainment to families and friends of the Saratoga community. This year’s show features a skit inspired by the Bollywood movie “Bunty aur Babli,” comprised of a senior-filled cast. To keep with tradition, each class will also perform.

The sophomore class is excited for its performance, having been able to recruit 18 boys and 17 girls this year despite facing difficulties with a small number of participants last year.

“By watching us having fun last year and the girls proving to others that we were still able to put on a great show without guys, sent a message that we actually did really well,” sophomore organizer Neythra Srinivasan said. “But with guys, I think we will do much better.”

Despite a tough academic load, the juniors have still managed to find time to arrange practices and finish much of their choreography.

“Even though it’s junior year and we have a lot of work, we’re putting in a lot of time and effort into our performance to make sure our show is memorable,” junior Samir Vaidya said.

The ICAC officers are promoting the show by creating an event on Facebook, having people selling tickets in the quad, broadcasting on SHS TV, showcasing it on the school announcement page and relying on the huge participation in the club to spread the news.

By February, the club hopes to have sold-out shows like last year and raise around $13,000 to $ 15,000 for Pratham.

“Bombay in the Bay is such a great community event because it really makes club members come together to work for a good cause,” ICAC co-president senior Simi Srivastava said. “I’m really excited to see it come together.”