Campus life, on record

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A student of electronics and communication engineering and someone proud of being an introvert, Shivani Suhag’s character has given her alter ego, Vidya Sharma a dash of boldness. In real life, she thanks the film, Meri College Life, for adding a different dimension to her curriculum vitae. “The role of Vidya shows how I discovered myself during my four years in college. Today, people know me as Vidya. Among the many accolades has been a call by Red Chillies Entertainment. Imagine, Shah-rukh Khan’s company! I never dreamt that would happen!” says the astonished lady.
Suhag and her three team members at Faridabad’s Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) feature in the film Meri College Life, available at www.mericollegelife.com [2]. An initiative of MRIU, the movie is a students’ venture — from script to role, actors to production, management to marketing — and is about the story of life on campus from the perspective of four students, Manav, Rachna, Vidya and Antariksha. Selected after rigourous auditions, Rohit Chaudhary, who plays Antar-iksha says, “Each character is a different personality and their college experiences are captured in their respective stories.”
“The videos not only capture one’s favourite campus haunts, but also see reflections of one’s favourite moments as a college goer. From the nervousness of the first day in college, to that first crush,” explains Nidhi Kukreja who acts as Rachna.
Shot during April-May this year, “The site also has a contest where visitors have the opportunity to share their most memorable college experiences,” says Rohit.
The film, which is run on LCDs at the university campus, talks about the various facilities available at the campus and how these help the student. Besides promotional leaflets and visiting cards, each character has a dedicated Facebook profile. “I am often asked for tips on how to survive the first day at college or other such issues. Most of them relate to my character,” says Vidya. Since the film’s other characters — the faculty and administration — have worked together with the students, there is also some ice breaking. “It was the first time when we saw our teachers being nervous,” recalls Nidhi.
The film has brought the young university many benefits — a better social connect among students, pride about the university and a dream to feature in one such film. “The investment for the entire project was just `16 to 20 lakh, but it has given an excellent return on investment,” says Prashant Bhalla, senior vice president, MRIU.
On the cards are several ideas that can be taken forward. “Social media, relationships, careers...there’s so much we can do today. We can capture our take on these issues and throw the arena open to other young minds,” adds Rohit.