On Saturday, Nov. 11, Villanova’s South Asian Multicultural Organized Student Association (SAMOSA) showcased its annual multicultural show in the Villanova Room. Each year, SAMOSA works hard to put on a wonderful performance that embodies and celebrates South Asian culture.
SAMOSA’s annual show is a philanthropic event, as each ticket’s proceeds go directly to charity. This year, the charity selected was The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. This organization works to bring humanitarian aid and medical relief to children in Palestine. Each student was directed to a website to make a donation to get a ticket.
Co-Presidents of SAMOSA, Anushka Ramgounda and Andrew Abraham, along with the rest of the executive board, have worked hard to make this performance a reality. Ramgounda discussed the initial planning phase for this event for the play chairs and outreach chairs.
“We started planning for this event at the beginning of the summer,” Ramgounda said. “Majo James and Diya Dudhia, our play chairs, wrote the script over the summer and our executive board met a few times to read through it and make edits. Outreach chairs were reaching out to dance teams in order to create the lineup for the show.”
Additionally, Ramgounda touched on the other organizational initiatives that had to be handled in order to put on a successful performance.
“There were many things that went into planning the show,” Ramgounda said. “We had to figure out which philanthropy to donate to and fundraising method, decide the show name, design a flyer, banner and pamphlets. We also had to meet with Connelly Center and OSI staff to determine the logistics of set-up and clean-up.”
The performance planned by SAMOSA was a wonderful celebration of South Asian culture. Kahani debuted a hilarious play that parodied a well-known film. Additionally, there were multiple different groups debuting dance acts. Some of the dance groups came from organizations at Villanova. However, there were also dance teams that traveled from out of state to be featured in this showcase. Ramgounda discussed in detail about what acts were featured in the show.
“This year, the play performed in the SAMOSA Show was Crazy Rich Indians, a spinoff of Crazy Rich Asians,” Ramgounda said. “In between each act, we had dance performances from Villanova teams and teams from nearby. Some of the teams that performed are Rutgers Jhoom, The Superlative and Nova Nassa.”
In addition to these acts, there was also a fashion show that featured traditional South Asian garments. During this segment of the show, members of SAMOSA walked the runway with these elegant outfits.
There is something for everyone in this performance to enjoy. Whether you liked the hilarious parody, the enchanting outfits or the vibrant fashion show, this performance had a variety of entertainment. Ramgounda discussed the act that excited her most.
“My favorite part of the show is always the dance performances,” Ramgounda said. “Every team is so talented and it is so fun to watch.”
After the show, SAMOSA provided dinner in Cafe Nova and the Dougherty East Lounge. Each audience member was provided with a green wristband that gave them a ticket to this dinner.
This year’s Kahani show was sold-out, indicative of the great quality and entertainment of this performance. SAMOSA once again debuted a wonderful celebration of culture for a great cause. To keep up with SAMOSA, follow @villanovasamosa on Instagram.
