Have you got your ticket for Diwali this weekend? Well if you’re one of the few who hasn’t, this week’s Campus Cutie will convince you it’s a show not to be missed! Not to be overlooked Arjun Bahl ’12 is a sweetheart with a deep love for his Ashoka family and Indian culture. Ladies take note: not only is he tall, dark, handsome and sweet, but he can dance! Read below and make sure you check out his moves this weekend and find out what makes Jatt so “Notorious.”
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Siblings: Younger sister
Major: Bio-Medical Engineer
What’s your Senior Design? I’m working with Ben Jiang and Cameron Hinkle; we’re trying to create one percent of an artificial liver.
Hobbies/interests: I’m really into Basketball. I usually play the point guard. Hmm, let’s see… well, I kind of lost all my hobbies during the semester (laughs). I’ve done a lot more cooking since I’m off campus so that’s been fun. I cook a lot of Indian food. Stuff like Rajma and Chole- you won’t find any of it in the restaurants around here. They’re my parents’ recipes.
Single? Yes
How’d you get involved in Diwali?
I got involved my freshman year. I knew about the dance because that’s where my family is from so I knew I wanted to try out. By the time I finished trying out for the Bhangra dance, I was too tired to try out for the others and I just hoped for the best. The juniors and seniors that were in charge my freshman year were such an inspiration. That’s what its all about, right? Think about your classes; they’re only as good [because of] your teachers.
Talk to me about your involvement with Diwali this year. I’m choreographing the Bhangra dance this year with Sumi Garg and Rahul Goel, I’m in the senior dance and then this fusion ABCD dance.
Hmm… Fusion dance-is that new? Yep, it’s the first time were doing it! It’s a four minute dance, each minute we do something new. So it’s like a minute of dub-step, a minute of hip-hop, a minute of Bhangra and then some girls come in and do a minute of classic.
Dub step?!? (laughs) Yeah, I’m kind of worried about that one…
How would you explain Diwali to a new student? It’s really exciting! Most of the dances come from one region of the world. You would think since they’re traditional dances it would be slow and boring, but its mad exciting! We’re doing a lot of good things this year especially the skit; I hear it’s really funny.
What’s the background story of Diwali?
It started before India and Pakistan split in 1947. Before the split there were villages all over the place and a lot of farming. During monsoon season when all the crops grow, the villages would celebrate knowing they would be well fed for the next months. Each village had their own dance. After the countries partitioned, people were forced to evacuate their villages: if you were Muslim you went to Pakistan, and if you were Hindu you went to India. Those that were sent to refugee camps taught the dances of their village to one another and soon new dances were created. These dances were performed in India, moved to the UK and now are performed all over North America.
What’s your favorite dance move that you’ve learned? Well… I’m way partial to Bhangra because the dance originates from where my family is from. So I’d have to say the “thigh slap,” it looks cool! (laughs) It’s kind of like a sumo wrestling move. Every dance that we do has a meaning and the thigh slap signifies aggression.
You don’t seem like an overly aggressive person! That’s true, but everything changes when you’re on stage! (laughs)
Favorite memory from Diwali this year? The first minute of the Bhangra dance we use a saap, which is basically this big prop that looks like accordion, but it’s heavy and made of wood. It makes this crazy clack sound. Anyway, we have one of the hardest sub segments of all the college teams out there with the saap. And I remember the first day we brought out the saap all the new people were like “What the …?” Everyone was so scared! It was so funny- great memory!
Would you ever consider doing a Diwali dance as a Flash Mob in front of the DUC? [Ashoka has] been trying to do it. But we have 5-hour practices and with midterms and finals it’s really hard to get it together. We have been trying hard to get the word out there. I have to say our Co-Cultures are really good this year at publicizing the event.
What’s the song that you can’t get out of your head?
“Notorious Jatt.” I can’t say what we’re doing, but we have something planned for that song and it’s going to be great-make sure to check it out!
Those practices go pretty long! Have any tricks for keeping your energy up?
A lot of pep talks!
Are you giving them or getting them?
Both. Got to keep it positive around [the dancers] because whatever you’re feeling pops up on your face. And that’s what’s so cool about Bhangra. Everyone has their own passion, it might be piano or dancing or whatever – you don’t have to force yourself because the feelings are there. Like in hip- hop you’ve got to be all-serious, but with Bhangra it’s all about fun!
Diwali’s a pretty big time commitment, right? What do you plan on doing once it’s over to fill up your days? [Practice is] still going with competition. Goal this year is to make a competition, and I feel like if we don’t do that this year I won’t have closure. I don’t know… I’m going to have to find some group to enter the competition next year (laughs), but no-I don’t have to worry about it because it’s happening this year!
As a senior what’s your advice for the underclassmen about getting involved on campus?
Everyone should get involved! I’m never going to forget any of these peoples. When you’re working on something with a team it makes it more real. You’re never questioning what you’re doing because as a group you think of things and solve problems easier. You have more confidence when you’re doing something together. I love my team and for the ones that have been doing it with me for 4 years, I don’t think I could be closer with them. I’m so thankful for them all.