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Bollywood night brings together community with culture, performances

Byline photo of Tiffany Zhu
by Tiffany Zhu, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief
February 27, 2026
Senior Angelina Antony poses with her parents. Many attendees donned traditional Indian wear like kurtas.
Senior Angelina Antony poses with her parents. Many attendees donned traditional Indian wear like kurtas.
Tiffany Zhu

Students, faculty and parents gathered for South Asian Student Association’s Bollywood night on Saturday in the Auxiliary Gym. Attendees celebrated South Asian culture through food, live performances and dance. 

(by Tiffany Zhu)

SASA adviser and mathematics teacher Anu Aiyer set the tone for the performances by singing a traditional Hindi tune, followed by Savitha Satish (12) performing a rendition of “Vara Veena” with her mother and sister. 

“Every year when we do this, we are just so incredibly thankful and grateful for everybody who shows up and pitches in for the food and everything,” Aiyer said. “By the time the students are in high school, it’s a great way for the parents to participate because we don’t get to do that as much as we did in Lower School. It’s a way for them to be in this part of the kids’ lives.”

Senior Savitha Satish dances during her performance to “Balam Pichkari” from the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” Savitha also sang a rendition of “Vara Veena” by Geetham with her mother and sister.

Savitha, Shreya Vemulapalli (12), Amishi Gupta (12) and Siri Gudladona (9) then danced to “Balam Pichkari” from the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” Mothers of students and alumni took the stage for a group dance to various Bollywood songs, followed by Siri singing a solo vocal piece. 

“As I was singing, I felt really absorbed in the music,” Siri said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been really in touch with my culture — I talk to my grandparents a lot, I go to India often, and I read a lot about Indian mythology. Through my performances and attending Bollywood night, I was really hoping to share what’s so amazing about Indian culture with everyone else and connect with other people who felt the same.”

SASA officers invited all the attendees to dance to classic Bollywood songs, including “Desi Girl” from “Dostana.”

(by Tiffany Zhu)
Senior Savitha Satish dances during her performance to “Balam Pichkari” from the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” Savitha also sang a rendition of “Vara Veena” by Geetham with her mother and sister. (Tiffany Zhu)
Bollywood night guests engage with the trivia game in the Auxiliary Gym. Competitors answered questions like Bollywood movie titles and song tunes.

SASA Presidents Tanvi Sivakumar (12), Ruhi Banerjee (12) and Aarit Gupta (12) emceed the event, opening with a Bollywood trivia game that challenged guests on topics like actor names and movie scripts. 

Throughout the evening, guests shared dishes they brought like butter chicken, samosas and mango lassi. Attendees also decorated diyas, small clay lamps, that were displayed around the gym.

The officers began prepping for the event a few months ago, from organizing performances to publicizing the night with flyers and announcements. 

“It was really nice seeing everything come together tonight,” Ruhi said. “Even the diyas we made in previous meetings were displayed tonight, and it was exciting getting to interact with underclassmen and parents and celebrate our culture together.”

Bollywood night guests engage with the trivia game in the Auxiliary Gym. Competitors answered questions like Bollywood movie titles and song tunes. (Tiffany Zhu)
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