Old-school is cool: Delhi University dramsocs go vintage with fest invites

Taking a leaf out of the old masters’ handbook, members of Delhi University (DU) colleges’ dramatics societies are going for personal touch over mainstream, run-of-the-mill social media invites for their fests. We’re talking customised, handwritten invites on yellowed parchment and scroll-style invitations with myriad creative touches.
“Humare street play wale circuit mein hum kehte hain ki ek apnapan rehta hai,” says Kartik Mittal, final-year student of BA (Prog) and coordinator of Maharaja Agrasen College’s dramsoc, Abhinay, adding, “For us, it’s like we’re calling other dramsocs to a ghar ka function. So, we want to add that puraane zamane ka touch, where you make the invite personal. This year, we prepared a basket that had an invitation printed on paper we purchased from Daryaganj with this old-school vibe and design. It had treats, a hand-painted kulhad, a postcard, letters for each of the societies we invited, about the theme and our friendship with them.”
Members of Memesis, Daulat Ram College’s theatre society, also went the vintage way. “We extended all the societies our signature special treatment by visiting their campuses and giving them an invitation that we handwrote on heavy, old paper with burnt-off corners. It looked like a scroll,” says PR head Priyadarshani Verma, second-year student of BA (Prog).
The trend is as much about moving away from the digital realm as it is about getting a dose of nostalgia. Chinmay Juyal, final-year student of BA (Hons) Philosophy and member of Hindu College’s dramsoc Ibtida, echoes this. “Fest season starts with a lot of passion, but ends on a rather sentimental note, especially for final-year students since they are the ones who are about to say goodbye to the stage and the society. These invites become a treasure trove of memories and a reminder of the three years we have spent in theatre, forging bonds, creating magic and having a team that will always have your back.”