Manjunath comes alive at Manfest

AS SOON as about ten youths took the stage to hum in chorus pyaar hamein kis mod pe le aayaa … everyone at the Samanjsya auditorium of IIM-Lucknow got up ‘respectfully’ late on Saturday night during IIM’s Manfest.

The audience too started clapping and humming the lyrics with the singers. Just after the song was over, the compere asked for their reaction. They responded in unison, Macha! “Yes” said the compere — that’s what Manju would have said too.

Manju and Macha sounded familiar. And then as one noticed  “Manjunath —  1978-2005 — Keeping his values alive, forever” written in the background, it all fell in place. Amidst the hectic Manfest activity, IIM community had managed to organise a very special show — a musical tribute for Manjunath Shanmugham, 2003 batch alumni, who was murdered for his honesty allegedly by a petrol pump owner in Lakhimpur Kheri a few months back.

And what a tribute it was. Manjunath was a key member of IIM-L’s 3.4 band during his stay on the campus. And since he always had a “song on his lips” the students — both present and former — decided to pay their homage to Manjunath in a markedly different way. All those who had been with the 3.4 band got together for a performance that “Manju would have loved.” Manju used to “round off” each of his performance as member of the 3.4 band with Pyaar Hamein …  and this had gone on to become the “unofficial anthem” of the institute. That explained the “standing ovation” when the song was being sung.  

It was indeed a poignant moment when Akhil, working in Holland with SAP, took the stage and started humming aur is dil mein kya rakha hai … tera hi naam chupa rakha hai. Tears threatened to betray one and all when Garima, who was introduced to the 3.4 band by Manjunath, sang yaadein hain, naghme hain … kissey hain … baatein hain … yeh yaadein kisi dilo-janam ke chale jane ke baad aati hain.....

For Garima, it was a very emotional moment. “Manju had introduced me to the band despite the fact that I was not an IIM student but the wife of one. Still, he liked my song and made me join. That was Manju.” From chalte chalte to tadap tadap kar is dil se aah nikalti rahi … there were a range of emotions that Manju’s mates conveyed through their songs. Avishek and Arnab and many others too paid lyrical tributes. But when Pranshu sang the lines, pyar karte karte hum tum kahi kho jayenge … inhi baharon ke aanchal mein thak ke so jayenge … sapnon ko phir bhi tum yoon hi sajate rahna … tears rolled down everyone’s eyes, finally.