Cultural fest at VIT Chennai turns the clock back with tent kottai

A tent kottai, a makeshift tent usually equipped with a screen, a projector, and big speakers for cinema-viewing in a rural setting, made an appearance at VIT Chennai on Wednesday. It appeared as if someone had turned the clock back.

The audience hooted and whistled every time the hero appeared on screen. They threw their tickets in the air resembling confetti, with grainy visuals and loudspeakers forming the backdrop.

Those who paid for first-class sat on chairs, some others on benches, and the remaining on bare ground. The M.G. Ramachandran-Jayalalithaa-starrer Aayirathil Oruvan was screened. 

Students of VIT Chennai recreated the rural makeshift touring theatre, the tent kottai, as part of the institution’s four-day cultural fest, Vibrance 2026.

They enacted the whole journey before the show — they brought in the reels of the film on a horse-drawn carriage, which was welcomed into the makeshift theatre by women performing the traditional aarathi.

“Our past is a window to our culture,” said G.V. Selvam, Vice-President, VIT Chennai. “Most of our students have no idea of what we experienced in the past. This was an attempt to take them back,” he said.

What began as an idea thrown around during faculty interactions preceding the cultural fest took shape after students took up the responsibility of recreating the setting. Advancements in technology have disrupted several aspects of everyday life, but a longing for the past was still strong, he said.

The four-day fest, which began on Wednesday, has the participation of about 30,000 students from 20 States and Union Territories in India and from at least 10 other countries. It features around 200 events, including competitive technology challenges, literary battles, high-energy games, and vibrant cultural events.

Earlier in the day, about 1,500 students participated in a run promoting mental health awareness and the importance of physical wellness. Each day of the fest has a line-up of celebrity musicians and artistes performing in the evening.