For the folks we meet there, the lessons and learnings from their college years are an essential part of their lives. Gandharva Diwan reminisces about the good old days while strolling down memory lane in the hallways of his alma mater, Kirori Mal College (KMC), University of Delhi. A 2011 English (Hons) graduate and actor, he was most recently spotted in the movie Gulmohar. Together with fellow actors Sharmila Tagore, Simran Bagga, and Manoj Bajpayee, the actor welcomed their lecturers, toured the auditorium, and sat on the renowned “Players’ Staircase” to enjoy a meal of dal makhani rice before returning to the day.Actor Gandharva Dewan can’t control his love for his #CampusCane
The Diwans enjoy a plate of dal makhani-chawal at the iconic ‘Khiladion Ki Seedhi’.
Best Theater Society in the Business
The 32-year-old actor has roles in movies like Shiddat (2021) and The Zoya Factor (2019) to his name, but he discovered his true calling in KMC. Diwan, who applied through the extracurricular activities (ECA) quota, recalls, “I received pretty terrible results.” “We are DU’s second best, according to the societies in the campus where I used to audition for theatre. I had a lot of curiosity about the greatest. And that was The Players,” he says, referring to the theater club at his college. “KMC may not be a fancy college, but the importance placed on cultural events is astounding. It’s where I go to worship,” he mutters.Big love for the English department.
48 hours and a ‘Junkyard’
When discussing his collegiate experience with theater, Dewan said that the theater was his “happy zone.” He remembers a day when he stayed inside for two days straight to produce three plays: “I remember being in the theatre for 48 hours. It’s weird, yet there is a kind of Junoon (passion) here. The auditorium was not appealing in former times. Yet there was also resolve. In his last year, the actor spoke about how his group staged the Kabadhakhana event to alert the authorities to the situation in the auditorium. “It had fallen into disrepair. In reality, I was a member of the final group to have the chance to use the stage and play in front of an audience.”The actor unleashes his goofy side outside the KMC science department.
A Bond for Life
Satish Kaushik, a 1974-batch graduate and filmmaker-actor, was remembered by Dewan, who visited the freshly constructed auditorium, as a “torch-bearer” who assisted in connecting with prominent figures in the film industry. He continues by saying that there is a lot of love for his university outside of the campus. “I recall meeting Divyendu (an actor and KMC alumnus) on a Mumbai shoot. He is well-known, but he treated me nicely because he is older. There is kinship. The orientation we received here also deserves a lot of the credit. This legacy is our riches. Also very close-knit is the alumni community. It’s uncommon,” he concludes.Back in class on a trip down memory lane.
