VICulP

VICulP (VIT Cultural Production) is the official drama and theatre club of VIT, Pune. Known for its passion for the performing arts, VICulP actively participates in various prestigious intercollegiate theatre competitions throughout the academic year. The club serves as a creative platform for students to express themselves through acting, direction, music, and stagecraft.

One of the most prominent competitions VICulP takes part in is Firodia Karandak—a unique intercollegiate showcase that blends theatre with multiple art forms. It’s not just a stage play, it feels like a movie brought to life, with complex scenes executed live using acting, music, dance, painting, and more.

Each performance is original and creatively intense, making every college stand out. Being part of VICulP and performing in Firodia Karandak every year has been an incredible journey—one that has pushed my artistic limits.

Artist Section in VICulP

During my time in VICulP, I was primarily a part of the Artist Section, which plays a vital role in adding a powerful visual layer to our performances. As artists, we work live on stage, using mediums like painting, sculpture, and other creative expressions to bring out emotions that are often difficult to portray through acting alone.

For example, portraying something as delicate as nostalgia through acting can be challenging. But when visualized through art—like a symbolic painting or a powerful sculpture—it becomes more relatable and emotionally impactful for the audience. While it may appear effortless on stage, this kind of artistic storytelling demands intense practice, coordination, and creativity.

Now let me take you through my journey with VICulP, year by year—a reflection of the growth, experiences, and unforgettable moments that shaped my time in the club.

A.Y. 2022-23

I joined VIT, Pune in November 2022, and within the first week, club orientations were in full swing. One session that caught my eye was by VICulP—the official theatre club. Their presentation in the auditorium ended with a QR code to join, and without hesitation, I signed up under the Artist Domain, trusting my creative instincts.

A week later, I was interviewed and introduced to Firodia Karandak—a grand theatre competition where artists perform live painting on stage. I was thrilled by the idea, and after a successful interview, I got selected. Soon, we began regular sessions filled with theatre exercises, and despite being an artist, I was encouraged to explore acting improv too. This cross-domain exposure sparked a deeper appreciation for theatre.

In late December, we had artist auditions, and I experimented with acrylic paints for the first time (having previously worked with watercolors). Over a week, I explored multiple mediums and poured my ideas into visual concepts that matched the story.

Since our play primarily revolved around the mother-son relationship, I created several paintings that reflected this emotional theme. Here are a few of them:

One of the most impactful pieces I worked on depicted the mother in a rebellious light, challenging traditional roles and expectations. It was also the largest-scale painting I had created at that time.

Although I was shortlisted, due to internal competition among artists and stage limitations (only 35 allowed on stage), I was eventually dropped as a performer.

VICulP believes in fluidity across domains, so I shifted my energy to backstage and aesthetics. From props and costume preparation to helping fellow artists, I embraced every opportunity. I became a go-to team player, assisting wherever needed—because by then, VICulP felt like home.

In January 2023, the actual “Process” began—the intense yet beautiful phase of preparation that defines every production. Our night practices kicked off then—long, exhausting, yet unforgettable, filled with passion, laughter, and the quiet magic of creating something together under the stars.

To support the artists, I installed LED strips above the canvas so their artwork would remain visible even during stage blackouts.

I also contributed to the set aesthetics, shaping the visual mood of the play and ensuring every detail aligned with the story's emotion.

Here are a few glimpses from our set preparation process

On 14th February 2023, we brought our play "Payari" to life—a production crafted with love, late nights, and countless rehearsals by our entire team. The moment it all came together on stage was truly magical—an experience filled with emotion, pride, and unforgettable memories.

My first year with VICulP was more than an artistic journey—it was a personal transformation. Despite not being on stage, I experienced the full spectrum of theatre, from backstage to brainstorming. That year, I didn’t just learn theatre—I lived it.

A.Y. 2023-24

This year, I was determined not to miss the chance to perform on stage. I began intensive practice in mid-December, focusing mainly on improving speed and mastering the acrylic medium.

Alongside acrylics, I experimented with palette knife painting. While the textures were stunning, the medium consumed a lot of paint and dried too quickly for live performance.

Our story that year centered around a farmer’s life, and I felt a strong urge to connect with the theme in a deeper, more organic way. Having previously worked with soil, I decided to create soil painting to reflect the farmer’s emotions.

Below you could see each of painting iterations which conveyed a different emotional shade of the protagonist:

Bursts of Emotion –

the overwhelming frustration

Bursts of Emotion – the overwhelming frustration

City Pressure –

the external weight

City Pressure – the external weight

The Reality –
an honest portrayal

The Reality – an honest portrayal

Inner Conflict –

the silent battle within

Inner Conflict – the silent battle within

Crying for Water –

This was the final iteration I worked on. Although based on a reference image, it aligned perfectly with the story’s emotion and narrative.

Crying for Water –

This was the final iteration I worked on. Although based on a reference image, it aligned perfectly with the story’s emotion and narrative.

Performed live during the play in just 7 minutes, this piece captured the farmer’s breaking point and his suicidal thoughts.

Since it was selected for the final act, I practiced it rigorously—painting it more than 20 times to reduce the completion time to exactly 7 minutes. It became so ingrained in me that I felt I could paint it even if woken up from sleep.

Performed live during the play in just 7 minutes, this piece captured the farmer’s breaking point and his suicidal thoughts.

The scene depicted a heated argument between the protagonist and his father, who had brought money through unfair means to dig a well for their field. My painting was displayed during this moment, highlighting the emotional intensity of the conflict.

As I practiced acrylics, my fellow artist—who primarily worked with charcoal but was also skilled in acrylics—joined me in creating a powerful acrylic painting. Together, we performed it live on stage, blending our techniques for a visually impactful result.

The painting was created upside down, adding a unique and challenging twist to our live performance.

Normal –

It portrays the farmer’s pregnant wife, symbolizing new life and hope.

Normal – It portrays the farmer’s pregnant wife, symbolizing new life and hope.

Flipped –

It captures the deep dilemma in the farmer’s eyes

Flipped – It captures the deep dilemma in the farmer’s eyes

We had to paint this piece together, which required careful coordination. I had completed my soil painting earlier, while she was working on her charcoal piece.

We have finished making it in 10 minutes and decided to display it in parts, so firstly the upper part is displayed when the protagonist wife is shown discussing with her father-in-law about the concern over her husband.

Then in the end scene it was flipped upside down to show protagonist's concern.

My backstage skills also came into play. I worked extensively on set creation and metalwork, including:

This year also for all the artist setup, I mounted LED strips above the canvas to enhance visibility during blackouts.

Cutting and welding a metal structure reused from last year

This year, one of our fellow artists was performing a live sculpture on stage. To support this, a sturdy metal base was required, and I was entrusted with the task.

Made a rough sketch

Cut the required metal pieces

Welded the final structure

Final structure was ready for the performance

The sculpture depicted the protagonist’s struggle to sustain his home and was completed in just 40 minutes

I also contributed to set aesthetics, costume arrangements, and prop management out of passion—jumping in wherever help was needed to bring the play to life, all while having fun behind the scenes.

During this time, I also earned a fun nickname—A-Cash—given by my seniors. One day, they assigned us tasks and listed our names on a whiteboard. Next to my task, I saw "A$" written instead of my name. Curious, I asked them what it meant. They smiled and said, "A plus dollar sign—for Cash—A-Cash!" I still don’t know how they came up with it, but the name stuck. Soon, everyone started calling me A-Cash, and I even got it printed on my hoodie.

On 16th February 2024, we performed our play "Paulkhuna". After months of hard work and preparation, stepping onto the stage felt surreal. The performance was powerful, emotional, and truly unforgettable—a moment where all our efforts came to life.

My second year with VICulP was a phase of realization and growth. I began to truly recognize my potential—not just as an artist, but as a team member. With every challenge, I saw how much more confident and skilled I had become. Working closely with a diverse team also gave me deep insights into human behavior, collaboration, and emotional expression. It was a year of learning, evolving, and connecting on a whole new level.

A.Y. 2024-25

A.Y. 2024-25

This year started with a major concern, we don't have a final-year mentor to guide Artist section, I was entrusted with the role of Artist Head—a responsibility earned through my past efforts. Though I joined a bit late in the process, the weight of leadership was real. It was now my turn to guide, inspire, and create.

Last year, my soil painting didn’t receive much recognition, which left me with an intense urge to prove myself.
This year, our play was set in the World War II era, and after a week of absorbing the story, I conceptualized a painting showing Jewish children making a wish over the Hanukkah candle—a symbol of hope.

In the painting, the Jewish children's yearning for freedom was depicted through dove birds escaping a cage, lifted by the flame of the Hanukkah candle—a powerful metaphor of liberation.

In this scene, the children were listening to a story—until interrupted. Instead of following the usual convention of displaying the painting this at the bottom, I chose to present it at the top.

I also worked on an acrylic painting whose base has to cut into puzzle-style. The idea was that

In one arrangement: Two children sharing joyful moments.

In the second: It reveals an iron cross symbol—a historical symbol, tying their stories.

However, this piece was also got cancelled because I intended it to be quite big, and no other artist was available to collaborate with me on it—especially as I was managing other responsibilities simultaneously.

Also this year, I focused extensively on behind-the-scenes execution for the artist section.

We were having shortage of artist stands, I gave priority to juniors and created a new stand for myself using scrap material from the resource room.

You can see another painting beside which was a life-size caricature, whose stand was also being prepared by myself, that unfortunately had to be cancelled in the final week. Despite several iterations, I couldn’t compress the act into the required 1.5-minute time limit.

As a senior, I gave juniors full creative freedom—allowing them to choose their art forms and scenes while I supported them in understanding stage dynamics and execution. It was their debut performance, and guiding them from concept to stage-ready was both a challenge and a joy.

One of the junior then proposed a layered tape art, where intricate designs were carved into stacked layers of tape on an acrylic sheet using a precision cutter. To bring out the visual impact, it required strong backlighting. For this, we reached out to alumni from different batches who had performed similar art form during their time.

Following their suggestions, I constructed a custom old TV-like box to focus light effectively from behind, enhancing the final visual when viewed in the dark.

This frame was displayed right after the shadow play, which portrayed a Jewish child longing for his father's presence.

A pair of juniors approached me with the idea of a Reveal art—where the top painted layer would be burned to unveil another artwork underneath.

To ensure safety, I built a custom box from scratch that protected both the second layer and the stage from fire during the performance.

In this scene, the girl, a follower of Hitler, begins to question her beliefs. We had planned to burn the frame, but due last minute restriction from competition authorities, it was torn instead.

Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to work on a key prop—the Hanukkah candle. It was quite intricate to craft, so I used the jigsaw machine from our college workshop and shaped it from plywood.

On 14th February 2025, we performed our play "Teufel, Mein Freund – Devil, My Friend". Overcoming numerous challenges and creating something truly out of the box for a competition of this scale was an incredibly rewarding experience.

This year taught me a lot—both as a senior managing responsibilities and as a mentor guiding juniors with everything I’ve learned over the years. But more than that, I never let the title of “senior” create any distance. I became one of them—as a friend, a teammate. The entire experience felt like something on another level. And looking back, those countless late nights, the hard work, and the shared laughter—everything truly paid off.

VICulP has never just been a club to me—it's a family. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to meet incredible people and witness the power of human imagination. It taught me to look beyond the obvious. Whether I’m watching a play, reading a book, or seeing a movie, I now find myself searching for the deeper meaning—the message the writer or director truly wanted to convey. It’s something I never noticed before, and it has completely changed the way I experience art.

Here, I found the freedom to explore whatever I wanted. I used to paint or draw only what I liked, but Viculp showed me that art could carry a deeper message. This place gave me the confidence to paint on a large scale without hesitation—something I picked up from my seniors and passed on to my juniors.

Despite spending countless hours working on my art, I never received any awards or prizes for it. But that never stopped me. I focused on improving, learning from my mistakes, and taking pride in supporting my fellow artists. I’ve felt real joy seeing them win—

it was soft pastels and charcoal in my first year,

whether sculpture and charcoal in my second,

or tape art and reveal art in my third.

or tape art and reveal art in my third.

This journey would be incomplete without the constant support and guidance of two amazing seniors who supported me along the way.

Shrutika – She helped me in understand the stage dynamics and taught me the techniques behind speed painting. Her insights truly shaped my approach to live art.

Isha – She helped me build a strong artistic foundation and shown me how to see the deeper meaning in every piece. Her perspective transformed how I view visual storytelling.

I feel lucky to have learned from both of you—more than just skills, you passed on your passion.

Late-night brainstorming sessions, endless gossip, practicing together, ordering food—we lived it all. I truly lived my life to the fullest here, and I have no regrets.

Honestly, I could write a whole book about my journey here. These few words aren’t enough to capture everything I feel. But if there’s one thing I know for sure—it’s that I’ll always carry VICulP with me.

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