Bollywood Bang set to return to Vernon

Apr 20, 2023 | 11:10 AM

The brother of a former Vernon city councillor and community leader is picking up the mantle and bringing back an annual tradition.

Ranvir Nahal, Dalvir Nahal’s brother, is planning a return of the Bollywood Bang event.

“We’re bringing an event that started back in 2013 in Vernon, and ran all the way up to about 2019, back,” Nahal told Vernon Matters.

The event hasn’t run since then due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their father passing, then Dalvir passing away as well. Dalvir was a city councillor from 2014 until her death at age 45 in September 2021 after a battle with cancer.

Ranvir Nahal said there is an “overwhelming desire” for organizers to bring the event back.

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“Some of the main reasons being is it’s in honour Dalvir and the momentum that she gave the event. This is such a unique opportunity to take it and build on it and really create a legacy which she ultimately started and take that torch and go on,” Nahal explained.

The event will also aim to honour Dalvir and the role she played in the community.

“I think it’s going to be one of those things where I think it’s going to hopefully bring a little bit of closure to the community. For somebody who was a high profile person in a relatively small town, there would have still been big outpour of people that would have attended the funeral but of course this was during COVID times so there was restrictions,” Nahal told Vernon Matters.

“I think part of us just kind of want to allow an opportunity for everybody to get some closure, pay their respects, but ultimately celebrate their legacy and who they were. Dalvir definitely is the inspiration for the group that’s gotten together to do this event again, so really kind of end it with a celebration of what this is for the community. So I guess it’s fair to say it’s going to be an emotional night. It will probably encompass everything a night like this would but also given its history, there will be some more to it for sure.”

Late councillor, community leader and founder of Bollywood Bang, Dalvir Nahal (submitted photo)

In terms of the event itself, Bollywood Bang will be a return to the original concept of a dance party to share the Indian culture and customs while also supporting a good cause.

“[Dalvir] really wanted an opportunity for people of multiple backgrounds to come experience her culture, so what that meant was, as kids, we would go to big elaborate weddings all the time and a lot of people would not have that same opportunity, so she thought ‘wouldn’t it be cool to give people that opportunity but make it for a charity, make it a fundraiser so that the money goes towards the community?'” Nahal explained.

“That was where the concept was from, that kind of east meets west Bollywood dance party, so I would expect people to wear bright colours, great music, authentic Indian food. There’s lots of artists that come, there are live artists and live paintings. There’s going to be a live auction, there’s going to be 50/50, and then lots of dancing and a professional DJ. It’s a really lively, have fun and enjoy the night and raise money for a good cause event.”

Bollywood Bang 2019 (photo courtesy of Amandeep Hundle)

The Bollywood Bang will be held at the Vernon Curling Club June 10 and will be used as a fundraiser for Vernon Jubilee Hospital, which Nahal said was part of Dalvir’s “final instructions” for bringing the event back in support of a charity.

The event will be able to accommodate 800 people, and tickets are being sold for $200 each. Nahal noted they have already launched a pre-registration site and, as of time of publication, approximately 60 per cent of the tickets had been reserved. People can pre-register for the event here.

Nahal said he hopes to have a full website operational in the coming days, a link to the site will be added to this story it’s once up and running

The organizers are also looking for sponsors and will be accepting donations from groups and individuals, with the money they raise through those streams also going to the hospital.

Additionally, Nahal hopes to bring the Bollywood Bang back not just this year, but in the future as well.

“Absolutely it would be an annual event moving forward. We’re not sure on the dates. This year it was just something that we started planning for maybe less than two months ago so we’re putting it together fairly quickly, but going forward we might commit to the same weekend and let everyone know and make plans for the following years,” Nahal stated.

by Liam Verster

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