The 44th Chess Olympiad is being held in India this year; Chennai hosted the inauguration ceremony of the Chess Olympiad on July 28th 2022. The city was buzzing with energy, and the atmosphere was joyful and celebratory. I have attended and seen a lot of events, but this one was unique in more ways than one.
The initial event’s atmosphere was more to the sea of emotions, modernism and history. The Occasion provided a chance for the state to highlight its academic and creative prowess while also serving as a gathering to celebrate an intellectual game. It was an extravaganza, a riot of colours, sound and an opportunity for the state to highlight its distinctiveness. The event manifested Tamil pride, proving that Tamil Nadu is its own “Nadu”. It met all the criteria for an event of the highest calibre, and this article is my respect to everyone who helped make this inaugural event iconic.
As a prelude to the main event, the kick start showcased India’s rich cultural diversity through its rich dance forms – Bharatnatyam, Manipuri dance, Kathak, Odissi Dance, Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Kuchipudi. This act was an appetiser, and one realised post this act that the rest of the cuisine would be relished by the audience.
A hundred-member chorus team singing of National Anthem and invocation of the Tamil mother was an excellent start to the Main event but what came next was blissful. The event flowed perfectly, and with each act performed, the crescendo and momentum increased. Even our Super Star Rajinikanth, who was watching from the Audience, must have wondered whether he could pull off such stunts in movies after witnessing Lydian Nadhaswaram’s performance, particularly the version where he performed the Mission Impossible theme song simultaneously with his left hand and the Harry Potter theme song with his right hand.
The dance act was choreographed to depict the three ancient Tamil Kingdoms, the trinity of the Tamils monarchy, whom Tamils cherish was a high point. From the discovery and smelting of iron to King Rajendra Chola’s naval prowess, the height of Sportsmanship in Silambam and Jallikattu (Not Man Vs Animal but Man and Animal in harmony), traditional dance forms like Bharatanatyam, folk arts, monuments built on a single stone and the rock temple built in Mamallapuram to the rich Sangam literature, there is no end to the achievements of this rich civilisation. The baritone voice in the background as a commentary by Padmashri Kamalhassan, a son of the soil, enhanced the Voyage of this great civilization, and he ended the act in his trade mark style; mass statement, “This is our World, and these are our people.”
The next musical and dance act, Enjoy Enjaami, singers Dhee and Kidakkuzhi Mariyammal (Cuckoo Cuckoo), a cult song, a tribute to Nature and Mother Earth living in harmony, culminated with artists coming together to form the flag of participating nations and Indian tricolour (projection was mapped on white umbrellas carried by performers and captured from a top angle camera), the view was breathtaking, the choreography, costumes and palette was a stellar job.
The best part of this event execution was about technology meeting creativity in the centre stage while artists performed, illuminated depictions with 3D mapping of various kingdom’s emblems, leaping tiger of Chola empire, twin fish of Pandian empire to the bow and Arrow of Cheras and quickly shifting gears to showcase industrial revolution, irrigation, farming, dams, literary work to Sports is a challenging creation. The 3D images on the scrim screen drop-down with images of Thiruvalluvar, Bharathiyar, Bharathidasan and the portraits of the various kings were mesmerizing. As the illustrations dropped, the look-alikes of those walking down the centre stage were magical.
The lighting and sound of the event were an immersive experience. It must have been a challenge to light up such a vast area. Graphics and lighting had to be married to be in sync with tracks. They also had to ensure that projection did not get diluted. Lighting had to change constantly depending on the theme and mood of the performance, and the lighting cues had to compliment the flow with various top-angle shots, head-on shots, and other shots based on the choreography. The performers were also performing to the PM and CM, and they would have had difficulty getting frontal images and close-ups because of various safety protocols, but it was handled well. The lighting for Jallikattu was the best; Tsunami and the earthquake devastating the state’s mood was a natural feel. The best live-action sequence was the rebellious entry and expression of the Tamil iconic character Kannagi.
The Online edit and reaction shots were Outstanding, with PMs hand tapping to Bharatanatyam steps, CMs foot tapping to Folk artist’s performance, International Dignitaries grooving, and our Superstar’s disbelief expressions for Lydians performance; it gave authenticity to the event, the camera team and the vision mixer were sharp enough to capture these expressions optimally.
The Event was a genuinely stunning visual feast combining digital technology and beautiful creative design. The viewer experience was dynamic, aesthetically pleasing and experiential. It was a magical display using cutting-edge technology. There will be winners and losers from this Chess Olympiad, but this Opening ceremony was a clear winner, and it has taken the Gold for innovation and execution.
Article is authored by Anup Chandrasekharan.
