Aditya Roy Kapur, Janhvi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra And More Bring Bollywood Star Power To St Xavier's Malhar Conclave

St Xavier's College in Mumbai organised its most awaited annual fest Malhar on August 15 and 16 at their vibrant campus. As part of the event, conclave sessions were organised and featured leading voices from the arena of politics, cinema, sports, literature and law.

The Conclave on August 15, the 79th Independence Day of India, opened with Dr Seema Rao, India’s first woman commando trainer. She inspired the students to dream big, be unabashed with their aspirations and work hard without fear. “Don’t be afraid to walk on the path alone. Freedom requires the courage to stand alone,” she said during her enlightening and empowering address.

Actors Pratik Gandhi, Sunny Hinduja, Kritika Kamra, Anup Soni and Suhail Nayyar discussed the changing film and OTT landscape. Media students and others had a lot to gain from the insights of these seasoned industry players. Actress Saiyami Kher, last seen in Sunny Deol's Jaat, reflected on resilience. She emphasised on perseverance as an important aspect of success in any field. “99 percent of times, you would fail in auditions.. but conviction and consistency matter most,” the actress said.

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Entrepreneurs Akhil Iyer and Shriya Narayan, founders of Benne, shared their journey in building a café brand rooted in South Indian authenticity. Sports icons Amol Muzumdar, Suma Shirur, and Paralympian Bhagyashree Jadhav spoke of discipline and perseverance to achieve greatness in the field of sports.

The day closed with the star cast of the upcoming movie Param Sundari making a starry appearance among the students. Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor addressed the organising team and praised Malhar’s youthful energy.

Day 2 of the Malhar Conclave opened with Honourable Justice Revati Mohite Dere, who drew from landmark cases to highlight law as a tool for revolution, resonating with Malhar’s theme “Leher: a ripple today, a revolution tomorrow.”

Politician Supriya Sule emphasised accountability in governance. “Policy-making is an opportunity to change people’s lives. Sometimes the good and bad are thrown at you, but you must be the decision maker,” she said.

Author Ashwin Sanghi spoke about the “three E’s” of storytelling" - Entertainment, Education and Enlightenment. Actor Aditya Roy Kapur closed the Conclave with a nostalgic return to Xavier’s, recalling theatre clubs as “one of the best years of his life”. To aspiring actors, he advised, “Just start. Every time you do something, you learn a little bit more about yourself.” The festival concluded with a concert in the quadrangle as DJ Rajiv and Chaar Diwaari lit up the evening with electrifying sets, leaving the audience roaring and dancing.