Mumbai: The day 3 of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay’s (IIT-B) annual cultural festival, Mood Indigo 2024, which was scheduled for Friday, has been cancelled to mourn the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away late on Thursday night. The decision followed the announcement by the government of India, which declared a seven-day mourning period after the passing away of the former Prime Minister at the age of 92.

Day 3 of Mood Indigo was packed with high-profile events, including a comedy show by stand-up comedian Ravi Gupta. During the day, former union Minister Suresh Prabhu would be in conversation as part of the fest’s planned ‘Politician Panel’ at 1:30 PM. The afternoon line-up featured renowned actor Vijay Raaz and comedian Atul Khatri, as well as a discussion with filmmaker Anubhav Sinha in the evening. The day was set to conclude with a grand concert headlined by legendary singer Sonu Nigam.

“As the government of India has declared a seven-day mourning period, all government offices will not be functioning for the next seven days and hence the fest was cancelled,” a spokesperson of IIT-B told the Free Press Journal.

Asked if the third day of the fest will resume after the mourning period ends, a core committee member of Mood Indigo informed, “as of now, the fest remains cancelled and not postponed. If there is any decision to resume it, it will be conveyed to the students appropriately.”

Mood Indigo 2024, themed "Enigma of Ethnicity," commenced on Wednesday with great enthusiasm, featuring a star-studded lineup of events and celebrity appearances, including Bollywood actor Sonu Sood and singer Stebin Ben. The festival, touted as Asia's largest cultural fest, had promised an exciting experience for attendees.

The second day of the cultural fest also brought together a packed schedule of competitions, workshops, and performances that kept a swelling number of attendees engaged from morning to night. Stand-up comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath, music director, composer and singer Amit Trivedi, music producer and composer Karan Kanchan, and rapper Raftaar, among others, kept the mood of the campus electric throughout the day on Thursday.