Vadodara: When lakhs of South Asians recently gathered in Canada to participate in one of the biggest cultural festivals in the country, a Gujarati was smiling ear to ear.
Tushar Unadkat, a Barodian settled in Canada, became the first Gujarati to directed the grand festival. Organized on July 16-17, the festival was organized by Gerrard India Bazaar BIA - a non-profit organization registered in Canada.
Unadkat was given the responsibility of producing and directing the Festival of South Asia, which is one of the major attractions in Canada, this year and he did it in style.
"The unique feature of this year's fest was 'gully' that gave visitors an experience of rural areas in south Asian countries. From rangoli exhibitions, roadside tea-vendors and kite exhibition to an array of visual, literary and performing arts, the festival offered everything to the participants," Unadkat told TOI from Canada.
"We also staged Indian classical dance and Bollywood numbers for the fun-loving crowd apart from the rhythmic beats of Tabla that enchanted music lovers. Literary arts discussion too was a hit with a number of well-known authors and artists turning up for the event," 45-year-old Unadkat said and added that even kids had their share of fun during the clown yoga sessions.
"There were challenges and unexpected situations while organizing an event of this magnitude but we overcame it with the help of our creative team members," he said.
Apart from India, the fest showcased cultures of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka including food, music and traditional costumes. A graduate in applied arts from MSU, Unadkat learnt photography from University of Wolverhampton and then completed his Masters in Design at University of Dundee, Scotland
He won an award from BBC Asia for achievements in film and arts in 1999 before shifting to New York to work as a creative director in an advertising agency. In 2004, he moved to Canada and has won several awards there.