BY NMJ School – Literature Festival Finale 2025
The Bhavishya Yaan NMJ School Literature Festival Finale 2025, held on November 15th, was a vibrant celebration of multilingual storytelling, theatre, debate and the beloved classic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. This grand finale marked the culmination of dedicated work undertaken by students and teachers throughout the Diwali vacation, during which they spent three hours each day immersing themselves in stories, films, general knowledge and creative writing. Their enthusiasm and commitment shone through as they prepared to perform before guests from Rotary, Vidya, Infotrooper, BMC authorities, their principals, and teaching staff.
The finale was conducted twice—first for esteemed guests from Rotary and Vidya, and again for school authorities at midday. The programme, centred entirely on storytelling, embraced English, Marathi and Hindi to highlight the linguistic strengths of the students. The event opened with a Marathi Powada performed by Primary student During the second show, BMC officials expressed admiration for the students’ English-speaking abilities and the rich cultural content of the festival. BMC Principals and Jadhav ma’am praised Bhavishya Yaan, noting that its quality rivalled prestigious Englishmedium private schools. They thanked the Rotary Club of Bombay for its continued support.
The festival concluded with a welldeserved, delicious snack for all students. A heartfelt thank you goes to the esteemed guests, performers, teachers and mentors who contributed to this inspiring literary journey Shivanya, celebrating the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a tradition over 750 years old. This was followed by a creative retelling of the story of the Sun and Moon, narrated by Bhavesh and Anmol from Class 7, who transformed into Rajasthani Kavadias and presented their handmade Kavad—a centuries-old wooden storytelling box.
A delightful puppet show written by Trupti (Class 8), featuring characters Bhola, Rahul, Eena, Meena and Deeka, entertained the audience as the children encountered Mr Bachchan singing the iconic song from Don. Class 8 student Snehal presented her self-written and designed book, The Vanishing Necklace, which President Bimal Mehta graciously offered to print.
A charming dance drama by Vibhavari and Manushree from Class 4 depicted the classic tale of the elephant and the rabbit. This was followed by a full theatrical performance of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by students from Classes 5 to 9, narrated by Janavi from Class 8. The final act, introduced by Class 4 students Sidhant and Vibhavari, showcased a powerful Kathak sequence on Draupadi’s vastra haran, with Neel as Shakuni and performers from Classes 7 and 8. Both shows were highly appreciated, and the seamless flow of the programme was ensured by excellent compering from Sneha (Class 9) and Disha (Class 8).
The presence of President Bimal Mehta, Director BY Rtn. Akhil Sanghi, and Chair Rtn. Jagdish Malkani greatly motivated the students. Rtn. Piloo Aga distributed biscuits, Frooti and prizes, while Rtn. Ptn. Malti Jain offered KitKats. Ms Jhanvi Vissanji from Vidya attended with her grandson, delighting in the performances.