Annual Day 2025

A one, a one, a one-two-three-go! At Dr. Pillai Global New Academy, one hears such phrases all year long. From dance practice, to choir rehearsals; from jam sessions to run-throughs, students think one day, the day all of their hard work pays off, the day they will finally perform on stage: Annual Day.

Celebrated on the 23rd of December, 2025, Annual Day was simply stupendous. The theme for this year was Panch Mahabhuta — Symphony of the Five Elements. The programme showcased Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space — the titular five elements — lending the day an air of spirituality.

The audience entered through the main gate, decorated with a long, red carpet, with lights, banners, cultural standees, and more. Awestruck already, they walked into the school’s large field, taking their seats with bated breath in anticipation for the performances to come. Every parent anxious to see their children, and every teacher anxious to see their students — all members of the audience were equally excited and enthusiastic to see the stage lit up with the presence of DPGA’s very own.

Hosting this year’s Annual Day were Cultural Heads, Laiba Zaheer (Cultural Captain) and Ananya Mayank (Deputy Cultural Captain), who organized and led Annual Day. Well-spoken and sophisticated, their compering uplifted and directed the programme, handing over the role of the hosts to Naman Inani and Anshika Arya (IBDP1) midway through the night.

The celebration commenced with the arrival of this year’s chief guest, Mr. Mickey Mehta, holistic health guru and wellness specialist. After this, DPGA New Panvel’s principal, Mr. Prakash Nair addressed the audience. Then, the National Anthem, followed by the State Anthem imbibed within the audience a sense of patriotism and pride, readying them for the cultural performances to come.

To highlight the achievements of the school for the past year, the school’s Head Boy, Bharadwaj Suresh Babu S, and Head Girl, Yazhini Deshmukh, delivered the Annual Report. The report celebrated all the activities and initiatives undertaken by DPGA’s students, as well as the competitions and exams cleared by its student body. Concluding their report by inspiring students to do more, and aim higher — as they are encouraged to each year — the Heads of the school descended the stage.

The performances began. Firstly, students from Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grades 3–8 sang in separate batches, delivering mellifluous performances in choirs. Refined and passionate, every student did their absolute best, enthralling the audience with their incredible performances. Their wonderful vocals were absolutely exhilarating.

Soon after, the guitar ensemble took the audience by storm, delivering an electrifying medley of Indian hits. Adeptly strumming and plucking their strings, the guitarists played each riff, each solo, each chord excellently, setting the stage on fire.

Next, the violin orchestra came up. The elegant movements of the bow, coupled with the refined hand movements, culminated in a rhythmically delightful showcase that left every member of the audience breathless.

The drums ensemble followed this performance. With every hit of the snares ringing out to the beat of the bass drum, the ensemble was unapologetically loud and passionate, concluding a set of riveting musical performances no one will soon forget.

Amidst these spectacles, the programme paused briefly, providing DPGA’s talented performers with a brief respite. The man of the hour, Mr. Mickey Mehta enlightened the audience with information about his line of work. His final message to stay “Mickeytastic” delighted the audience, encouraging them to live and heal naturally and consciously. Ending his speech to the backdrop of cheers and applause, Mr. Mehta descended the stage.

This made way for students with one-hundred-percent attendance to be felicitated on stage, celebrating academic discipline and pride within the student body. Simultaneously, the audience members slipped off between performances to food stalls, serving everything from tea to popcorn.

After this, the dance section of the programme began. With a welcome dance that ignited the spark that lasted all evening, the audience was enthralled. The performances that followed were dances and dramas, conveying meaning through their movements, each gesture symbolic of the Panch Mahabhuta. Grades 1–9 partook in this section, each performance more spectacular than the last. The synthesis of the dances, the songs in the backdrop, the lights, the audience, and everything in between led to an absolutely fantastic showcase.

Just before the finale, a vote of thanks was delivered by Performing Arts head, Mr. Prasun Lomjail, essentially an ode to DPGA’s hard work and dedication to making this night an unforgettable one.

The concluding act was a brilliant dance by Grade 11 students; with intense choreography and music, the students ended the programme with a marvelous performance, summing up the very essence of the Panch Mahabhuta.

As all good things do, Annual Day 2025 soon came to an end. To conclude, a quote by Michael Jackson seems most apt:
“Being on stage is magic. There’s nothing like it.”
Students now await Annual Day ‘26 in anticipation of that very same magic they can’t wait to feel all over again.

Author: Mugdha Vinod Patil