LET'S GO TO PROM!

CE explores the latest trend of proms, inspired from the West, happening in the city

- Rakshitha Priya G

IN 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat Stratford walks into her senior prom—donning an elegant strapless, sheath, purple dress—despite her initial reluctance to attend. She stepped into a venue gleaming in shimmering lights, a live band performing, and that perfect 'happily-ever-after' moment where everything falls into place. Meanwhile, in Mean Girls, Cady Heron breaks her plastic tiara into pieces as a gesture of unity and rejection of class warfare; in High School Musical 3, Troy and Gabriella sway at "the night of nights" prom. Prom has been immortalized as the grand finale of teenage years. Even horror found its way into prom lore with Carrie, blood-soaked and unforgettable, proving that no American coming-of-age story is ever complete without that one night of gowns, corsages, crowns, and chaos.

But for Indians, especially in Chennai, these scenes existed only in English series and movies. Our school years end with farewell speeches, stiff photographs in auditoriums or grounds, and the occasional samosa and Fanta send-off. The closest thing to a coronation was the announcement of 'Best Outgoing Student', not Prom King and Queen. Prom, in all its pop culture glory, was an import we never really believed we'd experience. Until now.

This has already been the year of novel ideas—Read: fake sangeets and weddings—so it was only fitting that the city finally got its very own prom. A few West-inspired Chennaiites decided it was time to swap farewell speeches for slow dances, trade the tucked-in shirt and kurta dress code for corsages and tuxedos, and bring the dream sequence from the movies onto a local dance floor.

West-side story