Websites and Instagram pages to discover events in Bengaluru are aplenty. But a 26-year-old has turned to curating these events, and about 10,000 people are following his daily list of recommendations.
Putting Scene is a free-to-join group that Mannan Amroliwala runs on WhatsApp. Across 11 WhatsApp groups, actually, as he recalls, “When I posted an invite link on social media for the first time on September 14 last year, I thought not more than 50 people would join. But 2,000 people joined in 12 hours!”
An entrepreneur with a fintech background, Mannan is co-building a social networking app and admits that Putting Scene is an experiment to gauge what one can do in Bengaluru besides social drinking and eating out. For now, the lists are a reflection of his outgoing personality, varied interests, and a zeal for offbeat things.
Every day, he posts a short list of events and workshops one can try in the city the following day or later in the week, and shares the venue, time and booking details against each. He makes recommendations for all days of the week and not just weekends. “I scroll through 250 Instagram pages. This takes two to four hours,” Mannan shares about the research.
His lists feature game nights, pub quizzes, events on art, history and photography, workshops on dim sums, gourmet salads and coffee painting, sports tournaments, open-air movie screenings, book exchanges, etc. Mannan loves music, so concerts are a fixture — from the fusion of Indian folklore and Afro-reggae-rap, to experimental ‘sonic journeys’ and vinyl tracks.
Since he doesn’t want the lists to read like a “notice board”, he also shares links to his favourite songs and movies, and trivia such as the history of pink trumpet flowers in Bengaluru. He also runs three sub-groups for food lovers, bookworms, and women.
He doesn’t post stand up comedy gigs. This is not his interest area and Mannan doesn’t want to recommend things he doesn’t try. “Events and places I curate are either what I have tried and enjoyed or my friends and their friends have. For the latter, I ask for their review or photos and videos for me to research on,” he shares.
The followers are a mix of newbies to Bengaluru such as Mannan himself, and old-timers looking for newer experiences in their city.
He is “overwhelmed” by the feedback.
“Many look up my lists for date night ideas. Strangers have met at board game meetups and become friends. A man from Hyderabad joined the group and forwards interesting things his daughter can try in Bengaluru. Recently, a follower overheard an elderly couple in their 70s discussing my list on the metro train. They were interested in a heritage walk to the KR Market,” he says.
Varun Mundkur is one of his followers. He likes the slightly offbeat experiences that Mannan curates and how he distills them into one list a day. “You feel lost on (aggregator) websites. They post about everything,” says the investor and trader.
To join, contact 63556 20466 on WhatsApp
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