It’s an original dating concept for singles. Positioned along the lines of speed dating, where strangers are given a few minutes to make conversation and gauge their chemistry, Mingle is a pub quiz for singles. For 23-year-old Maneka Sacchar, it’s a way to make cerebral connections. Sacchar moved to Mumbai about three months ago, and hasn’t been able to make friends since.
“People fear being perceived as a pile-on or just appearing to be too easy. There aren’t many places where you can go alone if you want to party or meet like-minded people,” she says. To battle that, Sacchar attended Mingle at Café Kino 108, where she met the right crowd. “It was fun, and safe to be in the company of strangers. Plus, the quiz master was cute,” she smiles.
Bombay Elektrik Projekt’s Sushil Verghese, the ‘cute’ quizmaster, had just that in mind, when he came up with the concept of Mingle. “The idea is to mingle amongst like-minded individuals and hopefully make friends. Mumbai is a very lonely city and it gets tough if you don’t have friends to fall back on. The idea of making friends in a pub hasn’t developed in India, so this will breaks the ice,” explains Verghese.
The idea is simple. Organisers divide the attendees into groups of four or six at a table with an equal number of guys and girls. The quiz is prepared on a range of topics from cricket to chocolates to pop culture. The pub picks up the tab of the winning table, while the group gets to match their intellectual compatibility quotient. “At the first event, the winning table ran up a bill of Rs 3,500, which turned out to be free. Plus they had a great time. It’s a win-win situation,” grins Verghese.
The idea is simple. Organisers divide the attendees into groups of four or six at a table with an equal number of guys and girls. The quiz is prepared on a range of topics from cricket to chocolates to pop culture. The pub picks up the tab of the winning table, while the group gets to match their intellectual compatibility quotient. “At the first event, the winning table ran up a bill of Rs 3,500, which turned out to be free. Plus they had a great time. It’s a win-win situation,” grins Verghese.
So will the new pick-up line be – will you quiz with me tonight?