Surprise!

CHENNAI: You are standing inside a crowded shopping mall and suddenly you hear a couple of your favourite songs playing and before you know it, random strangers come towards you with roses and start to dance.

You are amused and don’t know what is happening when all of a sudden, your best friend appears from the crowd with a placard that reads ‘Happy Birthday!’ Sounds like a scene from a movie? Nope!
In the last couple of years, Chennai has been witnessing a trend of ‘surprise planners’, whose only job is to plan surprises for your loved ones. From flash-mobs and singing to candlelight dinners and adventure activities, you name it...they will do it for you.

“We have 38 different varieties and packages of surprises to choose from for our clients. From romance on the van to a yacht sail, dinner at the cabana and even flash-mobs, we have done a couple of big surprises,” grins Sakthivel Pannerselvam, founder, The6.in.

Flash-mobs, acapellas and romantic dinner dates are popular but some keep it simple with a musician and singer crooning some of their friend’s favourite songs. Aishwarya Shivaji, founder of the two-year old  Amaze Surprise Planners, says she likes to add a twist to her surprises. “We have the blindfolded zorbing and paragliding; then we take them on a kattumaram (a wooden boat) to the middle of the sea where they can take a dip.

Though most of these surprise packages begin from `2,000 onwards, and can cost several lakhs, several youngsters don’t mind paying for the unique experience. Mohan Subramaniam, who arranged a surprise flash-mob for his best friend, says, “The planners arranged a flash mob with flowers and pictures of my best friend. It was a beautiful surprise and was done near the Besant Nagar beach and she loved it. It cost me `15,000 but it lasted an hour. Her beaming smile was worth it,” he adds.

The prices vary according to the package and the customisations that are added — a romantic yacht sail with The6.in for about 60 minutes would cost around `12,500, whereas an acapella would cost about `6,500. Rather than buying a gift, today people are willing to spend money on some beautiful memories. “Eight months ago I surprised my sister on her birthday where we gathered all her friends and teachers from school and college — she had not met them in eight years. It took one whole week to plan and execute, but it was worth the time and money spent,” recalls Prem Kumar, IT professional.

Madhuvanthi L, a city-based photographer, loved her 25th birthday and calls it “her best birthday”. “It was in July. I was just getting done with work when there was some commotion in the lobby. I saw a guy with a guitar arguing with the security. I walked past them and all of a sudden, these guys started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in the middle of the parking lot. I found out later that it was a surprise arranged by my friends. I was embarrassed but also overwhelmed at the same time!” she smiles.