Former managing editor of India Today Dilip C. Mandal discussed the current scenario of media and the changing public sphere in a power packed session. He emphasized how social media has captured the Indian audience, and how it multiplies geometrically. He talked about idea sharing and benefits of social media. Speaking of the JNU students’ … Continued
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The Wajid Ali Shah award was presented to nation’s very noted director Sudhir Mishra. Born and brought up in Lucknow, Sudhir Mishra is the grandson of former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Dwarka Prasad Mishra. His father, Devendra Nath Mishra, was the founder member of Lucknow Film Society. Sudhir Mishra along with Badal Sircar … Continued
The Pride of Lucknow Award is given to luminaries for excelling in their respected fields. The Pride of Lucknow award for contribution to Urdu Literature was awarded to Sardar Ratan Singh. His 10 books have been published out of which six were the collection of short stories, three novelettes and one autobiography. He has also … Continued
listed Lucknow Literary Festival among
the TOP 6 Lit Fest of India
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Decoding the undercurrents of elections in India, former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. S.Y. Quraishi and Kena Shree conversed on the trends of elections in the country in the session, “Demystifying elections and empowering India.” Mr. Quraishi highlighted the fact that elections are generally perceived as merely a political affair, but they are also the world’s greatest management event. They talked about the ‘First past the post system’ of elections in India and how it can be replaced for the better. The National Voters’ day is his invention. He said “It is a cause for celebration when you turn 18, and that is why we decided to observe this day. The first time we gave away 8 lac voter IDs.”
The next panel discussion ‘Hamari Sheri Rawayat aur Lucknow ki Khawateen’ explored the unsung contribution of women to the world of Urdu shayari. Women have been a part of the shayari tradition right from the beginning – the Begums of Nawabs wrote extensively but could not get published under their own names. Leading Urdu women writers and poets, Sehba Ali, Aisha Siddiqui, Gazal Zaigam, Naseem Nikhat and Sahiba Anwar discussed the nuances of Urdu shayari as rendered by the female pen. Sharib Rudaulvi was also part of the discussion.
The performance by Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal, who hail from Germany, enchanted everyone by their performance. The performance started by a soulful performance by Sebastian Dreyer. He performed a few songs on the sitar which ended with a rapturous applause. The fusion of both Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal for the Baul blazed the stage and blew away everyone’s mind. The audience whole heartedly participated in the performance and cheered the artists with resounding applause throughout the performance.
Best selling mythology writer Anand Neelkanthan talked with Utkarsh Patel, writer and a professor of comparative mythology on ‘Fiction Writing taking over all the attention from Mythology‘.They discussed the various factors that come into play while writing mythological stories. They critically analysed the western influenced reading culture in India today and the dismal ignorance of the people about legendary Indian characters.
The panel including popular Hindi writer from Lucknow Shiv Murti, Akhilesh from Delhi in conversation with Nalin Ranjan discussed the state of the story in today’s changing world in‘Kahani Aaj Ke Parivesh Mein’.
With recent events in mind, Shiv Murti, H.L. Dusadh, Kalicharan Sanehi & Dr. Yashwant Viroday explored the weighty implications of intolerance, the issue being the central debate in India today, in a heated discussion on “Asahishnuta ke Sandarbh me.”
Eminent personages of the Urdu world sat down to discuss -Urdu Masnaviyon mein Lucknawi Tehzeeb-O-Saqafat. Sharib Rudaulvi, Ratan Singh, Maula Baksh and Shafiq Hussain acquainted the audience with the form and its practitioners.
Former managing editor of India Today Dilip C. Mandal discussed the current scenario of media and the changing public sphere in a power packed session. He emphasized how social media has captured the Indian audience, and how it multiplies geometrically. He talked about idea sharing and benefits of social media. Speaking of the JNU students’ sedition charges issue, he said “We are a nation living in fear. “ It was a highly informative session; the audience took an active interest, raising many questions about the issues he mentioned.
The composite of Lucknow and its many languages has gained its richness from many sources. The purifying influence of Persian in Lucknow was examined by an elite panel comprising Asifa Zamani, Umar Qamaluddin, Khan Mohammad Atif, Dr. Arshad Jafri, Dr. Hina Bano, Mirza Shafiq Husain in “Farsi Adab Aur Lucknow”. The discussion started with importance of Farsi Adab and its role in Lucknow.
Blatant obscenity in fiction and romance writing were analysed by contemporary writers Sachin Garg, Vani Kaushal & Sanil Sachar. The writers said that they were not in favour of showcasing obscenity in writing because if it is too explicit then they stand to lose one section of readers, but sometimes they have to give in to readers’ demands.
The session started with defining the line between intimacy and obscenity. Narrating an anecdote relating to her first book, Vani Kaushal, author of “The Recession Groom” said that she received reviews that her book fell short in terms of ‘steaminess’. Sanil said that it is a matter of perception and that it is not vulgar to include sex in fiction writing. Sachin, on the other hand, talked about the different kind of content that Indian writers are coming up with. Innovative techniques, new plots in the crime and thriller genre are expected to evolve further in the coming years.
Priyajeet Debsarkar and Sriram Karri discussed the scope of political writing in the world of fiction. They discussed the various factors that come into play while writing and researching for a book on political issues and the problems they face while doing it.
Activist Teesta Setalvad sat in discussion with Ayaz Khalid on her book ‘Beyond Doubt’. It was a highly charged session with the audience hanging on to the magnetic pull of the revolutionary’s words. On her book Teesta Setalvad said “The entire effort is to expose deliberate propaganda by the people who believe in Hindu Rashtravaad. The centre has a schizophrenic relationship with Gandhi; they use his use his photographs but denigrate his politics.”
The compelling “Dastan Ghummi Kebabi ki” was told by the dauntless Fauzia, the first female Dastango of modern times along with Fazal Rashid. This antique performance by Fauzia and Fazal gladdened everyone present their and drew back in the yellow pages of Awadh. The performance told the tale of Ghummi Kebabi and his journey of making the kebabs and his shop in the lanes of Old Delhi. The audience was spell bound by this art of storytelling and was listening intently to the words and the style of storytelling. Each member of the audience was hooked to every word of the Dastango.
With many attractions in tow, for the enthusiastic crowd of Lucknow the day unravelled with a panel discussion on “Modern Technology Aur Urdu Duniya ” in which honorary panelists-Canadian writer Javed Danish and poet Zamin Jafri, writer, professor Urdu department , AMU, Maula Baksh, AMU professor Shafe Kidwai, Dr. Mirza Shafique Hussain Shafaq elaborated on where the language stood in the modern world ,among social media platforms.
Coming from the family of legendary Urdu poet Mir Anees Javed, Javed Danish appreciated the youth on their efforts in the festival and also for lending importance to a session on Urdu, on language and words, which often the young are accused of neglecting.
Another panel discussion on “Jung-e-Azaadi me Urdu ka Kirdaar” suggestively based on the role of Urdu in the Indian Independence Movement. The panel was presided over by renowned writers and scholars like Javed Danish, Ratan Singh, Maula Baksh, Shafe Kidwai, and Dr. Mirza Shafique Hussain.
Maula Baksh described how Urdu superseded all other languages in uniting the nation, becoming a common link throughout its length and breadth. The history of Indian freedom struggle as fought under the wings of Urdu was discussed. Maula Baksh also admired the youths organizing the festival saying that “If a group of young people can arrange such an event, where literature, language, culture is being celebrated – I have seen in my time here, these kids have been working so hard, helping out the delegates, accompanying them even to the railway station, -if such is their dedication, kon kehta hai adab mar gaya.”
Utkarsh Patel, accomplished comparative mythology expert along with new age writers Vani Kaushal , Sachin Garg ,UK based Priyajeet Debsarkar and Ratna Vira explored the theme ‘Fact Or Fiction :The Storyline of the Youth’ deliberating on what the youth accepts as truth in the prevalent fiction today.
The session focused on the content of books today. With a flood of new writers hitting the stalls, there is much confusion as to whether the published works contain truth or fiction. Sachin said that books are a mix of fact and fiction and that each book reflects the writer’s personality.
Samina Bano, Aamir Hussain and Ritwik Patra sat in conversation to discuss the topic “Child Education- How Rightfully Is Right To Education Working”.Samina Bano said “Every child deserves quality education and amongst children there should be no class discrimination, in perception or behavior .”
She further said that beyond the home, school impacts the child most. Research says in a socially economic diverse classroom the child is more likely to grow as a socially aware human being, more helpful which is why it is necessary to have socio-economically inclusive classrooms today.
Ritwik Patra elaborated how Right To Education is working in Uttar Pradesh, saying there is a dialectical relationship between poverty and education. “The narrative of UP” he said, “is not simple. It is a Meta narrative.”
Sutapa Sanyal, Rajni Gupta, a writer, Kiran Singh ,Anita Dubey, Editor, Rivvant magazine, Sheila Pandey and Anita Srivastava delved in a discussion on the challenges of women. They said that women have not gained the most important thing and that is respect in society and as long as that respect is denied to them, our cause remains a defeated one.
IG, Lucknow Police Sutapa Sanyal said “We see the pain of women everyday and try to lend them some relief, find solutions. The more opportunities women have the more challenges they face. The ground reality is horrific. We do gender sensitive policing.”
Popular Hindi satirists indulged in a comic battle viewing Lucknow through the mirror of satire in ‘Lucknow Vyang Ke Aaine Mein’. Prominent Lucknow satirist Gopal Chaturvedi, the head of the satirists’ association in Delhi, Sushil Siddhartha, one of the few female satirists- Indrajeet Kaur, editor of the Hindi daily, Navbharat Times-Sudhir Mishra , other prominent names in the field ,Anup Mani Tripathi, Sandeep Saxena and Pankaj Prasun had the audience in laughter with their witty words. It was the most well attended session and the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. They engaged the audience with a satirical take on various issues that affect us all.
Bollywood filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, theatre and film personality Atul Tiwari, and Vinod Bhardwaj sat in conversation with Ayaz Khalid, deliberating on the role of theatre in moulding Indian cinema. They discussed a variety of issues, including the inclusion of songs in Indian cinema to the portrayal of theatrical stories in the cinema. Another important point that was brought out was that theatre needed much more marketing than cinema due to its approach.
Radical Indian politician, activist and educator Sandeep Pandey along with Teesta Seetalwad, leading Indian journalist and social reformer engaged in a heated and informative discussion on “the power of freedom of speech in building a nation”. The session was power packed with the discussions focussing on the voice of dissent being important in a democracy. They discussed how some recent incidents have brought out the issues that we are facing in implementing the freedoms that we gave been granted. The audience was equally enthusiastic and asked a plethora of questions from the duo relating to politics and activism.
The final day ended with a Bharatnatyam performance by young girls’ duo Manya Khare and Pragati Bajpai from Rhythm Divine Institute. It was only apt that the literary extravaganza in the city of Adab ended with the rapturous form of ghazal singing. Mr. Pradeep Ali gave a ghazal performance which enthralled the audience who whole heartedly participated and made the performance a grand success.
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Shatrughan Sinha in conversation with Bharathi Pradhan
“Anything But Khamosh”
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In spite of being a Non-Lucknowite by birth, the love he carries in his heart for Lucknow as well as Literature is incomparable. The zeal to carry forward the heritage and culture of the city of Nawabs led him to the foundation of the LUCKNOW Society, which reflects his efforts to preserve the unique Lucknawi Tehzeeb and makes every citizen proud of the unique culture and heritage of which Lucknow has been a home for an endless time period now. At the very same time Literature also played a very important role to bring out the best in him as the founder of the Lucknow Literary Festival and Editor in chief of the first english literary magazine of Lucknow, The Lucknow Observer.
Displaying great leadership and vision, he has led from the front in an effort to make Lucknow a better place and, at the same time, reviving what rightfully belongs to Lucknow. Be it awareness campaigns like Kyun Ki Shahar Hai Aapka or paying tributes to Lucknow’s legends in Shaam-e-Adab. His innovativeness has been his sharpest tool to serve the city, be it his initiatives like Let’s revive, Save Our Heritage, Know Your City, which are not only targeted to make the city what it once used to be but too to make the youth aware of what they have been missing for so long or be it the book he recently presented to the city, Discovering Lucknow, a coffee table book, which not only gives the minutiae of the monuments but too depicts them in the then and now effect.
Always mindful, always in search of the next level, he not only sets an example for others but also sets very high standards for himself that ultimately set him apart from everyone.
"Books are one's best friend’ and she is the perfect example why it is said so. Her childhood budding affection towards the books blossomed to an extent that at such tender age she owns a library of 500+ books. When her interest turned into love and then into passion even she didn’t realize. Student by profession and social worker, Akansha is a very good Calligrapher and painter too. Her favorite time-pass is to drift in the sea of words and explore the minds of the authors. According to her, at times books take her to a wonderland where she could stay away from the worries of the world… and at times they even provide adequate strength to face the worldly problems.
Decoding the undercurrents of elections in India, former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. S.Y. Quraishi and Kena Shree conversed on the trends of elections in the country in the session, “Demystifying elections and empowering India.” Mr. Quraishi highlighted the fact that elections are generally perceived as merely a political affair, but they are also the world’s greatest management event. They talked about the ‘First past the post system’ of elections in India and how it can be replaced for the...
Former managing editor of India Today Dilip C. Mandal discussed the current scenario of media and the changing public sphere in a power packed session. He emphasized how social media has captured the Indian audience, and how it multiplies geometrically....
Activist Teesta Setalvad sat in discussion with Ayaz Khalid on her book ‘Beyond Doubt’. It was a highly charged session with the audience hanging on to the magnetic pull of the revolutionary’s words. On her book Teesta Setalvad said...
The performance by Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal, who hail from Germany, enchanted everyone by their performance. The performance started by a soulful performance by Sebastian Dreyer. He performed a few songs on the sitar which ended with a rapturous...
The compelling “Dastan Ghummi Kebabi ki” was told by the dauntless Fauzia, the first female Dastango of modern times along with Fazal Rashid. This antique performance by Fauzia and Fazal gladdened everyone present their and drew back in the yellow...
Bollywood filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, theatre and film personality Atul Tiwari, and Vinod Bhardwaj sat in conversation with Ayaz Khalid, deliberating on the role of theatre in moulding Indian cinema. They discussed a variety of issues, including the inclusion of songs in Indian cinema to the portrayal of theatrical stories in the cinema. Another important point that was brought out was that theatre needed much more marketing than cinema due to its...
विज्ञापन के दौर में ‘जो दिखता है वो बिकता है” जैसी कहावते समाज में इस कदर घर कर गई हैं जिससे पार पाना शायद अब आसान नहीं लगता। लेकिन सवाल ये है कि क्या नफे- नुक्सान के फेर में पड़कर झूठ, फरेब और धोखे का कारोबार भी किया जा सकता है?
साल 2014 में आउटलुक ट्रैवेलर ने लखनऊ सोसाइटी के तत्वाधान में आयोजित “लखनऊ लिटरेरी फेस्टिवल” को इण्डिया के “टॉप 6” लिटरेरी फेस्टिवल में लिस्ट किया था जो कुछ लोगो के लिए नींद ना आने का विषय बना हुआ था बस फिर क्या था अभी कुछ दिन पहले एक फेसबुक पोस्ट हम लोगो की नज़रो के सामने से गुज़रा जिसमे लिखा था कि लखनऊ एक्सप्रेशन द्वारा आयोजित “लखनऊ लिटरेचर कार्निवाल” जिसे अब “लखनऊ लिटरेचर फेस्टिवल” का नाम दे दिया गया है, को हेराल्ड पोस्ट ने इंडिया के बेस्ट (टॉप 5) लिट् फेस्ट में शामिल किया है। पर बात कुछ इस वजह से गले से नहीं उतरी की वो संस्था जिस पर लखनऊ सोसाइटी ने ट्रेडमार्क पासिंग ऑफ का केस फाइल किया हुआ है जिसके कारण उसके सारे सोशल मीडिया अकाउंट (फेसबुक/इंस्टाग्राम/ट्विटर) सम्बंधित संस्थाओ ने ससपेंड कर दिए हो और जो अभी फेस्टिवल के नाम से हुआ भी नहीं हो वो अभी से “टॉप 5” में कैसे लिस्ट हो सकता है?
बस फिर क्या था जिज्ञासा को शांत करने के लिए “हेराल्ड पोस्ट डॉट इन” (heraldpost.in) का शिजरा निकाला गया तो पाया गया कि वो डोमेन किसी फ़र्ज़ी नाम और एड्रेस से रजिस्टर किया गया था बस उसको रजिस्टर करने वाले से गलती ये हो गई की वो अपनी मेल आई डी हटाना भूल गया था। और ये मेल आई डी छिछली लोकप्रियता पाने की होड़ में लगे लखनऊ एक्सप्रेशन सोसायटी के कर्मठ टीम मेंबर वसीम सिददीकी साहब की निकली और नंबर लखनऊ एक्सप्रेशन सोसाइटी का। वैसे तो ये उनके लिए कोई नई बात नहीं थी क्योकि ऐसे कई काम ये पहले भी कर चुके है तो ऐसे लोगो से नैतिकता की उम्मीद करना भी अप्रासंगिक होगा।
वैसे तो इंसान की फितरत नहीं बदलती पर फिर भी हम लोगो का लखनऊ एक्सप्रेशन सोसायटी के प्रेसिडेंट श्री जयंत कृष्णा साहब जो की देश के “कौशल भारत” ( Skill India – NSDC ) के ED & COO भी है, को सुझाव है कि वो इण्डिया की स्किल बाद में डेवेलोप करे पहले वो अपने टीम मेंबर्स की स्किल्स डेवेलप कर ले तो शायद ज़्यादा बेहतर हो।
Lucknow Literary Festival® & Lucknow Literature Festival® is a registered trademark & copyright of Lucknow Society®
Lucknow Sahitya Mahotsav™ is a trademark applied for by LUCKNOW Society.
“AAJ BHI KEHTA HAI HAR SAHIB-E NAZAR ROSHAN KHAYAAL,
LUCKNOW ILM-O ADAB MEIN AAP HI APNI MISAAL”
Uttar Pradesh, is the land of Amir Khusru, Meer Taqi Meer, Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib, Mir Anees, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Abdul Halim Sharar, Munshi Premchand, Yashpal, Amrit Lal Nagar, Raghupati Sahai Firaq Gorakhpuri, Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz, Pandit Brij Narain Chakbast, Jigar Moradabadi, Qurratulain Haider and many others who gave us masterpieces and made epic contributions to Literature. Even today contemporary authors like Javed Akhtar, Veena Talwar Oldenburg, Neelesh Misra, Prasoon Joshi, etc have kept the flame of the written word burning bright. Despite the presence of such literary greats, Uttar Pradesh has not had a literary summit for a long time, even though we had a tradition of Kavi Sammelans, Mushairas & Nashists. To carry on this legacy, and consciously try to enlighten the reader, Lucknow Literary Festival is organized in the capital of Uttar Pradesh to promote the literary genius of Uttar Pradesh & Lucknow in particular. The festival is an effort to bring forth the lutf of languages – Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi & English on a common platform.
The first ever Lucknow Literary Festival (लखनऊ साहित्य महोत्सव) is an endeavour of the LUCKNOW Society, which is a non profit organisation dedicated to the cause of promoting & conserving the Culture, Tehzeeb & Heritage of Shahar-e Lucknow. Shamim A. Aarzoo, the founder of the society is instrumental in organizing the festival. Lucknow Literary Festival acknowledges new literary talents, honors our legends, while restoring literary tradition of the past, Lucknow’s own unique heritage and also evoking the newer generation’s interest. The event is also replete with entertainment for the literary taste. Lucknow Literary Festival is, by far, India’s only literary festival organized solely on the independent efforts and endeavors of a youth organization with an average team age of 24 years.
The Lucknow Literary Festival has been adorned with sundry of well – known names and faces that not only grace the event with their presence but also share their experiences, their insights with young and old alike.
While, on one hand, the Lucknow Literary Festival has become a hub of the glitz from all across the country, it also dawns the light upon Lucknow’s own talent and gives them a stage to showcase themselves in our cultural programs.
“EK LUTF-E KHAAS DIL KO TERI AARZOO ME HAI,
ALLAH JAANE KITNI KASHISH LUCKNOW ME HAI”
The Wajid Ali Shah award was presented to nation’s very noted director Sudhir Mishra. Born and brought up in Lucknow, Sudhir Mishra is the grandson of former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Dwarka Prasad Mishra. His father, Devendra Nath Mishra, was the founder member of Lucknow Film Society. Sudhir Mishra along with Badal Sircar who is his college friend, formed a theatre group called Workshop Theatre and worked on several plays together. After a year and a half he moved to Pune with his brother Sudhanshu Mishra, who was the student then at Film and Television Institute of India and Sudhir gives brownie points to his brother for making him learn much of the cinema. Moving to the city of Dreams, Bombay in 1980, he began his career as assistant director and scriptwriter in Kundan Shah’s comedy classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and later worked with Saeed Akhtar Mirza in Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! in 1984 and with Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Khamosh in 1985. Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin in 1987 was his directorial debut which won him the prestigious National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director. He is credited for many applauded films like Dharavi in 1991, Main Zinda Hoon in 1988, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin in 1996 and Chameli in 2003. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2005 is his most hailed film up till now. Arjun Pandit (1999 film), Calcutta Mail (2003), Khoya Khoya Chand (2007), Tera Kya Hoga Johnny (2010) Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), Mumbai Cutting (2011), Inkaar (2013) and Kirchiyaan (2013) are his other endowed projects. Apart from directing and screenwriting Sudhir also appeared as an actor in many films like Khamosh in 1985, Traffic signal in 2007 and Raat gayi baat gayi in 2010.
Sudhir Mishra as a film director and screenwriter has been a crucial part of Hindi cinema and LUCKNOW Society is gratified by bestowing Wajid Ali Shah Award to Sudhir Mishra for his contribution in Hindi cinema and glorifying Lucknow. On greeting the audience Sudhir confessed his fear in speaking much in the city as his ancestors belong here and also there are many friends and relatives who want him to see them.
>> Wajid Ali Shah Award 2015 – Pandit Birju Maharaj
The Pride of Lucknow Award is given to luminaries for excelling in their respected fields.
The Pride of Lucknow award for contribution to Urdu Literature was awarded to Sardar Ratan Singh. His 10 books have been published out of which six were the collection of short stories, three novelettes and one autobiography. He has also translated 9 books from other languages into Urdu and three into Punjabi. Panaah Gaah is one most eminent out of his collection. It was a prestige to honour this versed luminary with Pride of Lucknow Award. Enunciating the people after receiving the award from Teesta Setalvad, He said everything he earned, he owes to his family and friends. He further added that he yet has no control upon his speech, whatever comes in his mind he articulates. It was a proud time for everyone present to hang on to the words of such a notorious personality.
The Pride of Lucknow award for contribution to Doordarshan, Literature and Cinema was conferred to Vilayat Jafri. Born on 2 October 1935 in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, Vilayat Jafri is a reputed playwright, poet and short story writer and well known in the literary, theatre and entertainment sector in India. He is well versed in 7 languages i.e.; Hindi, Urdu, English, Sanskrit, Persian, Punjabi and Arabic, but writes in Hindi and Urdu. He has worked as the Controller of Programmes Directorate General in Doordarshan New Delhi and he retired as the Director, Doordarshan. In 1993, a special programme was aired by BBC London, exasperating his contribution as a write and the theatre worker. He pioneered Light & Sound Programmes in India. He was an important part of various cultural bodies of the country. He was the Chairman of Inter Media Program Coordination Committee, Govt. of India from 1988 to 1993. He was a Member of National Film Development Corporation, Mumbai from 1987 to 1988 and Script Committee. He was also executed as the International Jury in a TV festival ‘Golden Prague’ Czechoslovakia in July, 1989. He was a Panel Member of India Council for Cultural Relations in Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Vilayat Jafri’s plays like Zaher Kaun Piye that received Urdu Academy Award. He also manifested his name in many Television Serials like Neem ka Ped, Aadha Gaon. He also aired many Radio Plays like Eik Gaon Ki Kahani and Sitaro Se Aage. He has authored 9 books of which 2 were awarded, including Thaki Yadein, Jahan Khoon Bikta Hai, Zaher Kaun Piye (Received Academy Award (1989) & J&K Govt. award (1969), Neelam Pari, Dhool Mein Phool, Chandi Ki Kirchein, Dahekta Avadh, Gustakhiya.
The Pride of Lucknow award for satire was awarded to Gopal Chaturvedi. An excellent satirist and a man of words, he is a gem to the literature of Lucknow. Unable to be a part of the literary festival due to his ill health, the LUCKNOW society feels proud to confer this year’s award for his excellence.
Decoding the undercurrents of elections in India, former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. S.Y. Quraishi and Kena Shree conversed on the trends of elections in the country in the session, “Demystifying elections and empowering India.” Mr. Quraishi highlighted the fact that elections are generally perceived as merely a political affair, but they are also the world’s greatest management event. They talked about the ‘First past the post system’ of elections in India and how it can be replaced for the better. The National Voters’ day is his invention. He said “It is a cause for celebration when you turn 18, and that is why we decided to observe this day. The first time we gave away 8 lac voter IDs.”
Former managing editor of India Today Dilip C. Mandal discussed the current scenario of media and the changing public sphere in a power packed session. He emphasized how social media has captured the Indian audience, and how it multiplies geometrically. He talked about idea sharing and benefits of social media. Speaking of the JNU students’ sedition charges issue, he said “We are a nation living in fear. “ It was a highly informative session; the audience took an active interest, raising many questions about the issues he mentioned.
Activist Teesta Setalvad sat in discussion with Ayaz Khalid on her book ‘Beyond Doubt’. It was a highly charged session with the audience hanging on to the magnetic pull of the revolutionary’s words. On her book Teesta Setalvad said “The entire effort is to expose deliberate propaganda by the people who believe in Hindu Rashtravaad. The centre has a schizophrenic relationship with Gandhi; they use his use his photographs but denigrate his politics.”
The performance by Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal, who hail from Germany, enchanted everyone by their performance. The performance started by a soulful performance by Sebastian Dreyer. He performed a few songs on the sitar which ended with a rapturous applause. The fusion of both Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal for the Baul blazed the stage and blew away everyone’s mind. The audience whole heartedly participated in the performance and cheered the artists with resounding applause throughout the performance.
The compelling “Dastan Ghummi Kebabi ki” was told by the dauntless Fauzia, the first female Dastango of modern times along with Fazal Rashid. This antique performance by Fauzia and Fazal gladdened everyone present their and drew back in the yellow pages of Awadh. The performance told the tale of Ghummi Kebabi and his journey of making the kebabs and his shop in the lanes of Old Delhi. The audience was spell bound by this art of storytelling and was listening intently to the words and the style of storytelling. Each member of the audience was hooked to every word of the Dastango.
Bollywood filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, theatre and film personality Atul Tiwari, and Vinod Bhardwaj sat in conversation with Ayaz Khalid, deliberating on the role of theatre in moulding Indian cinema. They discussed a variety of issues, including the inclusion of songs in Indian cinema to the portrayal of theatrical stories in the cinema. Another important point that was brought out was that theatre needed much more marketing than cinema due to its approach.
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Lucknow Literature Festival (LLF) conferred Wajid Ali Shah Award on the noted dance guru Pandit Birju Maharaj Ji. Mr. Asif Ali Mirza, Mr. Mir Jafar Abdullah and the Founder & CEO of The Lucknow Literary Festival, Mr. Shamim A. Aarzoo accompanied him on the stage. Mr. Sunil Sunkara who is an internationally acclaimed performing artist conducted the ceremony. On the screen the audience was led through time and witnessed the highlights of life and times of Pandit Birju Maharaj...
Best-selling author Preeti Shenoy took the limelight in the session, where her book 'It Happens For A Reason', a work enunciating the male perspective on human relationship, was launched. Preeti talked about her book and pointed out how relationships have...
The event also witnessed the launching of Ravinder Singh's new book 'Your Dreams Are Mine Now', followed by a discussion on his book and his experiences that led him to write. Ravinder is a noted author who shot to fame...
The session was conducted in honour of Padma Bhushan author Gopaldas Neeraj and his compositions. Evergreen songs like 'Khilte hain gul yahan, khil ke bikharne ko', 'Shokhiyon mein ghola jaaye', 'Mera Man Tera Pyasa', 'Rangeela re' etc. evoked nostalgia among...
Session on 'Gender Sensitization, road block to child education and the role of Government and society' in association with UNICEF. The session was presided by Niloufar Pourzand, Farah Usmani, Urvashi Sahni, Qaisra Shahraz and Sehba Ali. The panelists discussed the three key areas that have been pulling the society down, and that can be worked on so as to achieve an overall rise in the standards of the people and society. These vices have been gnawing at the roots of...
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LUCKNOW society, aims to preserve, promote and resurrect the inimitable culture and heritage of the city of nawabs, revive its past magnificence as it affects a modern grace. ‘Let’s Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’ – each character of the christening contains the fervor of commitment to the cause. Headed by a band of zealous lucknowites, the society came into force on 25th April 2011 sanctioned under the Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860). In the four years following its momentous conception, it has worked ardently as a restorative of the city’s primal pride, acting as a crucial channel between governmental and non-governmental organizations, individual crusaders of its cause. Cultural pursuits have been redeemed from fading ruins of remembrance and records. Poets, writers, warriors, places, customs, the arts and a quintessential people all celebrated and deemed with dignity and respect that is their due. Raising and revealing to the youth the soul of the city, its true and inspiring legacy and the onus that rests on them to uplift and sustain its cultural and social renovation, has been one of its essential occupation. Up, Aware and rooted in its regal inheritance that is the society’s goal for the city’s imminent heirs.
The Society has hot in only been a non-profit organization in these past years but has also acted as an extended family to the city. There have been made several efforts in making the city a better place by the Society. Be it awareness campaigns like “Kyun Ki Shahar Hai Aapka” or paying tributes to Lucknow’s legends in “Shaam-e-Adab”, LUCKNOW Society has always been paying equal consideration to the contemporary botheration as well as decrepit complications.
Be it the “Lucknow Literary Festival”, which has been adorned with sundry of well – known names and faces that not only grace the event with their presence but also share their experiences, their insights with young and old alike, which not only solves the purpose of making the legendary writers shine among the youngsters but also encouraging the young talent to come forward or be it bringing forward the drifting dance culture of Lucknow through “Lucknow Dance Festival”.
Be it the initiatives like “Let’s revive”, “Save Our Heritage”, “Know Your City”, which are not only targeted to make the city what it once used to be but too to make the youth aware of what they have been missing for so long. The initiatives are not only in order to spread the awareness but too returning the city its timeworn glory, which it has been losing with the advancing years.
As we say the Society has always played a role of the extended family to the city, it too has given equal opportunities as well as liberty to the citizens to the express their views and perspective through initiatives like “Let’s Share” and “Ab Isko Kya Kaha Jaaye” at the same time offering them equal insights of Lucknow’s Rich language and food culture through initiatives like “Zaban-e-Lucknow” and “Zaiqa-e-Lucknow”
Being a family there exist no chance to obliterate the memories of the ones who made us what we are today, our legends in various fields of life. The initiates like “Lets’s Salute” and “Yaadein” take us back in the dates to events and personalities associated to them. Encouraging the youth to come forward, the Society has been conducting the “Quiz Lucknow” strictly based on the lurking facts of the city as well as presenting the citizens with the enchanting beauty of the city through the monuments captured in the “Right Angle” calendar. LUCKNOW Society has also recently presented the city, a coffee table book “Discovering Lucknow” as well as a monthly magazine “The Lucknow Observer” which presents the readers with almost all aspects the city is known for.
Perpetually encouraging the new talent, the Society also conducts workshops like “Let’s Save Calligraphy” in order to save the dying art form, which still can be seen in almost all the mausoleum and mosques of the city. Online photography contests like “Explore Lucknow” are one of its kind contest, the Society is known for in youngsters while the renowned and the legendries have been awarded with “Pride of Lucknow Award” and “Wajid Ali Shah Award” on regular basis.
Lucknow Literary Festival bestowed Wajid Ali Shah award to legendary Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj. Named after last Nawab of Lucknow, the award was bestowed to Maharaj ji as he has made a great contribution in order to keep the art alive. He was born as Brijmohan Mishra to a noted Kathak exponent, Jagannath Maharaj, popularly known as Acchan Maharaj. His father served as a court dancer in Raigarh princely state. Trained by his uncles, Lachhu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj and his father, Birju Maharaj exhibited his talent at the tender age of seven and became a legend in the Lucknow gharana of Kathak dance. Credit goes to him for taking kathak to its previously unattained zenith. Pandit Birju Maharaj served as the director of the Kathak Kala Kendra for several years. He took to teaching kathak at a very young age and later founded his own dance school, Kalashram which imparts training to aspiring dancers. Though kathak remains his first love, very few know that he is trained in Hindustani classical music too. He has composed the music, and sang, for two dance sequences in the Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj ke Khilari, and choreographed the song Kaahe Chhed Mohe from the 2002 film version of movie Devdas. The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Vibhushan Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Kalidas Samman. In 2012, he was bestowed with the National Award for Best Choreography for the film Vishwaroopam.
The Lucknow Literary Festival and so its audience was indeed fortunate to have been graced by Pandit Birju Maharaj. The presentation screen at the festival showcasing old video clips, which showed him dancing and imparting kathak lessons to audience evoked a sense of nostalgia and pride among his fans. In the heart-to-heart interaction with the audience, Pandit Birju Maharaj said he was overjoyed to have won the award. He also expressed his desire for the revamping of his old ancestral home Kalka Bindadin Maharaj ji ki Dyodhi at Lucknow into a heritage spot. It is relevant to mention here that the government of Uttar Pradesh has ordered a grant for the restoration of his ancestral property in Lucknow. Pandit Birju Maharaj wishes to establish a kathak training school at his ancestral home with due support from the government. He also expressed concern at the eroding tehzeeb in Lucknow and stressed the need to revive performing arts in the city.
Besides Wajid Ali Shah award, the Pride of Lucknow awards were conferred on three distinguished luminaries.
The Pride of Lucknow award for the contribution to Hindi literature was bestowed on author Shiv Murti. Born on March 11, 1950, Shiv Murti is one of the leading voices in contemporary Hindi fiction. Hailing from humble background, his life was full of struggle. But the best steel is made when iron is passed in hottest temperature. This holds true for author Shiv Murti. A person of few words, he let his works do the talking for him. His first story ‘Mujhe Jeena Hai’ followed by ‘Paanphool’ was published when he was studying in 12th standard. Thereafter he never looked back. His works depict the plight of rural folk in true light. Caste politics, power politics, poverty and Dalit problems form the theme of his works. One of his best novels ‘Triyacharitra’ portrays the life of a young girl who is false implicated for having an illicit relationship and as a consequence has to bear the brutal punishment handed out by gram panchayat. This novel was later made into a movie by Basu Chatterjee. Since his works paint a picture of rural life in true fervor, his fans consider him as second Premchand. But he brushes aside this compliment saying: “Premchand is Premchand. I can never replace him.” His other novels are Trishul and Tarpan. Keshar Kasturi is a collection of stories authored by him. Now his fans should gear up for the re- release of his novel ‘Akhiri Chhalang’. Shivmurti has won Kathakram and Hans award in the past. Though he is satisfied with the kind of Hindi works produced today, he expresses concern at the youngsters losing interest in Hindi literature.
The Pride of Lucknow award for excellence in women empowerment was bestowed on Madhvi Kuckreja, a social worker and founder of NGO Vanaangan. Humbled to receive the award, she considers herself fortunate to have won it though she had shifted her base to Lucknow only few years back. She has set up a shop, Sanatkada here that sells handicrafts, functions as a café, a book club and a film club, all rolled into one. Madhvi has supported numerous women-led, grassroots-level organizations to emerge as transparent, vibrant entities that are sensitive to women. Internationally, she has worked on building opinion against women being subjected to violence in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka and Sudan. Before moving to Lucknow, she was earlier working in Bundelkhand for alleviating the problems of Dalit women, who are entangled in triad of poverty, caste discrimination and gender subjugation. Though they have been financially independent for long, Dalit women are subjected to discrimination and violence in all forms manifesting itself through rape, public humiliation, or honor killings. Another common punishment for breaking community rules that is also used simply for vengeance is public stripping and parading of women. Violence can also take an extreme form with lynching of women labeled as witches or dayans. Domestic violence however, cuts through religious, caste and class boundaries-dowry related death caused by “accidental” burning of women thrives in the state. Moreover, when women gain property rights-usually after being widowed-they become targets of violence by members of the family or community. Therefore, instead of being economically empowering, property is itself a reason for violence against women. She expresses satisfaction that Due to the collective efforts of her NGO, knowledge levels among Dalit women have increased and they are assuming leadership roles in the village community.
The third Pride of Lucknow award was conferred on noted Urdu author Anees Ashfaq. His work ‘Dukhyare’ highlighting his close relationship with elder brother carries the undertones of declining affluent culture of Lucknow. Elated though to receive the award, he considers ‘Qalam’ as his biggest award. “My writings are useless until they fail to strike a chord with genuine readers,” he said on his felicitation. So what make him pursue writing in Urdu? “I was an avid reader at the age of 18-19. Credit goes to my mother for imparting me lessons in Urdu and shaping my language as it is today.” He expresses concern at the declining habit of reading in today’s youngsters and their overriding ambitions to become stars overnight. He, however, lauds the initiative of Lucknow Society and stresses such rendezvous should be encouraged as they serve as a platform to bring genuine writers together and instills awareness among people. His writings reflect genuine critical analysis of the contemporary scenario. He believes that writings on Lucknow today are not portraying it in true light. With his desire for cultural revival of the city, his upcoming next novel is also set in Lucknow.
With conferring of these four awards, honouring of the dignitaries at the festival came to an end. We at Lucknow Society are thrilled to award best of talent in the city and will continue to reward blossoming excellence in the years to come.
Lucknow Literature Festival (LLF) conferred Wajid Ali Shah Award on the noted dance guru Pandit Birju Maharaj Ji. Mr. Asif Ali Mirza, Mr. Mir Jafar Abdullah and the Founder & CEO of The Lucknow Literary Festival, Mr. Shamim A. Aarzoo accompanied him on the stage. Mr. Sunil Sunkara who is an internationally acclaimed performing artist conducted the ceremony. On the screen the audience was led through time and witnessed the highlights of life and times of Pandit Birju Maharaj Ji.
Best-selling author Preeti Shenoy took the limelight in the session, where her book ‘It Happens For A Reason’, a work enunciating the male perspective on human relationship, was launched. Preeti talked about her book and pointed out how relationships have transformed through technology and love letters have given way to Facebook posts and WhatsApp messages. Nevertheless, “emotions in relationships have remained untouched,” she said.
The event also witnessed the launching of Ravinder Singh’s new book ‘Your Dreams Are Mine Now’, followed by a discussion on his book and his experiences that led him to write. Ravinder is a noted author who shot to fame with his debut novel ‘I Too Had A Love Story’. The book was based on the real experiences of his own life.
The session was conducted in honour of Padma Bhushan author Gopaldas Neeraj and his compositions. Evergreen songs like ‘Khilte hain gul yahan, khil ke bikharne ko’, ‘Shokhiyon mein ghola jaaye’, ‘Mera Man Tera Pyasa’, ‘Rangeela re’ etc. evoked nostalgia among the audience. The session commenced with words of praise for Neeraj Ji by none other than Maulana Kalbe Sadik, who emphasized on the sensibility of the choice of his words, the depth of his verses and their simplicity.
Session on ‘Gender Sensitization, road block to child education and the role of Government and society’ in association with UNICEF. The session was presided by Niloufar Pourzand, Farah Usmani, Urvashi Sahni, Qaisra Shahraz and Sehba Ali. The panelists discussed the three key areas that have been pulling the society down, and that can be worked on so as to achieve an overall rise in the standards of the people and society. These vices have been gnawing at the roots of the Indian society for ages and rendering it hollow, and our panel unanimously agreed that it falls upon every individual’s shoulder to clean the mess of their own society, and owe up responsibility.
The Lucknow Literary Festival is an initiative of LUCKNOW Society that acknowledges new literary talents, honors our legends, while restoring literary tradition of the past, Lucknow’s own unique heritage and also evoking the newer generation’s interest. The event is also replete with entertainment for the literary taste. Lucknow Literary Festival is, by far, India’s only literary festival organized solely on the independent efforts and endeavors of a youth organization with an average team age of 24 years.
The Lucknow Literary Festival has been adorned with sundry of well – known names and faces that not only grace the event with their presence but also share their experiences, their insights with young and old alike.
While, on one hand, the Lucknow Literary Festival has become a hub of the glitz from all across the country, it also dawns the light upon Lucknow’s own talent and gives them a stage to showcase themselves in our cultural programs.
And then of course, there are books !!
Lucknow society, aims to preserve, promote and resurrect the inimitable culture and heritage of the city of nawabs, revive its past magnificence as it affects a modern grace. ‘Let’s Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare of Society’ –each character of the christening contains the fervor of commitment to the cause. Headed by a band of zealous lucknowites, the society came into force on 25th April 2011 sanctioned under the Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860) . In the four years following its momentous conception, it has worked ardently as a restorative of the city’s primal pride, acting as a crucial channel between governmental and non-governmental organizations, individual crusaders of its cause. Cultural pursuits have been redeemed from fading ruins of remembrance and records. Poets, writers, warriors, places, customs, the arts and a quintessential people all celebrated and deemed with dignity and respect that is their due. Raising and revealing to the youth the soul of the city, its true and inspiring legacy and the onus that rests on them to uplift and sustain its cultural and social renovation, has been one of its essential occupation. Up, Aware and rooted in its regal inheritance that is the society’s goal for the city’s imminent heirs.
In spite of being a Non-Lucknowite by birth, the love he carries in his heart for Lucknow as well as Literature is incomparable. The zeal to carry forward the heritage and culture of the city of Nawabs led him to the foundation of the LUCKNOW Society, which reflects his efforts to preserve the unique Lucknawi Tehzeeb and makes every citizen proud of the unique culture and heritage of which Lucknow has been a home for an endless time period now. At the very same time Literature also played a very important role to bring out the best in him as the founder of the Lucknow Literary Festival and Editor in chief of the first english literary magazine of Lucknow, The Lucknow Observer.
Displaying great leadership and vision, he has led from the front in an effort to make Lucknow a better place and, at the same time, reviving what rightfully belongs to Lucknow. Be it awareness campaigns like Kyun Ki Shahar Hai Aapka or paying tributes to Lucknow’s legends in Shaam-e-Adab. His innovativeness has been his sharpest tool to serve the city, be it his initiatives like Let’s revive, Save Our Heritage, Know Your City, which are not only targeted to make the city what it once used to be but too to make the youth aware of what they have been missing for so long or be it the book he recently presented to the city, Discovering Lucknow, a coffee table book, which not only gives the minutiae of the monuments but too depicts them in the then and now effect.
Always mindful, always in search of the next level, he not only sets an example for others but also sets very high standards for himself that ultimately set him apart from everyone.
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Lucknow’s 1st Interactive News Magazine, The Lucknow Observer aims to first and foremost document and to preserve the rich cultural and literary heritage of Lucknow city. The objective is to remind and to return to contemporary citizens a historical legacy that belongs to them, to help transform that which is in a state of decay into development and above all to share with readers local personalities and events that make living in Lucknow such a special experience. Mission is to...
Among many Indian Dance forms Kathak stands out being the most graceful dance form. In Lucknow, Kathak developed mainly in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. It was in this period that Lucknow gained maturity and perfection. The Lucknow...
Abdul Halim Sharar in Guzishta Lucknow calls this art as ‘extemporaneous composition’. The development of Urdu language in Lucknow was not only limited to letters and court culture. Contributions were made at all levels of society which caused the language...
Lucknow Literary Festival has the distinction of being the only Literary Festival where Mushaira & Kavi Sammelan are part of the festivity. If not its birthplace, then Lucknow is certainly one of the pilgrimage sites of poetry! The region bears...
Pornpen Hantrakool ( Thailand ), William Letford ( Scottland ), Satya Verghese ( Bulgaria ), Pranesh Prasad ( Australia ), Raza Naeem ( Pakistan ) & Jatinder Singh ( UK ) explored what are in minds of the young readers....
Shabana Azmi, Sudhir Kakar & Bina Ramani launched ‘25 Strokes of Kindness’ by Nikita Singh. This is her most recent book, which is an anthology of short stories, co-edited with Orvana Ghai. Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of six novels, including Love @ Facebook, Accidentally in Love, The Promise and The Unreasonable Fellows. She has co-authored two books with Durjoy Datta, titled If It's Not Forever and Someone Like You. She has also contributed to the books of The...
Lucknow’s 1st Interactive News Magazine, The Lucknow Observer aims to first and foremost document and to preserve the rich cultural and literary heritage of Lucknow city. The objective is to remind and to return to contemporary citizens a historical legacy that belongs to them, to help transform that which is in a state of decay into development and above all to share with readers local personalities and events that make living in Lucknow such a special experience. Mission is to publicize the knowledge of historical facts, monumental evidences, lost heritage, declining mannerism and extincting flavor of Lucknow; to restore the diminishing traditions of Lucknow and make every citizen a proud associate of unique Lucknowi Tehzeeb; to realize a holistic betterment of Lucknow through concentrated efforts of awareness and objective welfare.
Among many Indian Dance forms Kathak stands out being the most graceful dance form. In Lucknow, Kathak developed mainly in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. It was in this period that Lucknow gained maturity and perfection. The Lucknow Gharana of Kathak dance is characterised by graceful movements, elegance, precision and delicacy. Dance type in Lucknow is artistically combines with classical music like thumri, dadra and horis. Many sufi followers find Kathak the most suitable form of dance for sufi songs or sayings. Presently, Pandit Birju Maharaj, son of Pandit Achchan Maharaj is considered the pioneer for the Lucknow gharana. Natalia Hildner from U.S. is one such example who finds her soul in Kathak dance. She has been trained under Birju Maharaj and is a fond propagator of Kathak form of dance. She is of the opinion that “what we recognize as Kathak today was born in Lucknow. Where did its nazakat nafazat, salaami, thaat, mijaaz and andaaz come from? Kathak is not just a dance, but also a journey of self-discovery. Kathak communicated something beyond this world…from its stories to its poetry, from its rhythm to its virtuosity, from its depth to its playfulness, from its colloquial flavor to its elegance, from its grace to its power”.
Abdul Halim Sharar in Guzishta Lucknow calls this art as ‘extemporaneous composition’. The development of Urdu language in Lucknow was not only limited to letters and court culture. Contributions were made at all levels of society which caused the language to improve, broaden and assume new aspects which were sources of interest to all classes. One such effort was Dastangoi, the art of story telling. Stories with imaginative instincts were recited by dastangos of Lucknow in 18th & 19th century. Mahmood Farooqui described that in 1881, buoyed by the success of the Amir Hamza story, Munshi Newal Kishore Press, Lucknow embarked on a highly ambitious literary print project. He assembled some of the leading Dastangos of Lucknow and commissioned them to produce the entire Hamza narrative as it existed in oral and written records. The result, by the end of a labour of twenty five years, was a series consisting of 46 huge volumes, each about a thousand pages long. It is the crowning glory of Urdu literary tradition and the summit of a thousand years of the Indo-Islamic composite culture.
Lucknow Literary Festival has the distinction of being the only Literary Festival where Mushaira & Kavi Sammelan are part of the festivity. If not its birthplace, then Lucknow is certainly one of the pilgrimage sites of poetry! The region bears a distinct influence on Urdu Ghazal Khwaani and Lucknow school being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. The lyric and rhyme of an Urdu Nazm and Ghazal is best enjoyed in a traditional Mushaira where poets’ distinct style of elocution adds to the creations charm and cheered by listeners Waah-Waah! Kavi Sammelan is an integral part of the North Indian Culture. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, a culmination of top contemporary poets graced the festival!
Pornpen Hantrakool ( Thailand ), William Letford ( Scottland ), Satya Verghese ( Bulgaria ), Pranesh Prasad ( Australia ), Raza Naeem ( Pakistan ) & Jatinder Singh ( UK ) explored what are in minds of the young readers. It was an interesting panel discussion where writers from various continents discussed about the reading habits of the youth. The various shades of culture reflects the variety of lifestyle and so the change in language; whereas the youths reflect some similarities in the reading habits. It is due to the globalization and the concept of one-world.
Shabana Azmi, Sudhir Kakar & Bina Ramani launched ‘25 Strokes of Kindness’ by Nikita Singh. This is her most recent book, which is an anthology of short stories, co-edited with Orvana Ghai. Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of six novels, including Love @ Facebook, Accidentally in Love, The Promise and The Unreasonable Fellows. She has co-authored two books with Durjoy Datta, titled If It’s Not Forever and Someone Like You. She has also contributed to the books of The Backbenchers series. Nikita received a Live India Young Achievers Award in 2013. With a library stocked with over 12,000 books, she is a voracious reader and adores her collection of fantasy novels. She is a cricket enthusiast and enjoys a good cardio workout.
Shashank Prabhakar has emerged as an eminent poet among galaxy of modern literary artist. His unmatched talent and unusual literary caliber has enriched his artistic career. He was brought up in a literary environment as his father honourable Padam Bhushan Gopal Das Neeraj is a well known and versatile poet and literary artist. His mother late Manorma Sharma was an active socialist and endeavored for the welfare of others. Therefore, he inculcated the multifacinated traits of his parents. He has also contributed in the well known news channel Sahara Samay. Prabhakar’s poetic career not only lasts in the nation but also on international ground. His valuable contribution is vividly perceived for fifteen years. His poetic genre is embellished with many poemsHe has also been an editor of a famous poetic book. He has the musical element, Figurative language and vivid imagery is predominant in his poems. His poetic talent is further embodied with various works of art which he will provide his readers and audience in the forthcoming scenarios.
Raza Naeem is an independent Pakistani Arabic-speaking social scientist, book critic and translator based in Lahore. He is also a longtime activist of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP), being involved in organizing and mobilizing workers, peasants and youth in Lahore and Karachi for over a decade. He has been trained in Political Economy from the University of Leeds in UK, and in Middle Eastern History and Anthropology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, US. He has travelled and lived in, and written widely about Egypt, Yemen and Turkey over the years. He is presently working on three books, namely, a political and cultural history of Yemen post-Arab Spring, on the contradictions of bourgeois democracy in Pakistan, as well as translating Saadat Hasan Manto’s Letters to Uncle Sam and other postcolonial essays from the Urdu. His published articles on Manto, and selected translations from Manto, have already been translated into Tamil. He has recently been awarded a prestigious British Council and Charles Wallace Trust Fellowship 2013-14 to continue his work on Manto’s essays at the University of Bradford in UK.
Vikram Mani Tripathi Science Teacher, Director/Producer-Awadh Darshan program (Nepal Television), Member of Awadhi Book writers team (Nepal), Member of Awadhi grammar writers team, Awadhi Language Teacher’s Trainer (Nepal). Degree of proficiency and excellence in Awadh, Nepali, English, Hindi languages. he has authored 16 books in Awadhi language,6 in Nepali.He was the Individual Consultant, UNESCO, Kathmandu, Nepal from 11 May 2010 to 30 December 2010, In view of improving the quality of literacy programs for Awadhi speaking people, in the context of education for all and with in the framework of the project entitled “Literacy for All : Empowerment and Poverty reduction in Post Conflict Nepal (Second Phase)”.
Dr. Janardhan Waghmare is a Writer, Poet, Novelist, College Teacher and Educationist, Agriculturist, Politician and Social Reformer. He is a proud member of Nationalist Congress Party. He has credited as Member, Sub-Committee-I on the Implementation of the Right to Education Act of the Committee on Human Resource Development Dec. 2011 onwards. He is the author of more than 20 Hindi and Marathi books. Also he has a good command over English language. He has written articles and research papers in Marathi and English in various journals, periodicals and magazines. He has had the honour and privilege to be the President of various conferences and seminars. Awarded for literary, educational and social work, namely Meritorious and Ideal Teacher Award Ambedkar Dalit Mitra award, Late Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Award,Dr. Ambedkar Vishesh Seva Puraskar, Dalit Sahitya Academy,Late P.Y. Deshpande Memorial Chandrabhaga Teeri Award for literature,Marathwada Gaurav Puraskar,Lal Bahadur Shastri Seva Gaurav Puraskar,Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar by Social Integration Institute, Parbhani, Late Narhar Kurundkar Puraskar, Rashtriya Ekta Award,Satyashodhak Dinkarrao Jawalkar Memorial Award,Bhooshan Award,Samata Puraskar.
Dr. Surachna Trivedi, Assistant Professor, Sanskrit in Bhagwan Deen Aryakanya Post Graduate College, Lakheempur. She has been writing poems and short stories in Sanskrit and Hindi (Khadi Boli and Awadhi). She has presented her research papers in several national and international seminars and conferences. She is a regular columnist in several magazines and newspapers. She has been writing a monthly column ‘Urja’ in Dainik Jagran since 2009. She is also associated with Yojna, Seva-Chetna, Sahitya-Amrit and Manas Chandan magazines. She is also associated with Akashvaani for various talks and poems in Hindi and Awadhi. Dr. Trivedi is also member in various government and non-government organisations like: Akhil Bhartiya Awadhi Samaj, Hindi Seva Samiti, Sanskrit Parishad Lakheempur etc.. She received the title of Sanskrit Bharti and Vidyottama by Akhil Bhartiya Sanskrit Paricharini Parishad, Kanpur. She was awarded by Sushma Saraswat Samman by Hindi Sabha, Sitapur, and received award from Uttaranchal Sanskrit Akademy for her short stories. She has also received Lokbharti Uttar Pradesh. She is selected as Sanskrit Assiciate by Bhartiya Uccha Adhyan Sansthan, Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla (H.P.) for three years.
Umesh Chauhan, full name, Umesh Kumar Singh Chauhan, is an I.A.S. officer of 1978 batch(Kerala Cadre). Presently he is the Joint Secretary in Khadya Mantralaya, Government of India, New Delhi. He had a keen interest in Hindi and Awadhi Literature since his student life. Several poems, stories and articles are published time to time in Hindi and Malayalam Magazines and newspapers. He has written many books and got it published by different publications among which Gaanth mein loon baandh thodi chandani(2001) , Daana Chugte Murge(2004), Akkittam Ki Pratinidhi Kavitaaein(2009), and Jinhein dar nahin lagta(poetry collection published in 2012) are very famous. he received Abhay Dev Smarak Bhasha Samanavay Puraskar by Bhasha Samanvay Vedi in the year 2009 and Raj Bhasha Samman by IFCO in the year 2011.
Dr. Suresh is the name of a tradition of Hindi Geet. He is widely appreciated not only in India but also the whole Hindi world like, Middle East and England. He is also known for his creative works. ‘Ham to thehre yaar banjaare’ is the land mark creation of Dr. Suresh which was highly appreciated. During Recitation of the poetry he makes his own magnetic field and connects with his listeners . Great Hindi poet Sohan Laal Dwivedi launched Dr. Suresh on the Kavi Sammelan Stage for the first time. Since then he has been showing his versatility.
Born in 1956 in a far-flung village in the Lower Himalayas, Navin Joshi took to writing fired by his sheer concern for the downtrodden. His pain for the victimised has invariably manifested in all his writings including innumerable features and columns over the last 37 years.
Navin was mentored by the illustrious Editors Ashok ji and Rajendra Mathur as a journalist. Graduating in Science from Lucknow University in 1975, he joined Swatantra Bharat, the then leading daily of Lucknow as an apprentice in 1977. Later he worked for Nav Bharat Times, Dainik Jagran and Hindustan in various capacities. Presently he is associated as an Executive Editor with Hindustan.
During all these years he has regularly pursued his interest in literature. An awarded storyteller, Navin’s short stories have been published by various literary magazines. He has two collections of short stories published to his credit and a novel ‘Dawanal’ on the famous Chipko movement.
Dr. Tariq Qamar is one of the most prominent young poet of our country no doubt he holds a unique position among the best young poet of modern literature. Besides having master degrees in three respective subjects English, Urdu and Mass communication he has also completed his Doctorate under the title of Imagination in modern poetry. Poetry comes to him as ancestral heritage as his grandfather was a great scholar n cleric of Persian and Tariq’s father Syed Aqil Sambhali was also a well renowned poet having four books in his account. Tariq started writing poetry quite early in his life he got national poetic award from BBC Urdu Service (London)at the age of sixteen. Dr Tariq Qamar is very particular about language and diction. While his diction rooted in the classical tradition he touches modern subjects and this blending makes his poetry remarkable. His poetic collections Shajar Se Lipti Hui Bel and Patton Ka Shor got tremendous response from great critics of Urdu world. Tariq Qamar has represented ant recited his poetry in more than 15 countries. He is also known as sound and matured journalist at present he is working in ETV group as a senior editor of Urdu channel.
Girish N. Pande, an IRS 1978 batch, has worked in the Income Tax Department in various capacities at various places. Presently he is Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Kolkata. His literary activities are not limited to any one area. Five collections of poems have been published; Yathartha Ke As Pas, Bolo Dharmaraj, Kavi Hota Hai Kisan, Guraudah Jhoppa and Dharti Janti Hai has been translated and published in Tamil. The book Takhti Ke Akshar has been very much appreciated in the world of education and it’s English and Urdu translation are very famous. Collection of prose satires Kuch Mati Ki, Kuch Kumhar Ki has been published by Lok Bharti, Allahabad. Jeevocracy is collection of satires, short stories, new interpretation of folk stories and pieces from the author’s diary. He has received Vijaya Dev Narain Sahi Award on the poetry book Kavi Hota Hai Kisan by U.P. Hindi Academy and Shree Narain Chaturvedi Award by U.P. Hindi Academy on the book of satires Kuch Mati Ki, Kuch Kumhar Ki by then Prime Minister of Indian in 1998.
Naresh Saxena has worked as Deputy Manager in Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, Executive Director technology mission and several other posts and has retired. He has worked as Engineering Consultant in Asian Development Bank, Manila and has worked as expert in several national and international projects. He has produced and directed several short films and was awarded by National Award in 1991 for Film Direction. He has written scripts for several plays. His play ‘Aadmi ka Aa’ has been presented more than 5000 times in several Indian languages. He has been awarded by Pahal Samman, Shamsher Samman, Rituraaj Samman, Sahitya Bhooshan, Kavita Kosh Samman, Saroj Smriti Samman for literature. His poetries are mentioned in the course of several universities. His poetry collection consists of Samudra Par Ho Rahi Hai Baarish, Suno Charusheela, Chambal Ek Nadi Ka Naam etc.
The pen is mightier than the sword. Katyayini has brought this saying to life with her actions. A Hindi poet and a writer who has been working for women’s rights, democratic rights and labor rights since 1980 , Katyayiniis also well-known journalist and has worked as correspondent for newspapers and journals like Navbharat Times, Swatantra Bharat and Dinman Times. She is the co-editor of DishaSandhan (a theoretical journal), Naandipath (a journal focused on media studies), and the World Classics Series of books published by RajkamalPrakashan. She has published 7 collections of poetry and 3 collections of articles which includes volatile themes such as the ones is SaatBhaiyonke Beech Champa, Is PaurushpurnaSamay Meinand ShadyantraratMritatmaonke Beech (articles focused on communalism, intellectual question and social significance of literature).Some of her poems have been published in the Penguin Anthology of Indian women poets ‘In Their Own Voice’.
A rags to riches personality. Born to a cloth mill worker, brought up in Indore, RahatIndori today is rich with more titles, national and international, than his humble heart can handle. A world-renowned Urdu poet, film lyricist, and even a teacher for a part of his career. Tracks like “BhumroBhumro” from “Mission Kashmir” and “DekhoDekhoJanam Ham” from “Ishq” are the prodigies of his penmanship. Truly an all-rounder, not only was he brainy but a sportsman as well during his college days as captain of both football and hockey teams. Some of the feathers in his cap include Honours from the Embassies of India, Riyadh, and Saudi Arabia, Dr. ZakirHussain Award by the Delhi Government, and Award of Excellence in Urdu Poetry, Social Educational & Welfare Association (SEWA), Mumbai .We appaluad this cocktail of talent that we have before us in the form RahatIndori.
Vinod Tiwari is an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Hindi, University of Delhi, Delhi and has been a visiting professor to Ankara University, Turkey for two years. His linguistic skills have elevated to the extent of showcasing themselves in his publications and his occupation as a critic and an editor. He has been the editor of Bahuvachan – Issue-12&13and Pakshdhar. His publications include Parampara, SarjanaurUpnyas(A Criticism), NayiSadikiDahleej Par(A Criticism) , Vijaydev Narayan Sahi (A Monograph for Sahitya Akademi, Delhi), AcharyaRamchandraShuklakeshresthaNibandh (Edited Version), and Nibandh : VicharaurRachna (Edited Version).
Dr. Rambahadur Mishra is a well-known name in Awadhi. He is a famous poet, writer and editor. He has written several books and has contributed to the Awadhi Literature with his works, among his famous works Awadhi Lokoktiyan(1992) and Awadh Ma Holi Khelain Raghubira (1999, in which he has composed 1000 Awadhi Phaag), are much praised. His awarded works consists of Yak Rahein Raja(Awadhi Nibandh), Awarded by Jayasi Puraskar by U.P. Hindi Sansthaan(2004) and Awadhi Ke Pratinidhi Muhawre, Awarded by Ram Naresh Tripathi Puraskar by U.P.Hindi Sansthan(2005). He has edited several Awadhi Magazines like Nakhat(all the four parts.), Ye Maati Awadhraani Hai(2005), Aapani Dharti Aapan Dhaam(2010) and much more. He has been awarded several times by Awadhi Ratna Sammaan(2003,2010), Rashtriya Hindi Sewa Samman(2010), Awadhi Shiromani(2012), Kavya Shri Sammaan(2011) and so on. He is widely appreciated by Bhartiya Hindi Parishad(1998), Hindi Saahitya Sammelan Prayag-Ayodhya Adhiveshan(2010) and recently by Akhil Bhartiya Vaicharik Kranti Manch Lucknow(2013). He has given his contribution to Awadhi Language not only in India but in Nepal also he has propagated the same.
Born 1960, in Kadipur, Uttar Pradesh, writer and editor Akhilesh has published three collections of short fiction – Aadmi Nahin Tootata, Mukti and Shaapgrast – one novel,Anveshan, and a book on the Hindi novelist Shrilal Shukla. He also writes scripts and screenplays for TV. He edits and publishes a literary quarterly Tadbhav from Lucknow.
His awards include the Shrikant Verma Award, Banmali Award, Parimal Samman and the Indu Sharma Fiction Prize of Katha (U.K.).
Programme Coordinator with Oxfam India, Farrukh Rahman Khan also leads Oxfam India’s urban poverty programme portfolio under its Emerging Themes. With over 16 years experience as development professional, Farrukh has also been part of the Oxfam’s team working on Communalism & Peace building with cross cutting thematic perspective. As part of Oxfam India’s engagement on post 2015 agenda, he’s facilitated national consultation on Muslims & post 2015 development framework debate & processes. Farrukh has also contributed to Oxfam’s efforts towards reaching out to & inclusion of issues and priorities of marginalized communities across regions in Uttar Pradesh under MY WORLD Survey.
A famous name in Awadhi Literature, Editor of Amethi Samachar(regularly publishing since 1984) and Boli Bani (a third monthly magazine), He has written several books viz. Awadhi Sahitya Sarvekshan aur Samiksha, Awadhi Lok Kathaein, Gandhi-Gandhi, Gandhi aur Dalit Navjagran, Braj Sahitya Ka Itihaas etc.. Among his poetries Suyodhan,Tathagat, Paani Par Himalaya and Andhre Ke Haath Bater are the mos famous. He has been advisory member of several ministries (Rail, Vidhi & Panchayati Raj Mantralay). Mr. Jagdish Piyush is the founder of Awadhi Akademia nd Oriyadarshini Mahila Vidyapeeth. He has received several awards: Vishv Hindi Samman(Vishv Hindi Sammelan, New York, America), Maithlisharan Gupt Samman, Jaisi Samman(Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan).
Dr. Nalin Ranjan Singh: After completing his secondary education in Science Group from Azamgarh,he opted for University of Allahabad for his higher education. He pursued his Post Graduation in Hindi Literature from Allahabad and later enrolled himself as a research scholar in the University of Lucknow.He has researched with the stories of renowned literator Amarkant regarding social aspects. The thesis is entitled ‘Amarkant ki Kahanio mein Chitrit Samaj’.At present he is appointed as an Assistant Professor in Jai Narain P.G.College, University of Lucknow.Apart from the primary responsibilities of his profession he is engrossed in research work focused on ‘Women & Dalit Studies’. He has established himself as an young critic & folklorist primarily concerned with the deprived classes of the society. He is also associated with Aakshvani & Doordarshan.He is editor of a famous journal named ‘WARIMA’.His edited book ‘anchlik lokgeet:ek vishleshan’ is published by seriels publication.
Madan Mohan Danish, a modern poet with profound sensibilities, has earned a name for himself on the literary firmament in a very short span with his insightful and sunlit compositions. His listeners admire him for his velvety poetry which not only touches the human soul but also stirs conscience by commenting on the contemporary issues that concern society. Working currently as Programme Executive at All India Radio, he often finds himself penning down his musings.
His much lauded collection of poetry Agar earned him the reputation of a poet whose writings are fragrant of aesthetics of life.
He was conferred upon the highly coveted Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy Award in the year 2009. His commendable work has also earned him the Vasudev Sharan Chaturvedi Rashtriya Samman, Jaipur and theMrignayani Purskaar.
His literary voyages have taken him to the US, Dubai, Pakistan and Sharjah. Leading channels of the country such as ZEE, DD, Urdu TV, to name a few, have aired his poetry concerts and recitations.
Deepanjan Paul is a Software Engineer at IBM, Gurgaon. When he was 10 years old, he shifted to Lucknow. He did his schooling from City Montessori School and graduated from University of Lucknow. Since his childhood he had interest in sports and got many medals and trophies for his school. Besides taking part in sports, he used to write for his school magazine. His first non-fiction book, Volunteering Common Wealth Games, was published in the year 2010 after being a Volunteer in the Common Wealth Games. His second book , Please Come to My Desk is a fiction based on the various effects of recession in different walks of life.
Pankaj Prasun is a young and renowned Hindi satirist who has a strong presence in literary circuits. His articles regularly appear in print media too. He is primarily credited for using scientific similes and terminologies in his satires and poems. Some of his work (couplets and poems) has already been published. His poems, written with complete sincerity, are appreciated by critics and readers in equal measures.
Dr Srishti Srivastava, recipient of best thesis award in psychology for her Ph.D. thesis on “Self Esteem of Women Slum Dwellers”, still takes great pains to work for under privileged women living in the slums. A well known debater during her college time, she uses her debating skills to serve the society by giving talks on radio, FM and television on the subjects concerning mental well being and psychological counseling. Her programme Sangini for today’s women on ETV Uttar Pradesh is quite popular and appreciated. She regularly contributes in various news papers and magazines. Besides being on the panel of examiners in various Universities including I.G.N.O.U, she is invited as expert in training programmes of well known organizations like Judicial Training and Research Institute ( JTRI), Lucknow. She is on the panel of experts with many organizations like HelpAge India, Bharat Petroleum and Search Foundation etc..
Presently she is working in NKV PwG College, Luckno as Associate Professor and Head of Psychology department.
Dr. Roshan Taqui is an alumni of AMU & Ph.D from Lucknow University on ‘Lucknow Monuments – Preservation, Conservation Solutions’. His books [ Lucknow Dastavez, Lucknow – 1857, Images of Lucknow, Conservation of Lucknow Monuments, Lucknow Monuments – Conservation Problems & Solution, Hazrat Mahel, Bani, Chanchal, Lucknow Ki Bhand Parampara, 1857 Ke Baad Lucknow Ki Barbadi, Lucknow Ka Shia Samaj, Lucknow Ka Pehla Krantikari, etc ] have been published, all being related to Lucknow and are widely appreciated by the people and more than 100 libraries are credited with the same. He has done a great job in translating many books in Hindi & Urdu. 42 research papers on Lucknow have also been published by him. He has also written 8 plays & directed 13 plays!
Mehru Jaffer is a Lucknow born author and journalist. She has taught Islam related topics at the University of Vienna, Austria and at the Vienna American Webster University. She is the author of The Book of Muhammad, The Book of Muinuddin Chishti and The Book of Nizamuddin Aulia, all published by Penguin India. She has contributed a chapter on Religion in Bollywood Films in Fokus Bollywood: Das indische Kino in wissenscaftlichen Diskursen, edited by Professor Claus Tieber, Lit Verlag 2009. Mehru has filed extensively for the Indian media from Europe and Indonesia, including television and reported for the BBC. She has made Vienna is so Bolly, a one minute film on the fascination for Bollywood in Vienna, Austria. Her 50 minute documentary film on Shahrukh fans in Europe called Mr Khan Vienna Loves You was screened at Shahrukh Khan and Global Bollywood, an international conference hosted by the University of Vienna in 2010 where Mehru also moderated a workshop on Song and Dance in Indian Cinema. She is presently the Editor of Lucknow Observer, Lucknow’s 1st interactive news magazine!
M J Warsi, Indian-American linguist named as the recipient of the prestigious James E. Mc Leod Faculty Recognition for the year 2012. The award is viewed as a very prestigious honor in academics and given to
those who have positively and profoundly influenced the educational experiences to the students at Washington University. He has been the recipient of UP Hindi-Urdu Literary Award for the year 2011, named as “unsung hero” by the University of California at Berkeley in 2005, a recipient of West Bengal Urdu Academy award for his book “Diploma in Computer Application and Multilingual DTP” in 2003. Mr Warsi presently teaching at Washington University, the best institution in the world for linguistic magnificence. In the United Sates, M J Warsi, is making the study of South Asian languages and literature more popular and viable.
Warsi, author of many books have written extensively on South Asian Languages and linguistics. His latest book “Mithilanchal Urdu” published from Germany slated to be released in Lucknow Literary Festival. The book
is about his recent discovery of a new dialect spoken in Bihar.
Ashok Arora, a well-known lawyer and a former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association has done lot of research and has practical experience of more than thirty years in the field of Personality Development, Life/Communication Skills and Stress Management. Feeling concerned about the growing violent and suicidal tendencies, falling standard of physical and mental health of the youth world over, he resolved to renounce a lucrative law practice at the peak of his career to dedicate his life to guide the youth. Mr. Arora has authored many books book and articles. “Simple Tips for Sure shot Success” was authored to enable the youth to lead stress free/blissful life, imbibe moral values in a playful manner, make them more confident and assure them, by giving his own example that it’s not necessary to be born in a rich, powerful and well-connected family to succeed in life. Today After conducting over more than 200 talks across and more than 60 cities. He often fells that youth are full of positive energy, intelligence & talent they just need motivation and guidance to have success in life. However one of the most important aspects to a success full and happy life is motivation.
Lucknow’s native historian, Veena Talwar Oldenburg, has done pioneering work on the colonial impact on Lucknow’s gracious nawabi city. Her book, The Making of Colonial Lucknow (published by Princeton University Press and later by Oxford University Press in their Lucknow Omnibus) is an in-depth study of the aftermath of the bloody and heroic siege of the Residency by the rebels against the British forces in 1857. She has written on the transformation in fabric, governance and the cultural eths of the city. Her work on the Courtesans of Lucknow was both pioneering and trend-setting has been anthologized in many collections. Her anthology, Shaam e Awadh: Writings on Lucknow is part of the prestigious city series published by Penguin. She is the author of several other scholarly works, a specialist on gender and women’s history and the author of her critically acclaimed work on the history of dowry titled, Dowry Murder: The Imperial origins of a Cultural Crime, published by Oxford and penguin in two separate editions. She is a professor of history at the City University of New York and is currently writing a book on the history and astonishing growth of the Mellenium city: Gurgaon.
Sangita P Menon Malhan is a Delhi-based, former journalist. She worked at the Delhi Mid Day, The Statesman, and The Times of India, before experimenting with creative writing. In 2010, her short stories – Rastapherian’s Tales – were published by the Writers Workshop. In 2011, without having a working knowledge of Urdu, and while she was studying Bengali, she began writing poetry in the magical language. Her collection of poems in Urdu, Nusrat-e-Gham (The Triumph of Grief) was published in 2012 by Arshia Publications, following which she began studying the Urdu script. Her non-fiction on the greatest transformation that took place in the Indian media in the 1980s and 1990s – The TOI Story: How a Newspaper changed the Rules of the Game – was published recently by Harper Collins. Prior to this, she was a national gliding champion, and had acquired a Private Pilot’s Licence. Currently, she is a freelance editor and translator; she teaches French, and is picking up Spanish.
Syed Asghar Wajahat, popularly known as Asghar Wajahat is a Hindi scholar, fiction writer, novelist, playwright, an independent documentary filmmaker and a television scriptwriter, who is most known for his work, ‘Saat Aasmaan’ and his acclaimed play, ‘Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya, O Jamyai Nai’. He has published 20 books including five novels, six full-length plays, five collections of short stories, a travelogue, a collection of street plays and a book on literary criticism. He has also written film scripts and conducted workshops on screen writing. He has been placed among the top ten Hindi writers according to a survey conducted by Outlook (Hindi) magazine in 2007. Dr. Wajahat has also been involved in Hindi cinema as a scriptwriter since 1975 He has been honored by several literary organizations for his contribution to Hindi literature. Katha (UK), a London based organization gave him the ‘Best novel of the year award’ in 2006 for his novel Kaisi Aagi Lalaee.
A female author who has explored each and every aspect of being an Indian woman and had the graciousness to pen it down to reveal the seen yet unseen to general masses through books like Mukhwas-Indian Food Through the Ages, Shringara- The Many Faces of Indian beauty, Ardhanarishvara the androgyne, and Indian Erotica. She is responsible for curating several significant and perceptive exhibitions in India and abroad, and giving a name to some of the most upcoming and influential artists, photographers and sculptors. Alka Pande is currently engrossed as the Consultant Arts Advisor and Curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. In December 2006, she was awarded Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) award bequeathed by the French government. An art critic, cultural theorist, teacher, curator, and an author, Alka Pande has been passionately involved with the world of art for nearly three decades.
Dr. Sehba Ali is a scholar in languages and a distinguished teacher of languages. She obtained her education from Karamat Hussain College, I T College & University of Lucknow. She has a post graduate diploma in teaching English as a foreign language from University of London. She received her MA & Ph.D degrees in Applied Linguistics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. She has also obtained a Certificate of High Proficiency in French from the University of Ottawa and a Certificate in Spoken French from the University of Geneva. Dr. Ali has written ‘Learning a Foreign Language – Role of Linguistic Environment’ & ‘Interference from the Second Language in Learning a Third Language’ which are widely acclaimed as renowned Linguistic books. She is a prolific writer and has contributed many research papers and articles on Linguistics to Journals, Workshops & Seminars. She is freelance reporter and was editor of newsletter of United Nations Women’s Guide, Geneva. ‘Majaz Ki Baatein’ is a beautiful book written by her on the life & poetry of Asrar-ul Haq Majaz as she being a very close relative of ‘Majaz – Keats of Urdu Poetry’.
Anwar Jalalpuri is true genius of various languages. He was lecturer in English by profession, poet of Urdu by heart, academician of Hindi languages! Born in the town Jalalpur which is very famous for the Urdu poets. Early educated in Jalalpur & Azamgarh, whereas reached the climax of his literary intellect in Aligarh Muslim University ! He established a junior high school named after Mirza Ghalib in Jalalpur which is now an inter college. Lucknow is honoured to be the host city of his intellectualism. Anwar Saheb is also world famous for his ‘Nizamat’ which is always appealing to the people who love & admire poetry. We salute him for his unique task of translating all 701 Shlokas of the Bhagvad Geeta into Urdu poetry. He is also credited in translating 30th para of Quran as well as Geetanjali of Tagore into Urdu poetry! Dialogues and songs of the serial ‘Akbar The Great’ on television were penned by him. Anwar Saheb can also be seen in the movie ‘Dedh Ishqia’. Anwar Jalalpuri will always be remembered for promoting the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb through his literary works! We are looking forward for many more milestones from the genius!
Shalini Sinha works as an expert on gender and developmental issues and is based in New Delhi. She is currently affiliated with Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO), a global network that holds a secretariat at Harvard University and seeks to improve the status of the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy. Ms Sinha was introduced to the world of Disability by her son, and like Alice in Wonderland, she has found the journey both disturbing and charming; angst ridden and humour laced; challenging and inspiring. She has written extensively on gender and development issues but this is her first attempt to chronicle her life with her special needs son.
Urvashi is an Indian feminist and historian. She is the Director and Co-founder of Kali for Women, India’s first feminist publishing house. Her writing has appeared in several newspapers including The Guardian, The Statesman, The Times of India and several magazines including Outlook, the New Internationalist and India Today. Her main areas of research are partition and oral histories. She has also written on gender, communalism, fundamentalism and media. Recently, she was also conferred a Padmashree by for her contribution to the nation.
Urvashi Butalia started Zubaan, a renowned publishing house in 2003. Zubaan is an imprint of Kali for Women.
Smriti is a mother, writer and blogger and freelancer as she couldn’t bear to let her son and then her daughter out of her sight. She loves her garden, her fridge full of chocolate, her teetering stacks of books and her lily pond, all of which she appreciates thoroughly when she is not busy fighting deadlines. A prolific blogger, she has strong opinions and likes to wear her feminist badge on her sleeve.
Jaishree Misra has an MA in English Literature from Kerala University and two post-graduate diplomas from the University of London, one in Special Education and the other in Broadcast Journalism. She returned to India from the UK, where she worked at the BBC, in the Social Services department and as a film examiner at the British Board of Film Classification in London. Jaishree has written four novels published by Penguin, all which have been Indian best-sellers (‘Ancient Promises’, ‘Accidents Like Love & Marriage’ and ‘Rani’, a historical novel based on the life of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi). Her more recent book deal, with Harper Collins in the UK, was to write three commercial fiction novels (‘Secrets & Lies’, ‘Secrets & Sins’ and ‘A Scandalous Secret’). A new book of fiction will be released in 2014. She currently lives in Trivandrum with her family.
Dr. Vijay Kumar Karn is Associate Professor and Head of the Department, Sanskrit in a reputed college of Lucknow. He has been working for the promotion of Sanskrit language among people. His famous books are- Vyavahaarik Sanskrit Parshikshak, Karn Ek Vishisht Vyaktitva, Sanskrit Ratna(All the 4 parts), Semiconductor Shabdawali and Prasaar Bharti Shabdaawali. He has been the Editor of Shaikshik Sankalp(Monthly), Seva Chetna(six monthly), Gyaanayni(3rd monthly) and Parisheelam. He has written a numerous of research papers in national and international conferences and seminars and a number of them were published in newspapers, journals and magazines . His several programmes were broadcasted on Aakashwani, Lucknow viz. Kavyaganga, Deepawali, Paryavaranam Mahatyam, Vidwaan Sarvatra Poojyate and many more were broadcasted on Gyaanvaani like, Aadi Bhasha Sanskrit and Sanskrit Bhasha Mein Ritu Varnan. He has received several awards like Sarvshreshtha Shikshak Sammaan(2004), Yuva Sahityakaar Samman(2005), Sanskrit Seva Samman(Hariyana Sanskrit Akademi), Sanskrit Seva Samupasak Samman(Dilli Sanskrit Akademi) etc.
Japanese author and translator Tomoko Kikuchi who wears her Indian heart on her sleeves. She has been living in India for last 21 years – half her lifetime. So strong was her fascination that she decided to move here for good. She studied and mastered the Hindi language, and is today an authority on translating Japanese works into Hindi and Vice-Versa. She writes and translates both in Hindi and Japanese. Her famous translation works are Parvat Pita, Barish Ka Prakop Jhelkar and Vanaspati Ka Doctor. She also writes for many Hindi newspapers and magazines about literature, culture and world peace. Her famous works are Mahadevi Varma Ki Vishwadrishti, Hiroshima Ka Dard. She dubbed the Japanese animation film The Hiroshima Story in Hindi as Saras Par Chadh Kar. She was also honored in the ninth World Hindi Congress on September 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa and awarded by U.P. Hindi-Urdu Sahitya Award Committee. She says purpose of her writing is to speed up cultural exchanges between India and Japan.
Shabana Azmi is an actress of film, television and theatre. She made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of Parallel Cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and neo-realism. Regarded as one of the finest actresses in India, Azmi’s performances in films in a variety of genres have generally earned her praise and awards, which include a record of five wins of the National Film Award for Best Actress and several national and international honours. Azmi has appeared in over 120 Hindi films in both mainstream and independent cinema. In addition to acting, Azmi is a social and women’s rights activist, active in supporting child survival and fighting AIDS and injustice in real life. A Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), and a member of the Rajya Sabha. She is proud daughter of poet Kaifi Azmi and wife of Javed Akhtar.
Prof Roop Rekha Verma, formerly the Vice-chancellor, Professor & Head of the Philosophy Department and Dean, Faculty of Arts Lucknow University. She has taught there from 1964–2003. She has also been a recipient of the Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship for Oxford and has had the honor to be invited to deliver lectures and present research papers in various conferences and international seminars at many Indian and foreign Universities. She is a prolific writer and has published more than four dozen research papers in various books and journals, in India and abroad. Her publications include Philosophy of P.F. Strawson co-edited with Pranab Kumar Sen, published by ICPR in 1995. Her academic interests include pursuit of Philosophical Logic and Epistemology, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind and Metaphysics. She has been nominated by the Government of India as Executive Council Member of Aligarh Muslim University, Mahila Samakhya and in the Academic Committees of NCERT, Bhatkhande Music University and UP Social Welfare Board. Besides, she has occupied higher advisory positions as Honorary Advisor, ICPR and Member of UGC Philosophy panel, thrice. Professor Verma is also a well- known social activist and has intervened in several dozen cases of violence on women and communal violence, and fought for justice for the victims.
Sudhir Kakar is a psychoanalyst and writer who took his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Gujarat University, his Master’s degree (Diplom-Kaufmann) in business economics from Mannheim in Germany and his doctorate in economics from Vienna before beginning his training in psychoanalysis at the Sigmund-Freud Institute in Frankfurt, Germany in 1971. He has been 40th Anniversary Senior Fellow at the Centre for Study of World Religions at Harvard (2001-02), a visiting professor at the universities of Chicago (1989-93), McGill (1976-77), Melbourne (1981), Hawaii (1998) and Vienna (1974-75) and a Fellow at the Institutes of Advanced Study, Princeton and Berlin. Since 1994, he is Adjunct Professor of Leadership at INSEAD in Fontainbleau, France. Currently, he is also Senior Homi Bhabha Fellow, Fellow, Centre for Advanced Study in Humanities, University of Cologne and D.D. Kosambi Visiting Research Professor, Goa University. A leading figure in the fields of cultural psychology and the psychology of religion, as well as a novelist. Sudhir Kakar is author of seventeen books of non-fiction and four of fiction. His books have been translated into twenty one languages around the world.
You’ll find many passer-byes carelessly remarking on the state of the country and the everyday mayhem which religion causes. But how many of them actually take a constructive step towards a solution. Mr. Ram Puniyani is one such persona who adapted himself to the need of the time to promote humanity as a path to be taken to secularism. Ram Puniyani was a professor in biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and took voluntary retirement in December 2004 to work full time for communal harmony in India. He is involved with human rights activities from last two decades. He is associated with various secular and democratic initiatives like All India Secular Forum, Center for Study of Society and Secularism and ANHAD.
Mini Menon is an journalist who has covered both political and business news for the last 15 years. A popular face on Indian news television she is currently the Executive Editor of Bloomberg TV India, where she is in charge of news and features shows. Mini has won awards for her work as an news anchor and journalist and in 2013 she was adjudged as one of the 10 most influential women in Indian Marketing, Advertising and Media by Impact magazine. Over the last 16 years Mini has co- anchored some of the most iconic shows on Indian news television including Newshour with Arnab Goswami and Bazaar with Udayan Mukherjee. At Blommberg TV India, Mini does a popular series ‘Inside India’s Best Known Companies’ where she interviews India’s leading businessmen and CEOs. She also leads feature programming and has been responsible for creating cutting edge shows like ‘The Pitch’ & ‘Assignment’ and award winning documentaries like ‘In Focus’. In 2008- 2009 she was judged the best business news anchor by the Indian Broadcast Federation, Zee Astitva Award for Journalism, Rajiv Gandhi award for Excellence as a young achiever, Miss India Asia Pacific.
Dr. Syed Sulaiman Akhtar, Editor, Urdu SPAN is a seasoned journalist. He looks after Urdu SPAN’s web presence and oversees SPAN’s outreach programs too. Before joining American Embassy he worked for various news channels of Sahara India Parivar in different responsible position. His last posting in Sahara was with Aalami Sahara (Sahara’s Urdu News Channel) as Senior Producer. He also oversaw launching of Sahara’s news website. i e. Samaylive.com . He freelanced for Doordarshan both as news editor and anchor. He was associated with All India Radio’s News Services Division and External Affairs Division for many years. He has been writing for magazines and newspapers off and on and is active in the field of journalism since 1995. Delhi Urdu Academy awarded his book, “Electronic Media ki Tareekh” in 2011.
Shreyas Navare freelances as Editorial Cartoonist, Hindustan Times. He holds an MBA from IIT Bombay and B.E. (I.T.) from VJTI, Mumbai University. Shreyas has covered elections in six Indian states and the Presidential polls in the United States of Americathrough the eyes of a cartoonist on behalf of HT. He has held many cartoon exhibitions, one of which was inaugurated by the President of India in 2006 and by cartoonist R. K. Laxman in 2012. His first solo international caricature exhibition was held at Bangkok in 2011. One of Shreyas’s cartoons on foreign affairs has been published in an 8th std. history textbook in Finland. The Politickle Pickle, a compilation of his HT cartoons has been recently published by HarperCollins India.
She is an author who donned multiple roles in her life – fashion designer, entrepreneur, restaurateur, social worker, agony aunt, visionary, socialite and other labels. Bina Ramani recently launched her new autobiography ‘Bird in a Banyan Tree: My Story’ .People know her as the stubbornly honest witness who was taken into police custody and sent to Tihar Jail, was vilified by the media, and lauded by the country for her heroic role in the Jessica Lal murder case. But she is much more. Coming from a conservative and illustrious Sikh family that moved to Bombay from Pakistan after the tumultuous partition of India in 1947 what followed was a bitter divorce, a quest to reunite with her daughters against her ex-husband’s wishes and of course the Pandora’s Box that set itself open with her involvement with the murder of Jessicca Lal as an honest witness against the people with strong political backing. All this and a lot more has led her to be the epitome of strength.
Sudeep Nagarkar is the author of three bestselling novels – Few Things Left Unsaid (2011), That’s the Way We Met (2012) & It Started With a Friend Request (2013). Sudeep’s books are inspired from real life incidents and have sold more than lakh copies. They have been translated into regional languages and continue to top the bestseller charts since release. He also received ‘Youth achievers’ award in August 2013 for writing three bestselling novels back to back and for being one of the highest selling romance author in India. He has a degree in Electronics Engineering from Mumbai University and is currently pursuing management studies from Welingkar Institute of Management. He is also a motivational speaker and has given guest lectures in various institutes and organizations.
Story-telling, a lost art now, was the earliest form of entertainment. An art so powerful the storytellers were believed to possess mystical powers through which they could transport people into an entirely different dimension. Dastangoi is one such Urdu art of story-telling which was at its peak from the late 16th to 19th centuries, spinning tales around the adventures of Amir Hamza with over 50,000 characters and unlike Scheherazade of The Arabian Nights – whose stories lasted a thousand and one nights – Amir Hamza’s were never-ending. The reviver of this bewitching expertise in the present times is Mahmood Farooqui. This Rhodes scholar is author to Beseiged: Voices from Delhi 1857 in which he published a series of his translations of texts representing the views of those besieged in Delhi in 1857, translator of Habib Tanvir: Memoirs, and Co-Director, Peepli Live .
Darain shahidi an alumnus of one of the finest media institute Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He is a journalist, political commentator, news presenter and storyteller (dastango). He is currently associated with Network 18 as a presenter at IBN7. His father Dr Shahid Ahmed Shoaib is a well-known Urdu poet and professor of anthropology in Magadh University. From a minor town of Bihar, Gaya, Shahidi has gone on to anchor for BBC, Home TV and Star TV. He lately joined another top notch sports broadcaster ESPN. Still active in theatres this man has done 15-20 plays in Urdu and Hindi. Even after becoming a successful journalist he has not forgotten his roots from where he started off and is hence still kept himself dynamic in Dastongoi (an old art form of storytelling in Urdu). With a desirable profile in the journalistic world due to his experience and work he was awarded with the best sports presenter in 2007 at the Annual News Television Awards. From mainstream TV journalism to super hit prime time sports news, Darain has raised his bar with each passing day.
To the masses who hear his name he is identified in reference to his acting skills which he portrayed on the silver screen in films like Peepli Live, Dhobi Ghat and Losing Gemma. But Danish Hussain is much more than that. Apart from directing a classic play Chinese Coffee by Ira Lewis in which he acted as well and Krapp’s Last tape, he runs his own theatre company by the name of The Hoshruba Repertory. If this isn’t enough to keep him occupied he has even taken the task of reviving the lost art of Urdu story-telling known as Dastangoi at hand with Mahmood Farooqui. Even after this he finds time for pursuing his hobby if writing poetry. Glimpses into his life has led the glimpsers to the idea that he must sleep only about 20 hours a week.
Rakhshanda Jalil went to Delhi Public School and graduated in English Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University. She also has a doctorate in “The Progressive Writers’ Movement as Reflected in Urdu Literature” from the Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. A well known critic and literary historian, Rakhshanda Jalil has edited two collections of short stories; written a collection of essays on the little known monuments of Delhi; a literary biography of a feminist writer; published more than eight works of translations, among several other publications. Rakhshanda Jalil runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture and blogs at www.hindustaniawaaz-rakhshanda.blogspot.com and another at IBN Live. At present, she is engaged in a study of Indian secularism.
Nighat Gandhi is a writer, mother, Sufi wanderer, and mental health counsellor. She spent her formative years in Dhaka and Karachi, and has subsequently spent many years in India and the United States. She consciously identifies as a citizen of South Asia to transcend limitations imposed by narrow nationalisms. She is the author of Ghalib at Dusk and Other Stories and What I am Today, I Won’t Remain Tomorrow: Conversations With Survivors of Abuse. Her memoir/travelogue entitled Alternative Realities: Love in the Lives of Muslim Women is forthcoming from Tranquebar.
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Unlike the many personalities who have been introduced to you as of now, this person should be easy to identify with. Educated in La Martiniere Boys and Lucknow University, from the streets of the City of Nawabs itself we introduce you to Ayaz-uddin Khalid, popularly known as RJ Ayaz who must need no introduction to the regular listeners of the radio. Known through his talk shows on Radio City 91.1 currently and previously has worked with RTV, AIR FM, 92.7 Big FM and 94.3 My FM. Apart from this he holds a successful track-record of doing voice-overs for Discovery, National Geographic, CNN-IBN and other TV channels, on various documentaries for independent producers. A highly talented, dynamic & energetic Media professional, with 13+ years of successful career as a Producer, Radio Jockey, Voice over Artist, with reasonable grasp of operational aspects, we expect our young audience to be enthralled by his visit.
A freelance professional cartoonist / illustrator, Ajit Narayan has been drawing for various reputed publishing houses for over 20 years. He has served as a Cartoonist Consultant with N.I.E. (Newspaper in Education – The Times of India Group) for over 9 years and later as a Lecturer (cartooning) at Shankar’s Academy of Art and Book Publishing for two years. Conducting workshops in schools within and outside Delhi, he has served Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd., as a cartooning workshop consultant for over 10 years now. He began his career as a political cartoonist with Delhi Mid-day newspaper before starting out on his own. He is also the author of the books ‘Cartooning with Ajit Narayan’, ‘How to draw animal cartoons’, ‘Draw cartoons with Ajit Rai’, ‘Draw comic strips with Ajit Narayan’ !
Jawaid Danish is the founder and artistic director of Rang Manch, Canada, a not for profit theatrical group which promotes Indian theatre in Canada. He organises the Hindustani Drama Festival annually, showcasing the varied and rich heritage of Indian theatre. A celebrated author of 12 books in Urdu, Jawaid’s repertoire includes travelogues, poetry collections and drama. He prefers to write in Urdu which is his mother tongue, but his plays have been translated into English, Swedish, Hindi, Bengali and Kannada. Some of the plays from his award winning book ‘Hijrat Ke Tamashey’ were adapted for a 13-episode serial produced by Omni 2 T.V. in Toronto. His latest book of plays is ‘Chalees Baba Eik Chor’; recently he produced a film ‘Bada Shayer Chota Aadmi’ the first Indo-Canadian Urdu Film. He has received numerous awards and recognition including The Civic Arts Award – Pickering 2010, South Asian Theatre Festival Award – New Jersey 2008 and the Shiromani Sahitya Award – India 2007
Rising from the slums of Mumbai Satya has become a globe-trotter travelling to more than 100 cities in 25 countries and has lived in Dubai, England and now in Bulgaria. From young age he is fond of reading and invested a lot of time and energy in self-development. Besides earning master’s degree from Mumbai university, Satya is also an Alumnus of IIM Kolkata. Satya gave up his high profile banking job to follow his heart and embarked on a passionate journey of writing, motivating and coaching. His dream is to see every fellow Indian become a super star. Satya is an expert author at ezinearticles.com and also contributes articles to Times of India. Yoga and meditation are his mantra for health and spiritual nourishment. He is happily married to a Bulgarian and spends most of his leisure time with his 2 kids.
Pornpen Hantrakool has been a Professor at Tenri University in Japan and an Associate Professor at Silpakorn University of Thailand. Her teaching specializations include Indian and Sri Lankan history, Eastern Civilization (China and India), Thai History, Japanese History, Southeast Asian History, Vietnamese Studies, Historiography and the Philosophy of History. She has taught and done research widely in many universities before her retirement. She has published widely in Thai and in English. Professor Hantrakool now writes and translates poetry as well as songs. She was granted an honorable certificate with a decoration from the Vietnamese Writer Association for her pioneering contribution to Vietnamese literature in Thailand.
William Letford has worked as a roofer, on and off, since he was fifteen years old. He has received a New Writer’s Award from the Scottish Book Trust and an Edwin Morgan Travel Bursary which allowed him to spend three months in the mountains of northern Italy helping to restore a medieval village. He has an M.Litt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. His poems were featured in the bestselling poetry anthology New Poetries V and his debut collection Bevel was published by Carcanet. ‘The pleasure I have gained from William Letford’s poems… will, I am confident, stay with me for ever.’ – Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian
Shafey Kidwai is a bilingual critic, reviewer, translator and communication scientist who has twelve books to his credit. His doctoral thesis Forging bond with Modernism : An Assessment of SirSyed ‘s Periodicals has broken a new ground in Sir Syed Studies and critical appraisal of the nineteenth century vernacular journalism. It was published simultaneously in Germany and India. His Latest book comprising twelve articles on different genres of literature and journalism has just been published by the Cambridge university Press. The National Academy Of Letters -Sahitya Academy has published his three books – Meeraji, R.K.Naryan and Michael Madhu Sudan Dutt Fiction Mutaleat : Pus Sakhtiyati Tanazur and Khabar Nigari, are his widely appreciated books. He also prepared style book for ETV Urdu and glossary of mass communication terms published by NCPUL, NewDelhi. He writes regularly for The Hindu on literary and cultural aspects. He is a general council member of Sahitya Academy and also a member of its Urdu advisory board. At present he is also the convener of Urdu Advisory Committee of Bhartiya Jnanpith. Professor Kidwai visited U.K. Thailand, Syria, Doha and Pakistan (twice) to present papers in seminars. Presently he is Chairman, department of mass communication AMU Aligarh
Jatinder Singh ‘Sahil’ was born in the city of Chandigarh in north India. He is currently based in Manchester, England practicing Medicine as a General Practioner. Dr. Singh started writing during his Medical School years at Medical College, Chandigarh and has recently published his first collection of Urdu poetry published in Devanagri script. “I believe that thoughts do not come dressed in the fabric of one language. They can come in any language and the poet just molds them into the fabric of the language he or she is most comfortable with.”
Apart from writing Dr. Singh is a keen photographer and traveller, having travelled across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Scandinavia and draws his inspiration from everyday life events, personal experiences, hardships of life and his professional interactions with the unique human nature of coping with disease and suffering in a very individual way.
Taal (rhythm), Ang (grace), and Abhinaya (expression) – Natalia integrates the three essential elements of Kathak to present this rich Indian classical dance form on stages internationally. Her holistic training as a dancer has combined the stylistics of tradition and the dynamism of the contemporary. As a performing artist, Natalia aims at highlighting the uniqueness of Kathak’s subtle and sensitive aesthetics. Rooted in a multi-ethnic background, Natalia presents this art to a variety of audiences of all different cultures, using her dance as a means of transcending cultural barriers. Since the beginning, she was passionate and dedicated about training and mastering the dance form, with support from her Peruvian mother and German-American father. Within the past few years Natalia has been continuously visiting India to receive intensive tutelage from her present Guru, Kathak maestro Padmavibhushan Birju Maharaj. However, much of her training took place in the U.S., prior to coming to India from Smt. Sandhya Desai, disciple of Padmashri Kumudini Lakhia. Natalia’s initial instruction began with Ms. Mekhala Natavar and later continued with Ms. Purnima Shah. In the year 2008, she was awarded a prestigious fellowship as Senior Performing Artist from the American Institute of Indian Studies. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in South Asian Languages and Cultures from the University of Wisconsin and Masters from Roehampton University, London, Natalia now continues to perform as a Kathak dancer in India, U.K., and the U.S.A.
Pranesh Prasad is a writer of literary fiction, based in Canberra Australia. His debut novel “The Ultimate Laugh” which explores identity and terrorism was published in 2011 and subsequently, launched at the Ubud Writer’s Festival in Indonesia. His second novel “A Half-Baked Life” delves into the consequences of the 2002 Gujarat riots, human trafficking and the recent whittling down of the right to free expression. The novel was released in December 2013. He is also a trained economist and has worked in academia, the private and public sectors internationally. Apart from writing, he is passionate about animal welfare, social justice, Indian cricket, travelling, urdu poetry, the arts and music.
Kamlesh Tripathi a Corporate citizen for over 35 years. Has worked for reputed Companies such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Escorts, Reliance Industries and Reliance Retail. During his long career he has held important positions, assignments and worked in many states and cities across India and travelled extensively around the world. He is the son of late Sri. K.P. Tripathi, member of the first Lok-Sabha, Vice-President INTUC and Ex Finance Minister of Assam. His earlier titles ‘Gloom Behind The Smile’ on a child cancer patient, is now catalogued in prestigious libraries including Library of Congress, Washinton DC. His second title is ‘One to Tango – Ria’s Odyssey’ on the burning topic of ‘singlehood.’ He has lived in Shillong, Lucknow, Delhi-NCR, Jaipur, Chennai & Mumbai. He also runs his NGO- ‘Shravan Charity Mission’ that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases.
Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of six novels, including Love @ Facebook, Accidentally in Love, The Promise and The Unreasonable Fellows. She has co-authored two books with Durjoy Datta, titled If It’s Not Forever and Someone Like You. 25 Strokes of Kindness is her most recent book, which is an anthology of short stories, co-edited with Orvana Ghai. She has also contributed to the books of The Backbenchers series. She was born in Patna and grew up in Indore, from where she graduated in pharmacy. She is currently based in New Delhi, where she works as a Publishing Manager at a leading publishing house. Nikita received a Live India Young Achievers Award in 2013. With a library stocked with over 12,000 books, she is a voracious reader and adores her collection of fantasy novels. She is a cricket enthusiast and enjoys a good cardio workout.
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
The performance by Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal, who hail from Germany, enchanted everyone by their performance. The performance started by a soulful performance by Sebastian Dreyer. He performed a few songs on the sitar which ended with a rapturous applause. The fusion of both Sebastian Dreyer and Papia Ghoshal for the Baul blazed the stage and blew away everyone’s mind. The audience whole heartedly participated in the performance and cheered the artists with resounding applause throughout the performance.
Tuhin A. Sinha is among the best-selling authors in India, a columnist and a screenwriter.
Starting in 2006 with his first book, That Thing Called Love, an unconventional romance set in a Mumbai monsoon, Tuhin has written five novels. They include The Captain (formerly 22 Yards), Of Love And Politics, The Edge of Desire and The Edge Of Power. Tuhin is acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers with a maverick knack to experiment with new genres. While his first book was an offbeat romance, The Captain was a cricket thriller that explored the underbelly of modern cricket. Of Love And Politics was a political thriller. His last two books which comprise the Edge series can be called socio-political thrillers with a strong feminist skew. Tuhin is a screenwriter of several popular TV shows, the most noteworthy being Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus. Apart from his fiction novels and scripts, Tuhin is a keen political observer. His columns on Indian politics appear regularly in India’s leading dailies. Tuhin has a regular blog on ibnlive.com. He also appears frequently on news channels on discussions around politics and cricket.
Padma Bhushan Gopaldas Neeraj is considered to be as the best known poets and authors in Hindi literature as on date. He wrote more than 100 songs and heart-touching musical utterances for Hindi films in a period of flirting with the make believed celluloid industry. He is one of the best example of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, where he also mixed both the languages to produce a masterpiece. Creative writings of unparalleled brilliance flowed freely from his mighty pen. After five decades of relentless writing, he occupies the pinnacle of fame and is the poet laureate of India !
One of the most talented person Lucknow has given to the world of literature in recent times. He has been a contemporary of Majaz Lucknawi, Sahir Ludhianwi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi and many other progressive writers, as his career began as the secretary of the student federation of the Progressive Writers Association. He has worked at significant positions in the Department of Indian languages in various universities. Also served as the Principal Publication Officer in the Education Ministry of the Central Government.
Direct descendant of the last king of Awadh Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Lives in Kolkata, where he is operating a school. Well versed in Hindi, Urdu, English & Bengali languages. He has a deep sense of belonging to the city of Lucknow and is an embodiment of Lucknowi Tehzeeb. He is a living persona of everything which Lucknow stands for !
Lucknow’s very own eclectic gentleman with an array of interests from Cinema, Painting, Music, Fashion Designing, Sufism, Social Work; there is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali has directed legendary films like Umrao Jaan, Anjuman, Gaman, etc to his credit. His interest in Sufism has lead to the Musical Performance Jahan-e Khusrau, a tribute to the Sufism. His recent book ‘The Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the Sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh.
Founder of the Lucknow Society which is a non profit organisation dedicated to the cause of preservation as well as promotion of Culture & Heritage of Lucknow. The objective is to make every citizen a proud associate of unique Lucknawi Tehzeeb. The Society is committed to highlight and relive the events that throw light on the glorious past of the city and pays tribute to its bygone heroes in the field of Arts, Crafts, Heritage, Literature, etc. Post Graduate in Commerce, whereas expert of Digital Marketing. Photography is a passion and Literature is a hobby !
President of ‘Lucknow First’ Society, a society for socio-economic and cultural development of LUCKNOW CITY. Great grandson of Munshi Newal Kishore, father of Paper and publishing industry in south Asia. He is member RAC of ICCR ( MEA ), President Uttar Pradesh Films Chamber of Commerce, Chief Trustee of Meher Bhargava Foundation, Chairman India International Youth Film Festival. Mr Bhargava was also ex officio member of UP State Film development Council and is the only unanimously elected president of the Old Martinian Associations (by international fraternity of Old Martinians, on the occasion of Sesquicentennial celebration in 1996)
'Lucknow Hum Par Fida Hai, Hum Fida-e Lucknow'. MBA from Aligarh Muslim University, Marketing Professional as Career who has worked with prominent Brands like Percept Hakuhodu Advertising, Hindustan Times, Reliance Communications, Uninor, MTS. Numerous articles have been published in newspapers and magazines. Literature is the zeal of life and Urdu as well as Persian languages are the passions !
True representative of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb of Lucknow. He prefer to call himself 'Kavi-Shayer of Hindi-Urdu' languages. Very popular on stage for his poetry and stories. Awarded numerous times for his contributions in literature, which he also inherited from his family ! Well versed in 4 languages Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi & English. He is the only poet from India who has recited poetry as well as speech in parliament of Sri Lanka !
Lucknow born author and journalist; she has taught Islam related topics at the University of Vienna, Austria and at the Vienna American Webster University. She is the author of The Book of Muhammad, The Book of Muinuddin Chishti and The Book of Nizamuddin Aulia, all published by Penguin India. Mehru has filed extensively for the Indian media from Europe and Indonesia, including television and reported for the BBC. Her 50 minute documentary film on Shahrukh fans in Europe called Mr Khan Vienna Loves You was screened at Shahrukh Khan and Global Bollywood, an international conference hosted by the University of Vienna in 2010.
He is also the founder General Secretary of Lucknow First society, an organisation for better Town Planning and Environment friendly Lucknow. Co-Founder of Centre for Objective Research and Development (CORD). CORD is established to collect data and information to corroborate the decline in the socio-economic condition amongst the deprived section of the Indian society of which Muslims form the largest chunk in this part of the northern India.
Associated with theatre for the last 30 years and have done about 100 different plays. Worked with the likes of Habib Tanveer, to promote theatre in Lucknow. President for Theatre Group Actors. Directed and acted as a lead in a play Bahadur Shah Zafar, Taj Mahotsava. Acted as Majaz in two films for DD & Zee TV. Panel of Judges for cultural inter university meets AIU (Association of Indian Universities). Festival Director for IIYFF (India International Youth Festival) in Delhi. Associated with ëLucknow Firstí since inception.
Professor of Education, former Head & Dean of Education Deptt, Lucknow University. M.Sc. Botany, MA Philosophy, M.Ed. & Ph.D. in Education, he is intellectual and educationist with a heart of a teacher. Scholar of International repute and associated with numerous universities and educational organisations !
Historian par excellence, the most reputed name for the history of Awadh. Author of 14 books and more than 40 research papers on Awadh. Written and directed more than 20 plays. He is perfectly awarded with 'Shaan-e Awadh' for which he deserves equally! Lucknow lives in him!
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Age does not define experience. In the short period of his animate existence Sagar Agarwal has done justice to this phrase. Starting off from these very streets of the City of Nawabs and completing his studies with a specialization in photography, Sagar has worked his way to excel in whatever field he has chosen till date with his Midas Touch. His photography skills have time and again been eulogized on various national and international platforms ranging from his features in well renowned magazines and brands. He has marked his footprint with excellence in executions of many national and international conferences & events.
"Books are one's best friend’ and she is the perfect example why it is said so. Her childhood budding affection towards the books blossomed to an extent that at such tender age she owns a library of 500+ books. When her interest turned into love and then into passion even she didn’t realize. Student by profession and social worker, Akansha is a very good Calligrapher and painter too. Her favorite time-pass is to drift in the sea of words and explore the minds of the authors. According to her, at times books take her to a wonderland where she could stay away from the worries of the world… and at times they even provide adequate strength to face the worldly problems.
Anusha Awasthi is about to complete her post graduation in Economics.She has touched all fields be it marketing, managing events like NYF or even working for NGOs.Gifted with an innate sense of making the best out of waste she has conquered many awards at national level.playing with colors since childhood had made her an artist possessing a great knowledge of art and designs.She truly believes in Albert Einstein saying that..'I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination'.
Archana is pursuing her post graduation in economics. Her hard work and passion for perfection can be noticed from her re-volunteering for this event every year to give her work so as the event a better and beautiful end. she has also been a part of national youth foundation.From a part time volleyball player to a full time lawn tennis player, she has seen it all.She has won various tournaments nationwide. Practicing of not hitting the ball off the court had made her aim for bulls eye.
The only word which defines me is Versatile, a man with an ability to go through many things and reproduce them with ease. Teacher and Lawyer with proven credentials, worked with the most dynamic industry of the country, redefined academics through his own style of Teaching and Advocacy, still believes that there is lot to be learned, a Research Scholar in Law at University of Lucknow. Primarily an Artist, who is comfortable with many Hats, can Sing, Speak and Write.
Mohammad Rehan, also known by the pseudonym ‘Muntazir’, is a business graduate, a poet, a philosopher, a critic, a satirist and a polyglot (well versed in Hindi, English, Urdu, Russian, French and Spanish). He has been working tirelessly as a social activist and has been a regular columnist in the newspapers and magazines. His most famous column has been ‘Chaupal’, a satiric and a tongue in cheek delight for the readers. During elections, he has also entertained his readers with his critical poetry, published off and on in various newspapers. He is famous among the people for his presence of mind and quirky sense of humor. In a nut shell he is a versatile genius.
Eveta roy is persuing Masters in Economics from IT College. Experience of managing and working in various events through the years have made her well acquainted with the working. She carries a great affinity for dancing. Visharad in Bharatnatyam and has also proved herself nationally by winning several accolades. She has worked on two extreme axis by joining hands with bharat vikas parishad at one side and played a role of an active youth by concatenating with NYF on the other.
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
LUCKNOW Society, an acronym for ‘Lets Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’, the host of the first ever Lucknow Literary Festival opens the day. The festival was formally inaugurated by the legends of literature & art including Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Dolly Thakore.
“Qadmon Ke Neeche Phool Nahi Dil Bhi Rakh Diya,
Dekhe To Koi Lakhnawi Mehmaan Nawaziyan”
Hiroko Fujiwara is a disciple of Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she learned Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. She will be performing Pushpanjali – Ragam Natai, Talam Adi (An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings) and Thillana – Ragam Behag, Talam Adi (prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy)…. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival !
‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ by Muzaffar Ali is a coffee table book with very readable account of sufism in (erstwhile) Awadh. Lucknow’s very own gentleman with an array of interests from cinema, poetry, music, painting, drama, costumes and sufism. His life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. There is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in sufism has lead to the musical performance Jahan-e Khusrau a tribute to the sufism with beautiful compositions. ‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh. It introduces to the reader the history, traditions, sub cultures, institutions and poetry of sufism in the Awadh region. The approach in the book is equally multidisciplinary and the book invites the reader to join a conversation regarding self – discovery ! Qamar Rehman, Mehru Jaffer, Jayant Krishna joins him for the book launch !
‘In Good Faith’ by Saba Naqvi is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief, the India of far away shrines in quaint little places and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman God. From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah. Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism. In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Ms Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. She requested the book launch by her grandmother & writer Atia Naqvi ( also mother of journalist Saeed Naqvi ). Her uncle Shanney Naqvi, recited the Nazm on Guru Nanak by Nazeer Akbarabadi!
“Tere Maathe Pe Yeh Aanchal Bahut Hi Khoob Hai Lekin,
Tu Is Aanchal Se Ek Parcham Bana Leti To Achchha Tha”
– Majaz Lakhnawi
Known for ada and adab, Lucknow gave this clarion call long ago for women empowerment. And if this century is remembered for anything in distant future, it will be remembered for the freedom of expression and the evolving women! As one of the inaugural sessions of Lucknow Literary Festival, eminent theatre personality Dolly Thakore and social activist and educationist Prof. Roop Rekha Verma joined journalist and writer Saba Naqvi to ponder over Women Empowerment and Right to Expression. Prof. Verma remarked, “Ease of expression is certainly a powerful tool to curb crime against fairer sex. It is normalization of small violences that actually culminates into heinous crimes against women. Implementation of right to expression, thus, yields empowerment.”
‘The Virtuals’, Introduction to the first Philosophical Thriller of the World by Anupam Sinha was experienced at LLF. Anupam Sinha is an Indian comic book artist and writer, credited as the revolutionary comics creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. ‘The Virtuals’ by Anupam Sinha is an amazing fiction as well as fantasy novel. The story of the book takes you to an unseen world of fantasy where all your questions are answered and all your prayers are heard. The book is well-written and is a page-turner in its true sense. Although the book is full of fantasies, it is and extremely great read and quite fascinating. Atul Tiwari was also the part of the workshop with Anupam Sinha.
By Murli Raju Qawwal mesmerised the audience with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Chaap Tilak, Aaj Rang Hai, More Pardesi Balamwa Qawwali’s. The Sufis saw music and poetry as powerful mediums to reach the ultimate beloved – God. Today, in the face of a constantly evolving world based more and more on materialistic values, it is through art and music that one can relate to a deep feeling of elation – balancing between fulfillment and a yearning for the beloved, as declaimed by the Sufi poets. The contribution of Hazrat Amir Khusru was also highlighted in the literary arena. The sufi music rejuvenated the senses in the literary festival !
Pankaj Srivastava, Pankaj Umrania & Himanshu Bajpayee in conversation with Mayank Saxena explored the world of social media as to what are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in last decade than the rise of social media and its potential impact on the youth’s behavior. The World saw a toppling of regimes, election campaigns, corporate recruitments, exam preparations, romance, friendships, music, social work, awareness programs, abuse, crap and whats not on this social network. It is believed that if searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next. The new age aspires to move into an open world riding on this social media. What are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Mr Himanshu Bajpai preferred to look at the brighter side as he commented, “Facebook has provided an ideal platform for exchange of idea. Without any inhibition one can put across his arguments, thoughts and supporting facts. This is a good sign for a free thinking society.”
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Ram Shankar Tripathi, Amrendra Tripathi in conversation with Dayanand Pandey highlighted the problem that how contemporary literature stepped down to satisfy populist demands. If not any other art form, Hindi Poetry has been worst hit from the short hand language of populist poets. While populist poets emphasise on lyricism, purists lament the drift. Dayanand Pandey said, “Its heartening to learn that people confuse the term Hindi geet with Hindi film songs”. The panel stood optimistic about a bright future of Hindi Language and all arms of its literature once it becomes the ‘language of employment’ !
Atul Tiwari’s exclusive workshop on how to write a movie script. He is a veteran from National School of Drama and credited with celebrated scripts of Mission Kashmir and Vishwaroop. He took an extensive workshop on screenplay writing and re-inforced that writing is like a do-and-learn-art. One can read a lot of literature and theories, but can never learn it until one writes. He differentiated Story writing and Screenplay writing through a lot of lucid examples. Mr Tiwari stressed on the guru mantra that an art as vast as script writing is not bound by any formula, the people thus should focus on the principles provided in the workshop and create their own magic.
‘Gaon Connection’ by Neelesh Misra is India’s first rural newspaper ! He is the founder & editorial director of the newspaper. The newspaper based is based at Kunaura, a village near Lucknow. The entire project is widely appreciated by the rural fraternity and intellectual arena. Newspaper has been a great success so far ! Lucknow Literary Festival was the right plaftorm for the presentation and discussion on the unique newspaper which is intended to uplift the rural population and provide them a modern newspaper !
‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is a collection of Hindi poetries in a range of emotional spectrum. The book, penned by the talented doctor, contains human emotions and expressions bound in a lyrical rhyme. Well, the poetry composition ‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is an articulate exposition of poems that would definitely be able to lift the reader out of the ordinary and give glimpses of a more illumining reality. Indeed poetry from the heart not only engaging the reader to think but also leave so much to the imagination of the reader. No wonder ‘poet is born not made’. Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi & Ram Shankar Tripathi were the celebrated writers on the book launch.
Sharib Rudalvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed & Anees Ashfaq in conversation with Reshma Parveen made illuminous panel which discussed the impact of Lucknow in Urdu language, born in North India and flourished in many parts of the country. Lucknow is a prominent place which has contributed immensely in Urdu’s rich literature. Lucknow School of Urdu Poetry is considered to be the most impactful version in terms of language & essence. Anees Ashfaq emphasized the remarkable contribution of the Nawabs for giving patronge & the poets highlighted two aspects which are sophistication of culture & sophistication of language. Lucknow’s contribution in every aspect of poetry is remarkable and that is applicable in prose also.
“Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Samne,
Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazalo Ke Saamne”
Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed laid emphasis on the comparision of the language of Delhi with Lucknow and how the history also played an important role when Delhi was declining and Lucknow was emerging. The role of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb is prominent since ages in this region and the beauty of language & love is evident in the poetry here, Sharib Rudaulvi explained the historical fact. He added that Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek ( Progressive Writers Movement ) was started in Lucknow and it refined many languages in India !
“Eik Zara Aap Ko Zehmat Hogi,
Aap Ke Paon Ke Neche Dil Hai”
Reshma Parveen presented appropriate sher on each of the questions & highlights, thus making it a great literary session. Awara, the nazm of Majaz is one of the best nazm of Urdu Poetry.
“Shaher Ki Raat Aur Mein Nashad-o Nakara Phiru,
Jagmagati Jagti Sadko Pe Awara Phiru,
Ghair Ki Basti Hai Kab Tak Dar-ba Dar Mara Phiru,
Ae Ghame Dil Kia Karu Ae Wehshat-e Dil Kia Karu”
An interesting discussion wherein the panel included Dhruv creator Anupam Sinha, humorous writer Jugal Mody, graphic novelist Appu Pen, Anirudh Singh & Nitin Prakash. The pictorial comics have come a long way not only in India but all across the globe. The characters are loved, adored, they inspire, bring out the satire; but have also been controversial and racial in some instances. How are comics pitched in a new world? Reacting to a comment, Mr Anupam Sinha said, “We cannot blame television or internet for the fall in comic readership today. US is a glittering example- they too have access to internet and television, but the American Comic has survived them all, Indian comic artists should catch up with readers and do some serious introspection.”
‘Hala Hala NIP’ by Appu Pen is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world and through different periods in its history – from the long-gone Oberian Age to the dystopian era of dome-cities. Appu Pen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, ‘Halahala’. Appu Pen is a Malayalam word and the name George Mathen adopts while writing about Halahala. In this book he writes about a fictional universe starting from the beginning of time. He traces time into an immediate future to which people can relate to. This graphic novel tries to hint at various issues of life through its characters and the situation they are in. The narration has been done with the help of mainly pictures segmented into connected short stories leaving it to the reader to interpret them. George got the name of his mythical world while reading an Amar Chitra Katha in which Shiva churns the oceans to rid them of poison….the poison that emerges is Halahala. Anupam Sinha did the honours of book launch.
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi in conversation with Yogesh Praveen & Amrendra Tripathi hosted three generations of Avadhi in the celebrated discussion on Avadhi. In a soulful conversation in fluent Avadhi, Bekal Utsahi talked about the adaptability of the age old language which is evident in works of great from Malik Mohammad Jayasi to Tulsidas. Yogesh Parveen lauded how everyday phrases and idioms of Avadhi complimented our life. Amarendra Tripathi lamented that inspite of being older to Hindi, Avadhi has been reduced to a mere dialect and not a language in general understanding. A youngman in the audience expressed joy over attending a full session in Avadhi and asked young generation present to recognize the language so close to our roots !
Tata Consultancy Services, Asia’s premier IT services company, developed a software tool to aide combating the social problem of illiteracy as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor. This flashed based tool works on the principle of cognition and helps a native speaker of a language learn read and write in dramatically reduced time as compared to conventional methods. TCS avails this socially useful tool in nine Indian languages free of cost. This workshop is a part of LUCKNOW Society’s endeavor to help Hindustani speaking people of Lucknow learn read and write Urdu, which was conducted by Anas Khan.
‘Yaad Shaher’, a book by Neelesh Misra was launched at Lucknow Literary Festival 2013. Neelesh connects with his readers through this imaginary city called ‘Yaad Shaher’, a city built of memories. Memories that every individual would want to hold on to, even as work-life takes over their existence. Neelesh Misra ka Yaad Shaher Volume 1 & 2 makes an attempt to re-connect you to that world. Neelesh is a popular Bollywood lyricist who has penned lyrics of movies like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc. As a radio storyteller, his show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 BIG FM has been a huge successs. In this show, he tells stories of Yaad Shaher, which is broadcasted in 35 cities across the nation!
Neelesh Misra narrates a story woven with songs performed by his troupe. Have you ever wondered how a bouquet of songs culminates into a story? How lyrics and rhythmic beats connect with a tale in your heart? Neelesh Mishra, loved for his radio show, presents a story inter woven with songs in ‘Yaadon Ke Safar Mein’. In typical radio style, the performance consists of songs and storytelling by his troupe, put together with a narrative recited by Neelesh Mishra. Songs performed were the selected from the movies whose lyrics is penned by Neelesh like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc.
Live Performance by Faridkot Band was the major attraction and the last activity of the first day. Faridkot is a Hindi rock band based out of New Delhi. The band is well known for their mix of pop vocals, bluesy guitar playing, funk bass lines, melodic (and sometimes pompous) electronic layers combined together in a heap of musical endeavors that they like to call their own. Sometimes in love, sometimes trying to be funny and a little more loving, the band likes to play good music which might transcend the individual inspirations that each musician bring forth.
Pankaj Srivastava, Saba Naqvi in conversation with Himanshu Bajpayee were on the discussion regarding the responsibilities and regulation on media. It is often argued that self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards, not only in media but any industry. But how relevant is this argument in an era of profits chases and higher TRP ratings? A free media represents a free society, and a free society in turns is the breeding ground of free ideas! On either side, the argument presents its own gloomy and colorful pictures of India of tomorrow. Pankaj Srivastava, associate editor with IBN-7, countered the call for full freedom with a pointer towards media working like capitalist business houses of the day. Saba Naqvi was of the view that media houses should be more responsible. She said, “We should be able to something like that and not let government interfere with our work.” Moderated by Himanshu Bajpai, the discussion brought out the need for fine balance in this critical creative field. “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” – Joseph Pulitzer
‘Mayan’ by A P Maheshwari is a fictional narrative about the difficulties and family bonds of his mother who is a cancer patient and what all hardships she had to go through. Mayan (mother in Rajasthani) talks about story of triumphs that his mother acheived through faith, love and determination despite all the odds pitted against her. Besides portraying psycological and emotional panaroma of a cancer patient and his family, the book also describes the pathology of disease and the treatment options available to a modern day cancer patient. Padma Shri Dr Nitya Anand & Padma Shri Runa Banerjee launched the book !
Amish Tripathi, Jugal Mody, Appu Pen in conversation with Nitin Prakash had a discussion on the reading habits of generation next which is used to everything on the move. The youth of today asks hard questions, demands honest answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time- one sees more suicides, prevailing corruption and political disarray. Some enigma about the young minds prevail dynamic, confident and always connected – the youth speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by the elderly marketers. Literary observers across generations ponder over this happy, optimistic but eccentric MTV generation which often behaves like a herd, but refuses to be branded sheep. Amish Tripathi explains that he do not write taking into consideration the minds of the audience, it is the conext which appeals him for writing. He adds that this generation do not accept things as told to them, they have various resources to explore the reality and new aspects. Appu Pen is a comic expert and do it for everybody and in his case the cartoon is explored by people regarless of language / region and age. He puts the content freely on internet, so that people are aware and interest is generated for the same. Jugal Mody is of the opinion that reading habits will stay but the entire process is going through a change process. Readers are now looking for new topics and the role of technology in making people aware about the globe is instrumental is making the shape of the young minds !
Pankaj Umrania, Entrepreneur and expert on changing technology trends presented an insight into the upcoming gadgets and solutions from cool watches to high end televisions working for fast communication ! In a world where mobile OS versions change before you get used to the one, individual has too many options to upgrade and choose to when it comes to technology. Literature is not untouched by the technology and tech readers around you.
‘History of Dastangoi’ by Ankit Chadha was very interactive workshop and he laid stress on preservation and revival of lost art form. The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling, it is a compound of two Persian words dastan and goi which means to tell a Dastan. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. The first historian of Lucknow, Abdul Halim Sharar wrote in Guzishta Lucknow about the proliferation of the art of Dastangoi in the city after the mutiny. Every nobleman, he said, had made it a practice to employ a Dastango in his retinue as chowks or city squares became a favored site for performance of the art. In 1928, just a few years before sound revolutionized the Indian film industry, Mir Baqar Ali died, he was the last famous Dastango of India. The connection is not merely incidental, reports of his performances establish beyond doubt that he was perhaps the last great traditional actor to be born in this country. The first modern Dastangoi performance took place on 4th May 2005 at the India International Auditorium after the recent revival of the art !
‘The Sanjay Story’ a book by Vinod Mehta showcases how a nation of over 600 million people bowed down to the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister’s pampered son. Vinod Mehta, now associated with the Outlook Group was the editor of a Bombay magazine during the Emergency, he was one of the target of the censor at emergency. The book is remarkably clinical in its approach and there is barely a trace of anger. Mehru Jaffer launched the book at the festival.
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
Amir Mohd Amir Sulaiman Khan, Asif Ali Mirza, Roshan Taqui, Amaresh Mishra in conversation with Veena Talwar Oldenburg explored the most loved ruler of Awadh, a visionary who pioneered a nation on secular, artistic and progressive foundations. The last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah remains an elusive personality even today. There lied numerous personalities behind that twirled mustache and one finds a new facet of the man behind every skill he possessed. How did a dancer, poet, playwrite and a patron of numerous art forms balanced the act of a compassionate administrator? Raja Mehmoodabad explained that Britishers were on their plan and way to annex Awadh and so the allegations were framed to defame the ruler. Wajid Ali Shah was the true reresentative of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and this was alarming for the Britishers as their philosophy was Divide And Rule, Amaresh Mishra added the point in discussion. Asif Ali Mirza informed us that Wajid Ali Shah is the author of 117 books and his personality was full of various aspects related to art & literature. His popularity and his contributions in various fields were explained by Roshan Taqui. Veena Talwar Oldenburg highlighted the fact that the Ramayana was being translated into Urdu under the patronage of the King and he was very interested in the subject of Lord Krishna – Radha. Naseer Uddin Shah, as an audience ask the question about the relevance of the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray and Asif Ali Mirza answered that one has to see the movie in great detail to capture the greatness of the Jaan-e Aalam ! Anees Ashfaq, again as an audience added a point that Wajid Ali Shah is credited with the 1st drama of Urdu langauge ! Raja Mehmoodabad demanded a subject of Awadh History in Lucknow University and some institutions in name of the Great King Wajid Ali Shah !
The documentary tries to track the origin of the fish in the history and culture of Awadh and its capital Lucknow. The 15 minute documentary film dives deep into anectodes, old monuments, royal descendants, historians, citizens and retrieves precious pearls of information. The mystery behind the presence of fish motif on diverse architechture, culture and even on state government’s insignia is thus revealed !
‘Toke’ by Jugal Mody is a fun packed book that talks about a boy who is definitely not a hero. Lord Vishnu showed up on him and asked him along with his two friends to save the world. He was joined by his two friends along with his crush, two Japanese girls, an office colleague, a crow and an eagle on this mission to save the world. This book hilariously talks about the adventure Nikhil and his friends went through while rescuing the world. When someone in the audience asked Jugal about the resemblance of the title ‘Toke’ with regular Lakhnawi slang for cigarette shops, he pointed out in a light vein, the role of ‘pot’ in the development of the ‘plot’ of the book !
Muzaffar Ali, Atul Tiwari, Asif Jah, Amit Rai in conversation with Yatendra Mishra bring in nostalgia, recollect memories and salute the personalities that made it happen over the century. Indian cinema will complete 100 years in May 2013; as it was a century ago, in 1913, that the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra, came out. The landmark films of Indian cinema that have enthralled generations of viewers over the past century. Not only entertainment, this industry has yielded a new life to literature, art, culture and folk along with being an exercise in cultural diplomacy to woo the world through India’s soft power. Muzaffar Ali highlighted that a film involves lot of people with various aspects and a successful century in the same is a brilliant landmark. The commercialisation which has big impact on the film industry can lead to decline of real art, pointed out by Yatendra Mishra. Film Najma by Mehboob Khan in 1943 highlighted Lucknow for the 1st time and the journey continues till today with Dabang 2, this fact was contributed by Atul Tiwari. He also talked about the impact of Awadh in films, like Ganga-Jamuna & Lagaan who are based at Awadh but the name is something else in the film. Asif Jah discussed that the culture of Awadh is prominently adopted in cinema as this is the national culture of the country. Amit Rai presented a different aspect about the Indian film industry that it is not as per the international standards and lacking in international arena. He gave a beautiful example that if a girl has to learn acting, she should see the acting of Rekha in the movie Umrao Jaan, which is of high standard in acting !
A unique art of story telling, performance describing the fifteenth century mystic saint & poet Kabir. A story on Kabir is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you!
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
Atul Tiwari presented a paper on the legendary poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and the city of Lucknow. Faiz, whose revolutionary writings resonated in the per-independence India from Lahore to Lucknow, visited the city of Nawabs as a young writer to attend the first conference of Progressive Writers Association in Lucknow in 1936. Faiz was immensely impressed by the inaugural address, delivered by Munshi Premchand, and which later the watershed moment that changed the scenario of literature, arts, theater, films and even politics in India. Faiz, who had just turned 25, was young, full of verve,impressive and impressionable. And the stamp or imprint that Lucknow left on him, the bond that this city made with him was the bedrock of a life long relationship. Atul Tiwari had earlier presented this paper during the centenary birth celebration of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in Lahore in 2011. He hailed the such festivals as occasions where younger generation gets opportunity to know about the past legacy. He hails Faiz, like Manto, as a writer beyond boundaries, and said, “He belonged as much to Asia as to Africa, as much to Beirut as to Bangladesh, as much to Pakistan as to India, and belonged as much to Lahore as he belonged to Lucknow.”
“Khud Ko Manwane Ka Mujh Ko Bhi Hunar Aata Hai,
Mein Woh Qatra Hoo Samandar Mere Ghar Aata Hai”
– Waseem Bareilvi
Lucknow being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira to conclude the Literary festival. A culmination of top contemporary Poets – Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sehba Ali, Aadil Rasheed, Manish Shukla, Malikzada Javed, Shabeena Adeeb, Faheem Jogapuri, Tilak Raj Paras, Tariq Nizami, Sankalp Sharma, Faheem Rajput recited their poetry !
BOOK LAUNCH : ‘Aakhri Parwaaz’ is the Kulliyat ( Complete collection of Poetry ) of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari, a prominent Urdu poet of Tilhar, Shahjahapur. Compilation is done by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari, as a tribute to his Ustaad & book launch was done by the poets of LLF Mushaira
“Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Mera Teer Hai Jaan Leke Niklega,
Mein Kehta Hoo Yeh Meri Jaan Hai Mushkil Se Niklegi”
– Gulzar Dehlvi
Aadil Rasheed Tilhari is a disciple of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari. He started writing poems from a tender age of twelve years. He is known for his contribution in reviving proverbs in Urdu and Hindi poetry. He is credited with first ever ghazal in Hindi or Urdu that comprises of only proverbs.
AMARESH MISRA (historian/writer)
Amaresh Misra is an independent historian, author and novelist. Currently resident in Delhi, he is also a freelance journalist, political commentator, columnist on foreign policy, an anti-fascist, civil/minority/Dalit-Adivasi rights activist, and a film critic. His publications include War of Civilizations: India AD 1857, Vols 1 and 2; Mangal Pandey: The True Story of an Indian Revolutionary; Lucknow: Fire of Grace: The Story of its Renaissance, Revolution and the Aftermath; and The Minister’s Wife. He is a recipient of several anti-communal awards, and has lectured widely in Indian and American universities on the nationalist war of 1857, medieval and modern Indian history, vicissitudes of contemporary Indian politics and the battle for secularism in the Indian subcontinent. Presently, he is working on a new novel, a new book on Indian cinema, and a biography of Emperor Akbar.
AMIR MOHAMMED KHAN (astrophysicist)
Raja Mohammad Amir Khan, known as Suleiman bhai, is a diminutive, elegant figure who has long been a fixture in Lucknow society. He has been seen as the epitome of high Shia culture in a city now known for breeding political mediocrity. With his elaborate courtesies or adabs, the purity of speech, be it in Persian, Arabic or Urdu, the impeccable Oxbridge English, he is the last of a fading breed of Lakhnavis, known for their tameez (manners) and tehzeeb (culture). The uninitiated may see him as a caricature of Lakhnavi culture; the old residents of the city see him as a repository of Awadh Shia traditions. He is not a polo-playing raja, with an English nickname and a stiff upper lip. His family is known for its scholarship and establishment of several institutions of learning. Himself an astrophysicist, he studied at Cambridge and was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in London but had to leave abruptly to take over his father’s responsibilities and was also nominated by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as a Congress candidate in the state assembly.
AMISH TRIPATHI (writer/banker)
In his own words “an un-happy banker turned happy writer”. Mr Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy was more than just a best-seller a highly documented and well researched novel which has spawned a cult following and a movie deal too. The oath of The Vayuputras is the third and final instalment in the series and had already garnered much deserved praise. The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas, the first two novels have been commercial successes. Mr. Tripathi’s books have sold a million copies in the span of two years with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as “one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing”. The movie rights of The Immortals of Meluha were purchased by Dharma Productions in early 2012.The Immortals of Meluha has also been released in United Kingdom in January, 2013 through Jo Fletcher Books, an imprint of Quercus Books, UK. The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas have been released in the Indian subcontinent in English and Hindi. The Immortals of Meluha has also been released in various other Indian languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese and Telugu.
AMIT RAI (director)
“Road to Sangam” was screened at many film festivals, and won awards at the International Film Festival of South Africa, the Radar Hamburg Film Festival in Germany, the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image Film Festival and the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival. The film even got an on-demand repeat screening at Cannes. It’s a simple story of a God-fearing, devout Muslim mechanic named Hashmat Ullah who has been entrusted the job of repairing an old V8 Ford engine, not knowing the historic significance that it once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi which were immersed in the holy river ‘Sangam’. He is caught in a complex situation after a powerful bomb explosion rocks his town leading to the arrest of innocent Muslim youths of his locality. A strike to work is called by the prominent leaders of his community to protest against the unjust treatment meted out to those youth arrested by the police.
Thus begins Ullah’s journey-a journey of Gandhian values and principles. Mr. Rai a young director won the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award for the year 2009, for Road to Sangam.
AMRENDRA NATH TRIPATHI (writer)
“Purabia” from the core of the heart, Amrendra Nath Tripathi threw himself into the intellectual domain of J.N.U direct from the rice fields of the Awadh plateau in 2003. Here he availed the opportunity to engage his mind with some of the stalwarts in their respective fields. Mr. Tripathi used his “Desi selfishness” to learn every bit from distinguished teachers like Namvar Singh, Manager Pandey, Purushottam Aggarwal and Anvita Abbi. He did his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Namvar Singh in modern Hindi Literature. But Awadh was calling! So he took a leap forward from selfish ambitions to humble service of the mother tongue.
These days he is trying to develop an Awadhi public sphere and fighting at both ends from English and Hindi public spheres, awadh.org is a small step towards this direction.
ANAND P. MAHESHWARI (IPS/writer)
Based on his experiences in the Police Service, Dr Anand Maheshwari has authored eight books on themes related to communal conflicts, policing sensitivities, insurgency and terrorism, blending logical aspects of life with the humane side which often gets lost in this brutal world. His latest book, ‘Mayan’ focuses on the care of cancer patients. One of his books has received the Govind Vallabh Pant award.
Dr Maheshwari, a 1984 batch IPS officer of UP cadre has served at various places in UP and also done assignments in Kashmir as well as Assam while being on deputation with CRPF. Professionally, he has been decorated with President Medal for distinguished services and Police Medal for Gallantry.
ANEES ASHFAQ (academician/writer)
Dr Aneesh Ashfaq is one of the most respected contemporary scholars in Urdu. As a head, Department of Urdu in University of Lucknow, Dr Ashfaq is known for his candid speeches and researches. He often invited to represent Lucknow’s tradition and culture in Urdu academia across the world. Dr Anees Ashfaq has to his credit a number of research papers and an extensive work as a literary critic.
ANIRUDH SINGH (writer/blogger)
Anirudh Singh has been an avid comic book reader and fan since childhood. Having literally grown up with Raj Comics and their compatriots, hindi comics of the era were his first exposure to the comic book medium. An exposure that left a lasting impression. He currently writes freelance and is one of the founding writers for Comic Addicts, India’s fastest growing Comic Fan Collective. Anirudh writes a weekly column for Comic Addicts, a review of the latest international and national releases. Catch him on Comic Addicts, or follow him on his blog.
ANKIT CHADHA (dastango)
Ankit Chadha is a Delhi-based writer and performance artist. At Hindu College, where he earned his Honours in History, he began his journey from scripting street plays. Ankit became a known name in the Delhi University theatre circuit for the productions written and directed by him.
He started professional storytelling in 2010 and has, since then, been working with Mahmood Farooqui to revive Dastangoi. Ankit has also successfully experimented with creating new content to be performed in the
dastanic format. These self-written solo performances including his satirical piece on mobile phones, which was selected among the top plays at the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival.
Apart from giving a TEDx talk on this art form, he has lectured and trained the students of prestigious institutions like National School of Drama, NIFT, BITS Pilani and SCERT. At his venture – Heptullha, (heptullha.in) he is conducting workshops, telling stories and writing stories.
In addition to training teachers and students, he is collaborating with schools, NGOs, authors and illustrators towards using storytelling as a
medium to enhance learning experiences.
ANUPAM SINHA (writer/artist)
He has been called ‘Master of Fantasy’ by Businessworld and ‘Daddy of Indian Fantasy’ by Dainik Jagran, and millions of his readers and fans could not agree more. Anupam Sinha is credited with shaping the modern Indian fantasy through his more than 400 comics of Superhero genre. Credited as the creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. Anupam Sinha has been said to have revolutionised Indian comics with his work at Raj Comics. Starting his career in 1975 at the age of 13 for a small magazine called Deewana Tej at Kanpur, Sinha got his “big break” four years later, when he joined Diamond Comics, then one of the market leaders. While working on popular comics such as Tauji and Jadoo Ka Danda, Sinha also enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree at Kanpur’s Christchurch College.The science degree came at the cost of an engineering one at the reputed BITS Pilani institute. He left graduation at the coveted BITS, Pilani to pursue his passion in comics. He has recently made foray into english fiction novels and his debut novel The Virtuals, termed as first Philosophical Thriller of the world, is generating rave reviews from readers.
He worked with Diamond Comics creating Fauladi Singh comics Fauladi Singh Aur Shaitan Tarwill, Fauladi Singh Ki Tarwill se Takkar and Fauladi Singh aur Vinash Ke Pujari. He worked with Chitra Bharti Kathamala of S. Chand and Company creating characters like Detective Kapil, Space Star and Manas Putra. He joined Raj Comics in 1987 and created one of the most popular characters Super Commando Dhruva in Indian comics industry. In 1995, he took over the illustration of Nagraj. He completely changed the direction of Nagraj and gave more sci-fi and mythological stories.
ANWAR JALALPURI (poet)
He has taken up a unique task of translating Shlokas of the Bhagvad Geeta into Urdu verses. Driven by an urge to promote communal & ethnic harmony, he is of the opinion that “Geeta, Upanishads and Quran, are nothing less than ‘human heritage’ and they must be preserved at all cost. There is an urgent need to spread the message contained in Geeta among the human beings, irrespective of their religion”. He is also translating 30th paragraph of Quran into Urdu poetry! He is also credited with four books on ‘Natiya Shayari’. ‘Apni dharti apne log’ is compilation of his work on prose. He is a regular contributor in many newspapers & magazines. He is also credited with the dialogues & songs of the serial ‘The Great Akbar’ on television. Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy, Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy, Meer Academy, Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Bazm-e Urdu Adab, etc have honoured him with many awards
APPUPEN (writer/artist)
Appupen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, “Halahala”. His first graphic novel, Moonward, published by Blaft in 2009, was selected for the 2011 Angouleme festival, France. His second silent graphic novel, Legends of Halahala (Harper Collins) will be out in January 2013. He hopes to sell it with the tag line – ‘150 pages of art! No words!’ Appupen is now back at his desk, working on his next book, Aspyrus. His commissioned murals and art can be seen in many cities across India.
ASIF ALI MIRZA (royal scion of Awadh)
Mirza Asif Ali Jah, is a descendant of the last king of Awadh Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. He is well versed in poetry in English , Urdu as well as in Bengali. He has a deep sense of belonging to the city of Lucknow, and has over the years tried to collect anything associated with the royal family of Awadh. His personal collection has many books penned by Wajid Ali Shah.
He is privy to all the intimate and personal histories of his ancestors, particularly, after the king was deposed, from Lucknow. He is an embodiment of Lakhnawi tehzeeb and is a living persona of everything which Lucknow stands for. He runs a school in Kolkata
ASIF JAH (poet/writer/journalist/film-maker)
A graduate of Urdu Literature and a journalist turned film-maker. Hails from an educated Zamindar family of high repute of Barabanki district of Awadh.
After an early and short professional stint at Lucknow shifted base to Bombay in 1990 in search of better career opportunities. Has been working as journalist for Print, Electronic and Web Media in Urdu, Hindi and English Language in various capacities. Served some leading Media names i.e. Urdu Daily ‘Inn-Dinon’ Lucknow, Hindi Daily ‘Hamara Mahanagar’ Mumbai, Urdu Weekly ‘Akhbar e Aalam’ Mumbai, TVI, Jain TV, Sahara TV, S1 TV, P7 TV and Total TV Channel etc. Joined Bollywood in 1992 as an assistant Director and worked with renowned film maker Late Mr Sultan Ahmed as his assistant during the makings of his Silver Jubilee film “Jai Vikraanta” and “Raama”. Was part of India’s first Private News Channel TVI (Owned by Business India Group) as Channel’s Production Head for Mumbai operations during 1995 – 2000.
As film-maker produced about 1500 hours’ TV software in different genre for leading TV channels like Doordarshan, Pragya TV, Mahuaa TV and Total TV etc. Produced prestigious TV serials like “Kranti, Ballia 1942” based on Ballia Liberation during Quit India Movement, “Zindagi Ke Rang” to propagate Positive thinking and “Nayan” based on Women Empowerment etc. In-addition to “Yeh Wada Raha” to spread awareness for Polio eradication and “Grameen Bharat” an Non-Fiction series on Rural development to name a few.Also made short films like ‘Open Window’, an incredible tale of friendship between two people during their stay at a Hospital and ‘Pazeb’, based on Jyaneshwar kumar’s classic story and “Gautama – Prince of India, Lord of the World” based on Lord Buddha’s journey from a prince to a saint.In 2009, started first Hindi feature Film “Kuch Log” as Producer and Story Writer. Started another feature film in 2012 titled as “Baat Bann Gayi”. Also started Broadband Digital TV Channel “Imaan TV” in 2012 and Mumbai’s first Urdu Broadband TV channel “Adaab TV” in 2013. Won prestigious “Zainabia Award” along-with Sayed Kirmani, Yasin Merchant and Prof Zahoor Qasim etc and Mumbai based NGO “Hindu Muslim Ekta Committee’s Award” along-with AFM Production, Germany’s Letter of appreciation for work as Media Person during this span.
ATUL TIWARI (writer/theatre artist/director)
Atul was born and grew up in the city of Lucknow. After his basic training in theatre from Bhartendu Natya Akademy, he graduated from the National School Of Drama in 1983, with a specialization in Direction. In 1987 went to The German National Theatre (Weimar) and to the Berliner Ensemble for advance training in theatre direction. Since then, actively writing and directing for theatre, films and television in different parts of India and the world.
Mr. Tiwari has been directing plays for theatre from the very beginning of his professional career. Apart from the production of Classical and Modern Indian plays, repertoire of more than 30 productions in different languages consisting of Western playwrights like Shakespeare, Schiller, Shaw, Goethe, Brecht and Dario Fo.
His production of Macbeth, with American actors in 1991, at Los Angel’s Theatre Centre was one of the plays staged to raise money for Shakespere’s Globe Centre in London. In India, his theatre work with the villages in the south has been a training ground that has helped him connect with the people at all levels. And his translations – in Hindustani – of more than a dozen plays have brought drama from other languages closer to Hindi speaking audiences.
Recently he has achieved great fame as one of the rising stars of script writing in the Indian cinema fraternity starting way back in 1986 with Sudhir Misra’s “Yeh Woh Manzil Toh Nahin” to the most recent “Vishwaroopam”. He has also dabbled in acting playing parts in 3 Idiots, Aakrosh and Vishwaroopam.
He regularly presents papers at symposia and teaches theatre, film studies, screenwriting and history at universities and colleges all over the country and abroad, including Trinity College Dublin(Ireland). Has done a lot of hands-on interactive workshops ,for many groups and educational institutions on theatre and creative writing. Actively associated with, many causes and societies. Currently resides in Mumbai and is a member of F.W.A. (Film Writer’s Association) and SONG ( Society of NSD Graduates).
BEKAL UTSAHI, Padma Shri (poet)
Padamshri Bekal Utsahi is among the senior most and most popular poets of modern times. Hindi, Awadhi and Urdu have been enriched immensely by his poetry. His efforts for popularization and propagation of Awadhi are truly remarkable. With more than 20 books to his credit, he has contributed substantially through various forms of poetry viz. Geet, Ghazal, Nazm , Muktak, Rubayi, Doha, etc. Numerous literary honours have been conferred upon him, including the highly prestigious Padma Shree in 1976. Right from his childhood, he was very alive and sensitive to the exploitation caused by the zamindari system and desperately yearned to flee away. In strangulating conditions like these, it was poetry that provided him solace and comfort.
Extremely well read in Arabi, Farsi, Urdu and Hindi, Bekal ji embarked on his literary journey in Awadhi and is actively engaged in poetry writing even at the age of 90. At one point of the point, Bekal ji along with stalwarts like Ramai Kaka and Bansidhar Shukla, formed an immensely popular troika of Awadhi poetry on stage. He has always stood by the conviction that to path to the heart of the masses is through their language. Bekalji considers Tulasidas as the great poet to have ever graced the earth. According to him, Tulsiji’s he exquisite work of mingling Urdu-Farsi words harmoniously with Awadhi language is highly commendable. Emphasising on literary works Manjhan, Kubutan, Mulla Daud, Ahmed, Noor Mohammad , Sheikh Saadik Jayasi, he is of the conviction that Awadhi is the lingua franca of Awadhi Pradesh.
DAYANAND PANDEY (journalist/poet)
Dayanand Pandey entered the field of Journalism in the year 1978 prior to pursuing his M.A. in Hindi. He has published around 22 books, novels and short stories. He was awarded the ‘Premchand Samman’ by the Hindi Sansthan for his book, ‘Lok Kavi Ab Gaate Nahin’ and the ‘Yashpal Samman’ for his collection of stories, ‘Ek Genius ki Vivadspad Maut’. He has also translated several Hindi Literary works in various languages, ‘Badki Di ka Yaksha Prashna’ in English, ‘Barf Mein Phansi Machchli’ in Punjabi, and ‘Manna Jaldi Aana’ was published in Urdu.
His popular works include, Bansgaon Ki Mun Mun, Ve Jo Hare Huye, Harmonium Ke Hazaar Tukde, Lok Kavi Ab Gaate Nahin, Apne Apne Yuddha, Darakte Darwaze, Jaane Anjaane Pul (Novel), Gyarah Pratinidhi Kahaniyaan, Barf Mein Phansi Machchli, Sumi Ka Space, Ek Genius Ki Vivadspad Maut, Sundar Ladkiyon Wala Sheher, Badki Di Ka Yaksha Prashna, Samvad (Collection Of Stories), Kuch Baatein (collection of interviews of eminent people in the fields of music, arts, cinema and literature), Yaadon Ka Madhuban (Memoirs), Media To Ab Kale Dhan Ki Goud Mein (Collection Of Essays), Ek Janandolan Ke Garbhapat Ki Trasadi (Collection Of Political Essays), Sooraj Ka Shikaari (Children’s Stories), Premchand; Vyaktitva Aur Rachna Drishti (Editorial), and also an Hindi translations of Sunil Gavaskar’s popular book ‘My Ideals’, titled ‘Mere Aadarsha’, and Pauline Köhler’s ‘I was Hitler’s Maid’ under the title, ‘Main Hitler ki Daasi thi’.
DOLLY THAKORE (actor/theatre artist/casting director/columnist)
Dolly Thakore has been in the business of Communications and Public Relations for over twenty years, and was until recently the Public Relations Director of the B4U Television channel. She began her career as Casting Director and Unit Publicist with Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. And since then has worked on a number of Indian and international co-productions like Far Pavilions, Kim, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Jinnah, Mysteries Of The Black Jungle, Sixth Happiness, Such A Long Journey, Miss Beatty’s Children, Deham, Dance Like a Man. Worked in Radio and Television with BBC London, she returned to India to become one of the leading Newscasters and Television hosts interviewing prominent citizens from India and abroad including film personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, and authors like Stephen Berkoff, Khushwant Singh, and Farrukh Dhondy. A columnist and film and theatre reviewer, she has written for leading newspapers and magazines in India like The Sunday Times, Bombay Times, Indian Express, India Today, Business India, and Business World. Events she has moderated and compered include international seminars and trade fairs, Festivals of France and USSR in India, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, Confederation of Indian Industries, Indian Merchants chambers, the Richard Gere Foundation, and many charity art auctions. Was a member of the Advisory panel of the Censor Board for Film Certification for many years. Has served on the National Film Jury, Indian Panorama Jury, and was on the jury for the Indian Television Awards – 2002. She has acted in a number of theatre productions including “Death of a Salesman”, “Streetcar named Desire”, “All My Sons”, “Gaslight”, “Wings”, etc. She is an examiner at the IIT Powai Industrial Design Centre, and at national script writing, slogan, art competitions; and is a Visiting Professor in Communication Skills at a leading Management Institute in Mumbai.
FAHEEM JOGAPURI (poet/author)
Faheem Jogapuri is one of the upcoming Urdu poets from Bihar. His poetry has been published in different Journals and Literary magazines in Bihar. He is famous for his books “Naved-e-Sehar” and “Adhoori Baat” which was published in 2007 and 2009 respectively. He has attended hundreds of Seminars, Mushairas in various cities of India and is the director of Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu in Siwan which publishes journals & books in Urdu. His works have been commented upon and assessed by eminent scholars, poets and critics. He is also an Entrepreneur and based in Siwan, Bihar.
FARIDKOT (musicians)
Starting out in 2008, Faridkot has been a regular act on Delhi stages and beyond. Riding early on the wave of sufi music influx that is still flowing in, they have carved out a cult following for themselves in the North. Faridkot’s music is a mixture of shifting blues guitars and harmonic love melodies blended around a thumping percussion and bass. Described in certain circles as Confused Pop. Faridkot has performed at over 150 shows all across India making people dance to their original music. The band has been featured various times on Radio city 91.1, Radio Mirchi 98.3 and Hit 95 FM besides various channels outside Delhi. (Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur and many more). They have won various accolades by reaching the finals of Channel[V] Launchpad 2009, following which their music reached an insurmountable number of people through national TV shooting the band’s popularity to the top of the charts. The band has further been featured on MTV several times while and after the launch of the first album ‘Ek’ and also has great online presence with thousands amongst their fan base Following the huge popularity, Faridkot released their first album ‘Ek’ with Times music in 2011. The album was well received by audiences from varied backgrounds. The track Haal-e-dil, was No.1 on Radio Mirchi for 27 weeks after the album’s release and is still running strong.
IP Singh provides the voice and the words of Faridkot. Backing the Hindi poetry is Rajarshi Sanyal on the electric guitar, Nikhil Rufus Raj on bass guitar and Sahil Mendiratta on percussion. Meg and Sonam lace the music with their lovely harmonies, sweetening the deal.
GULZAR DEHLVI Padma Shri (poet)
Gulzar Dehlvi is a Hindu Kashmiri Pandit who is counted among the best-known faces in Urdu and Persian poetry. Pandit Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Nizami Dehlvi’s philosophy in life is to seek light and serve the nation through pen and Urdu poetry. His forefathers taught the Mughal princess and in the process won the title Rai Raiyan. Mehboob-e-Zari Zarbakhsh, Khwaja-e-Rasteen, Mehboob-e-Khuda, Abul Wafa, Akkas-e-Sunnat-o-Fitrat, Aqrab-e-Khaleeq, Fana Fillah Baqibullah are some of the 101 titles given to Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia by Gulzar Dehlvi.
It is said Dehlvi Saheb has no match when it comes to Urdu Qasidagoi and Masnavi. He is said to be the national poet of India besides being an orator extraordinary owing to his qualities as a secular nationalist championing the cause of Urdu. He has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Humayun Kabir, Aruna Asif Ali, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Maulana Hifz-ur-Rehman, Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani, Lala Sham Nath and Indira Gandhi. Also popularly known in the Urdu circles as Bulbul-e-Hind, Imam-e-Urdu, Gulzar-e-Khusro, Shair-e-Qaum, Mujahid-e-Urdu and Tooti-e-Nizami, Dehlvi Saheb is credited with having arranged and attended about 40,000 mushairas around the world. Since 1936, he has been on the panel of the Ramlila committee started by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the Mughal emperors.
A highly qualified individual with postgraduate degrees in law and business administration and a doctorate in Urdu, Dehlvi edited ‘Science ki Duniya’, the first Urdu magazine devoted totally to science. Dehlvi has been conferred the World Peace Poetry Award (Berlin) and honoured in places like Cleveland, Ohio, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Chicago, Columbus and Toronto, Lahore and Karachi.
HIROKO FUJIWARA (bharatnatyam dancer)
Hiroko ‘sama’ as she would be called in her native Japan is a disciple of Guru Dr.Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. After finishing the course in Lucknow she joined the Ganesa Natyalaya in Delhi. She will be performing ;
Pushpanjali -Ragam Natai, Talam Adi. An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings.
Thillana -Ragam Behag, Talam Adi
Prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival.
JAYANT KRISHNA (Corporate Sector Manager / Heritage Rejuvenation Propeller)
Jayant Krishna is Principal Consultant & Regional Head for Tata Consultancy Services based at Lucknow. TCS Lucknow handles software delivery operations for TCS’ designated clients in the US, Europe, Africa and India. Till recently, he was the Regional Director, Life Sciences and Heathcare, Europe. Earlier, Jayant was Regional Director in TCS’ UK & Ireland geography based in London and was responsible for TCS’ business in three key verticals. Prior to this, Jayant also worked as TCS’ Global Relationship Manager for one of TCS’ top 5 accounts.
Passionate about improving the employability of Indian students for the country to reap demographic dividends, Jayant extensively works on skill development with Mr S Ramadorai, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Skill Development. A gold medalist, Jayant has also been a British Chevening Scholar at the University of Leeds, UK. He loves sharing his experience with youngsters, an aspiration he fulfils as an Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Jayant has also been the Co-Convener of Planning Commission’s Task Force on Enhancing Employability in India’s Higher Education Sector and had recommended some far reaching interventions. Jayant co-chairs the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s Northern Region Task Force for Skills and Education and is also a member of their National Council on Skill Development. He is on the Boards of a few reputed Indian institutes. Jayant has also been the Chairman of CII’s UP State Council, President of AIMA’s Lucknow chapter, and the Regional Vice President of CSI’s international region. Widely travelled to 60 countries worldwide, he has also led Indian delegations abroad. Jayant has published papers in a few Indian and foreign journals; and featured in CNBC, NDTV Profit and Times Now TV channels as an expert panellist. He has also delivered keynote addresses at several conferences and convocation speeches at a few campuses.
A keen writer and an avid reader, Jayant, propels heritage rejuvenation projects in and around Lucknow and promotes literacy and skilling for those at the bottom of the pyramid. He lives in Lucknow with his wife Bina and son Ujjwal and attributes his positive attitude and energy to his late parents Veena and Arun who were his mentors.
JUGAL MODY (writer/journalist)
Jugal Mody believes that only comedy can save the world from its people. Or at least him from them. He has handled web and social media for Filmfare and Tehelka. Jugal started writing fiction six years ago while he was still struggling to clear his computer engineering exams. As a rule, he only writes to feel like a dog with his head sticking out the window of a moving car.
Toke is a whirlwind of a journey involving Lord Vishnu, saving the world, two Japanese girls who can kill with their pinkies and kiss with their tongues and crashing an aeroplane at Santa Cruz airport to kill a lotta poor people who weren’t people anymore. All of that involving a lot of non-consenual kissing and a ton of weed to smoke. All this while saving the world
“Hi. I’m Nikhil. This is my story. And I swear I have a t-shirt to prove it.”
MADHVI KUCKREJA (social worker)
Madhavi Kuckreja is a noted Women’s Rights activist who has founded ‘Vanagana’ (वनांगना ), a women’s organization dedicated to protect Human rights for women, particularly Dalit and Muslim women. Travelling to Chitrakoot and Karvi, in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh for ‘field-work-experience’, following her Social Research Studies she deeply moved to observe the rural women’s plight to make ends meet and survive in a male-dominated environment. She realized that their day-to-day life itself was a struggle and decided to stay back and live amongst these women to help them grow.
Ms. Kuckreja also started a Weaves and Crafts store, ‘Sanatkada’ ( house of craft) five years ago bringing in fabrics and dresses from Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh with groups like Karomi (silk weaves from West Bengal), Berozgar Mahila Samiti (Tussar from Bhagalpur, Bihar), N.S Toys (wooden toys from Karnataka), SWRC (applique from Tilonia), Aagor weaves from Assam, Karam Marg (street children group from Delhi). Closer home, wooden combs (Bijnor, UP), baskets (Sarpat Weaves from Bhadhoi), Saanjhi Paper Cutting of Mathura, ‘Tanka’ and applique work of Rajasthan and Calligraphy & Chikan work from Lucknow. She buys her products from the grass root artisans and provides them a window for their produce. Sanatkada is also a venue for many cultural events where folk artists from the remotest of areas are invited to perform and are provided a platform to display their talent.
Sanatkada also works towards rediscovering Lucknow’s History and Cuisine, with Food festivals being organized promoting traditional Awadhi cuisine. Sanatkada is also taking an initiative to build leadership skills of young Muslim women through capacity building and enhancing their Technical skills with Computer Literacy classes and Video Training.
MALIKZADA JAVED (poet)
Malikzada Javed is son of illustrious Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad. An alumnus of Lucknow University, Malikzada Javed is well proficient in Hindi, Urdu and Arabic. Popular for his Urdu poetry, he is a favourite in Mushaira.
MALIKZADA MANZOOR AHMAD (educator/writer/poet)
A freedom fighter in his youth, Professor Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad served as Lecturer History at Maharajganj, Lecturer English at Azamgarh, Lecturer Urdu at Gorakhpur University and retired as Professor Urdu from Lucknow University. He has rendered commendable services in the field of Urdu literature in various capacities, publishing numerous books on Prose & Poetry which are a treasure trove for readers. He is a brilliant contributor in articles for several journals and magazines. He was President of Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy, Chairman of U.P. Government’s Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad Memorial Committee, member executive council National Council for Promotion of Urdu, member Prasar Bharti, member executive council Lucknow University, etc. As a scholar, poet and critic he has received recognition world over and has been bestowed with more than 80 various National & International awards. He ruled over the stage of Mushairas as a poet and Nazim across globe for about 50 years ! His interviews & talk shows are a regular feature on TV & Radio. His life and works is now being taken as a research topic by research scholars. He was issued complimentary railway passes by Railway department as ‘Social worker & Poet’.
MANISH SHUKLA (poet/PCS)
Manish Shukla is next in the line of great poets from UP carrying forward the work of great poets like, Dayashankar Nasim, Brij Narayan Chakbast, Ratan Lal Sarshar, Ram Prasad Bismil, Raghupati Sahay ‘Firaaq’, etc.
He doesn’t consider himself an accomplished “Shayar”, and is not even in a hurry to be known as one. This is the reason that the collection of this genius’ Ghazals, “Khwaab Paththar ho gaye”, which were started back in 1988, was published 25 years later in November 2012, that too after a lot of convincing from his friends and well-wishers. The collection just has 86 Ghazals, unlike the other officer-poets who’d have had a considerably larger collection of works in a time period of 25 years; quality over quantity.
His humility is a legacy of the traditions of Lucknow. Honesty and generosity are a part of his existence. For the ones who know Ghazals, not only as a mere word, but as a completely different universe, “Khwaab Paththar ho gaye” is a treat. His poetry is indeed his own, written not to impress, but to express. The words are filled with a subtle yearning, not to be heard, but to be felt. But poetry can be enjoyed only by reading, not by praising. Even though in today’s world, praising has become synonymous with adulation, still Manish Shukla’s works are praiseworthy.
MAYANK SAXENA (journalist)
Mayank Saxena is a man of many talents. He is well known as a social activist apart from his contributions as a journalist, playwright and satirist. Currently, he is involved in seeking justice for the Delhi gang rape victim.
Mr Saxena is a senior producer in the news channel Samachar Plus. Prior to this, he has worked with Zee News, News 24, CNBC and UNI TV. He is distinguished for his inspirational and aggressive views on social and political issues.
MEHRU JAFFER (writer / journalist)
Mehru Jaffer is a Lucknow born author and journalist. She has taught Islam related topics at the University of Vienna, Austria and at the Vienna American Webster University. She is the author of The Book of Muhammad, The Book of Muinuddin Chishti and The Book of Nizamuddin Aulia, all published by Penguin India. She has contributed a chapter on Religion in Bollywood Films in Fokus Bollywood: Das indische Kino in wissenscaftlichen Diskursen, edited by Professor Claus Tieber, Lit Verlag 2009. Mehru has filed extensively for the Indian media from Europe and Indonesia, including television and reported for the BBC. She has made Vienna is so Bolly, a one minute film on the fascination for Bollywood in Vienna, Austria. Her 50 minute documentary film on Shahrukh fans in Europe called Mr Khan Vienna Loves You was screened at Shahrukh Khan and Global Bollywood, an international conference hosted by the University of Vienna in 2010 where Mehru also moderated a workshop on Song and Dance in Indian Cinema.
MUNNAWAR RANA (poet/writer)
Munawwar Rana is an Urdu poet & writer and is considered as one of the most successful poets at Mushairas across the globe. His poetry is being published in Urdu, Hindi, Bangla and many other languages. His poetry is simple but very appealing as he uses common words & idioms. He avoids using flowery language, which is one of the reasons of his mass appeal. The notable feature of his poetry is that he has used the genre of ghazal to eulogise mother, which is unique, as ghazal was earlier considered a poetic form in which lovers conversed with each other. Mr. Rana has attained wide acclaim for his couplets shers on ‘Maa’. They have been compiled and published by people in many scripts. According to him“Agar Tulsi Ke Mehboob Ram Ho Sakte Hain, To Meri Maa Meri Mehboob Kyu Nahi Ho Sakti”. In fact, most of the sher-o- shayari read today on facebook or in SMS on Maa are the creations of Munawwar Rana. He is also famous for writing Ghazals on the society, politics, and on the country. He has used his pen on every relevant topic which effects the day to-day living of people. He is credited in writing numerous book & articles related to poetry & culture. Students are now doing their PhDs on Munawwar Rana, which shows the appeal and socio-cultural impact of his poetry.
MUZAFFAR ALI, Padma Shri (artist/director/designer/painter/poet)
Lucknow’s very own eclectic gentleman with an array of interests from Cinema, poetry to drama design and Sufism and Music. Mr. Ali’s life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. Be it films, paintings, costumes, music or more recently opera, there is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in Sufism has lead to the Musical Performance Jahan- I -Khusrau a tribute to the sufi’s with beautiful songs and qawwali’s. His most recent book “THE LEAF TURNS YELLOW” is an omnibus on the Sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh.
His art is not escapist, the artist is sensitive to things happening around him. In fact, he says, his art becomes his prayer. According to Mr. Ali the reason why he has never thought of making commercial films, the kind that appeals to the masses but gives no satisfaction to its maker is his art. “All my films are a diary of my journey through life; and they provide me with a bigger canvas than painting to express my creativity. That’s why, I have no regrets about not making more films,” says Ali who has films like Anjuman, Gaman and Umrao Jaan to his credit. But films for Ali are really an integration of all art forms, with music being the actual screenplay. “I spend a year on the music of the film,” explains Ali who feels that music evolves from a blending of cultures. Probably that’s why his offering Paigham-e-Mohabbat (songs of love) deals with memories of Partition and dreams of a ‘united India’. The lyrics for the songs have been penned by some of the sub-continent’s most distinguished poets like Ali Sardar Jaffery, Ahmad Faraz, Rahi Masoom Raza, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Qazi Nazrul Islam and Jan Nisar Akhtar. The singers include the likes of Abida Parveen and Moin Khan. Paigham is essentially based on patriotism and voices the anguish of people who suffered the Partition and rejected artificial boundaries that divided their heritage and nostalgia,” says Ali who firmly believes that only the artists of the subcontinent have the power to restore peace. Mr. Ali’s previous albums include Jahan-e-Khusrau, a tribute to Hazrat Amir Khusrau, Raqs-e-Bismil (Dance of the Wounded), a collection of ghazals inspired by the couplets of Rumi. His debut album, Jaam e Ishq, was a musical ballet based on the works of a 13th century Sufi poet. He along with the Rumi Foundation organises the Jahan-i-Khusrau a magnum opus of dance, music and poetry
NASEERUDDIN SHAH Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan (actor/director)
A three time National Award winner Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan winner no introduction can do justice to the supremely talented Mr. Naseeruddin Shah. Apart from path breaking movies like Maqbool, Firaaq, Nishaant, Aakrosh, Jaane bhi do yaaron and Masoom among numerous others including international projects like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Monsoon Wedding. He is one of the few actors who have bridged the gap between commercial and parallel cinema successfully. He has even appeared in the award winning Pakistani movie Khuda Kay Liye, a theatre veteran he even directs plays and has even stepped into the world of directing with his first movie Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. Mr. Shah has even appeared on TV and his name is synonymous with the portrayal of Mirza Ghalib in the TV series of the same name. Born in Barabanki his roots to Lucknow are ages old.
NEELESH MISRA (journalist/script writer/lyricist)
He is a journalist, author, radio storyteller, Hindi script and lyrics writer, photographer and the Deputy Executive Editor of Hindustan Times. He also heads India’s first Writer led Band, Band Called Nine where storytelling meets songs. He is most known for his popular radio show, Yadoon Ka Idiotbox on BIG FM 92.7. He is co-founder-editor of Gaon Connection, India’s rural newspaper. Misra started his career as a Bollywood lyricist, when while researching for a book in Mumbai, he met director Mahesh Bhatt, which led to his debut song Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai for Jism (2003), this was followed by hit songs like Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai for Woh Lamhe (2006), and went on write 30 songs in over 15 films. In 2012, he co-wrote the screenplay for Salman Khan starrer, Ek Tha Tiger, along with film’s director Kabir Khan.
He is the creative director, singer and songwriter in India’s first writer-led band, Band Called Nine, with singer Shilpa Rao and composer Amartya Rahut, working with traditional Indian craft of Qissa Goi (storytelling). The band was launched in 2010, at the launched at the annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai. In 2011, the band released its debut album, Rewind, consisting of songs and storytelling, put together with narrative recited by Misra.
He is a blogger and hosts a radio show, Yadoon Ka Idiotbox on BIG FM 92.7, set in fictitious small town, Yaad Sheher, and which started its second season in 2012. In late 2012, he along with Karan Dalal, started a rural newspaper, Goan Connection, based in in Kunaura, a village near Lucknow.
NITIN PRAKASH (publisher/writer/gourmand)
Mr. Nitin Prakash; An alumnus of La Martiniere College for boys is a third generation Lucknowite who is serious about the idea of conserving Lucknawi Tehzeeb through not only Literature but also its Food Culture amongst other things. Hailing from a family of printers, publishers and booksellers is not his only claim to fame when it comes to books this bibliophile is also the secretary of the Lucknow Book Club – A Non Profit Organisation comprising of book lovers from all age groups and all walks of life. An amateur writer, who writes poetry and prose and has been an avid contributor to various dailies. Self professed gourmand whose reign extends from the swankiest hotel in Lucknow to its tastiest street side food kiosk. Brains behind the Lucknow Heritage Food Walk, which combines the old world charm of the ‘gallis’ of Old Lucknow and the Street Food Culture which exists therein. The master of ceremonies of this session he earned his spurs while travelling the world with Tintin, fighting in the trenches with Commando and had most probably fallen into a cauldron of magic potion as Obelix. He will guide you through the world comics, literature and poetry and comic as poetry and literature.
NITYA ANAND, Padma Shri (scientist/writer)
Dr Nitya Anand, a legendary figure on the Indian Drug Research scene, known as Nityanand to his friends and colleagues, was re- christened by Dr Venkataraman for his scientific publication to bring the name in line with Sanskrit traditions, and this duality in name still persists. Dr. Nityanand’s contribution to the growth and development of the Central Drug Research Institute has been monumental. He propelled its advancement to a world-class centre for drug discovery and development especially for tropical diseases, contraception and drugs from medicinal plants, areas of special national relevance. The Institute became a hot destination for joint or funded research in these areas with many national and international agencies, which has continued ever since. The Institute greatly encouraged interaction with academia and industry. Dr. Anand is deeply committed to the utilization of science for social benefits, and he took up Drug Research because of the direct benefits it could provide to society. He has been a great champion of self-reliance and self-sufficiency of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry, and has supported this cause in the Drug Policy Committees of the Government of India and non-governmental bodies of which he was a member for many years. He has also been a great supporter of spreading the message of scientific temper and of science as a way of life in schools. During the early years of the institute, many offers were made to CDRI from the international drug companies especially European countries to conduct research work and produce medicines. Undoubtedly these contracts would have made the institute richer by thousands of dollars, however, Dr Nityanand declined them all as he believed – that first and foremost it is the nation which should benefit from our work!
O.P AGARWAL, Padma Shri (conservator/scientist)
He is the founder and former Director of the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC) at Lucknow established by the Government of India in 1976. He is responsible for the establishment of this great institution from the concept to the finish. From 1960 to 1976 he was with the Conservation Laboratory of the National Museum, New Delhi and became its Chief Chemist and Head in 1972. Under his leadership, this institution attained a great height. At present, he is the Director General of the INTACH, Indian Council Conservation Institutes, Lucknow under which he set up ten conservation centres throughout India and several projects and programmes are being implemented. It has been described by the International Council of Museums as the largest network of conservation centers in the world. Dr. Agrawal has been connected with several national and international professional associations and organizations. He was the President of the Museums Association of India (M.A.I.) for two terms. He is the founder and former Secretary of the Indian Association for Study of Conservation of Cultural Property, New Delhi. Later, he became its President and occupied that position for a number of years. He was the Vice President of the International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property at Rome (ICCROM) founded by UNESCO.
A prolific writer he has written over 30 books on the topic of conservation a Padam Shree awardee, a few years back the Honorary Fellowship of the International Institute for Conservation, London had been conferred upon Dr. Agrawal. There are only 18 scientists throughout the world on whom this honour has ever been bestowed.
PANKAJ SRIVASTAVA (journalist)
Dr Pankaj Srivastava has around 15 years of rich experience in the world in Indian journalism. He started his illustrious career with famous Hindi daily Amar Ujala while pursuing his D. Phil. in History from Allahabad University. He has been associated with the launch teams of Star News and Sahara Samay News channels in the past. Presently, he is an associate editor with IBN-7. Apart from being associated with bureaus in Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi, Dr Srivastava has travelled across the country in his celebrated long career in Hindi Journalism.
PANKAJ UMRANIA (entrepreneur/tech-expert)
Pankaj Umrania is the founder of Two55am, a digital agency based in Gurgaon, and Co-Founder of TGID (Thank God Its Digital), a digital marketing education and training arm of Two55am.
Pankaj is Masters in Systems with over 10 years of experience in the digital domain in sectors as varied as Mobile, Technology, Creative, Online marketing, etc.
He is a unique blend of technique and creativity and has rendered consultation & implemented solutions for small to enterprise level businesses in various domains such as Telecom, Tele media, Finance, Education, Media, Travel, Fashion, Sports, Advertising, Real Estate, etc. His work has won several awards, CIO award, Best Design & Technology usage award, etc. Before founding Two55am, Pankaj was associated with Webchutney, the no.1 Digital advertising agency in India.
Pankaj is an active speaker and guest lecturer for a number of institutions & events on the topics of social media, technology, entrepreneurship, etc. Pankaj is an amateur photographer and loves traveling.
RAJ BISARIA, Padma Shri (educator/director/actor/writer)
As initiator of a modern sensibility and approach to theatre, Mr. Raj Bisaria ensured for the first time that the dramatic and performing arts conform to a new professional discipline and communicate through a new aesthetic medium. The pioneering effort brought in focus his intensity of commitment and involvement, which in the mid 60’s led to the establishment of a broad ranging, semi professional theatre movement in Uttar Pradesh. Mr.Raj Bisaria founded the ‘Theatre Arts Workshop ( TAW ), the premier training and performing group of its kind in the State. In 1974, the State Government requested him to evolve a scheme for establishing a drama school, which would function as a full fledged academy of dramatic arts. Bhartendu Natya Academy ( BNA ), Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts ( BADA ), when it was founded in 1975 ( with Mr. Bisaria as its founder director ) became the first of its kind in the large Hindi belts of UP, Bihar, MP and Rajasthan. In 1975, the first ever theatre training workshop in UP was held under his direction.
He has directed more than 100 plays of Indian, British, European and American Playwrights. Numerous students of his are now reputed artists of TV, film & theatre. On both the TV and Radio, Raj Bisaria left his mark as an actor, moderator cum interviewer, both in India and abroad. He has been associated with Shyam Benegal’s Junoon and as an actor of Muzaffar Ali’s Aagman, Govind Nihalani’s Aaghat and Doordarshan’s own TV serial Bibi Natiyon Wali and Amal Allana’s Raj Se Swaraj and recently in Ret Par Likhe Naam written by Kamaleshwar, etc.
A Padma Shri awardee in 1990 for contribution to Modem Indian Theatre, the first theatre person from Uttar Pradesh to be honoured so, Yash Bharti 1994 – Life time achievement award by the Government of Uttar Pradesh; UP Ratna 1996; Distinguished Service Honour- Helpage India- 1997; Bhartendu Natya Akademi -Recognition for his unique services and contribution as its founder-director 2000; Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction 2004; National School of Drama Recognition for composite contribution to Theatre in India 2004; Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puruskar 2010 (Life Time Achievement Award)
ROOP REKHA VERMA (educator/researcher/writer)
Prof Roop Rekha Verma, Ph.D, formerly the Vice-chancellor, Professor & Head of the Philosophy Department and Dean, Faculty of Arts Lucknow University. She has taught there from 1964–2003. She has also been a recipient of the Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship for Oxford and has had the honor to be invited to deliver lectures and present research papers in various conferences and international seminars at many Indian and foreign Universities.
She is a prolific writer and has published more than four dozen research papers in various books and journals, in India and abroad. Her publications include Philosophy of P.F. Strawson co-edited with Pranab Kumar Sen, published by ICPR in 1995. Her academic interests include pursuit of Philosophical Logic and Epistemology, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind and Metaphysics. She has been nominated by the Government of India as Executive Council Member of Aligarh Muslim University, Mahila Samakhya and in the Academic Committees of NCERT, Bhatkhande Music University and UP Social Welfare Board. Besides, she has occupied higher advisory positions as Honorary Advisor, ICPR and Member of UGC Philosophy panel, thrice. She was also selected as National Lecturer of University Grants Commission. She established the Institute
of Women’s Studies in Lucknow University and remained its Director since inception in 1997 till 2005.
Professor Verma is also a well- known social activist and has intervened in several dozen cases of violence on women and communal violence, and fought for justice for the victims. She has been awarded Begum Hazrat Mahal Award for Communal Harmony and Life Time Achievement Award in 2006 by Indian Social Science Association. She is the founder secretary of social organisation called Saajhi Duniya which earlier functioned under the name Nagrik-Dharam Samaj.
ROSHAN TAQUI (historian/writer)
Dr. Roshan Taqui is an alumni of AMU & Ph.D from Lucknow University on ‘Lucknow Monuments – Preservation, Conservation Solutions’. His books [ Lucknow Dastavez, Lucknow – 1857, Images of Lucknow, Conservation of Lucknow Monuments, Lucknow Monuments – Conservation Problems & Solution, Hazrat Mahel, Bani, Chanchal, Lucknow Ki Bhand Parampara, 1857 Ke Baad Lucknow Ki Barbadi, Lucknow Ka Shia Samaj, Lucknow Ka Pehla Krantikari, etc ] have been published, all being related to Lucknow and are widely appreciated by the people and more than 100 libraries are credited with the same. He has done a great job in translating many books in Hindi & Urdu. 42 research papers on Lucknow have also been published by him. He has also written 8 plays & directed 13 plays!
RUNA BANERJEE Padma Shri (social worker)
Runa Banerjee single handedly brought about a revolution to the socio cultural milieu of the city of Lucknow, involving at least two generations! Nominated for Nobel Prize in year 2005, Padma Shri awardee she is the founder of SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association). Mr Muzaffar Ali, another Lucknow personality made a film about SEWA which we all know as Anjuman. Shabana Azmi stayed in Lucknow for months just watching Ms Banerjee work at the centre and Farookh Sheikh till date wears only SEWA Kurta-Pajamas.
The momentum for setting up SEWA, Lucknow came when UNICEF sponsored a study conducted in 1979 on the condition of Chikan artisans. The study established that over 40,000 Chikan artisans working in and around Lucknow were highly exploited in the industry and the middlemen reaped all the profits. As a result, Chikan artisans lived in slums and suffered from poverty; they and their offspring were illiterate; and their families had poor health. Following the UNICEF study, Runa ji and her friend Sebha Hussain started a school for the underprivileged children beginning with only thirty students charging them only one rupee as school fee. The school was such a hit that her students refused to go home. She proudly points out the facing building, the school, the SEWA Montessori School, with classes from nursery to sixth. She held her first exhibition at the Islamic Cetnre, New Delhi and her first customer was Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Later she liaisoned with the Handloom and Cottage Industry Emporium , New Delhi which fetched her artisans a whopping profit ! And now – there exists a SEWA in Milan.
SABA NAQVI (journalist/writer)
Mrs Naqvi is the political editor of Outlook one of India’s leading news magazines and writes on politics, governance and current affairs. She has travelled extensively across India and covered elections in the country, particularly in U.P, Bihar and Gujrat. Beyond her role as a political reporter and analyst, she follows issues of identity and culture.
In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Mrs Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. In Good Faith is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief- the India of faraway shrines in quaint little places, and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman god.
From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah . Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism.
SALEEM KIDWAI (historian/writer)
Saleem Kidwai is a scholar of medieval Indian history. Born in 1951 in Lucknow, he completed his schooling there, and went to Delhi to study History in 1968. He took up teaching at the Delhi University at Ramjas College in 1973 and took leave to study at McGill University between 1976-80.
He alongwith Ruth Vanita, co-edited ‘Same-sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History’ a path breaking work on the LGBT history and literature in India, highlighting the native origins of LGTB Writings. Mr. Kidwai has also translated ‘Mirror of Wonders’ by Syed Rafiq Husian from Urdu to English. He has also written a memoir of Mallika Pukhraj ‘Song Sung Blue’ and numerous articles including the celebrated “Zikr Us Parvarish Ka: Begum Akhtar in Lucknow
SEHBA ALI (writer/poetess)
Dr. Sehba Ali is a scholar in languages and a distinguished teacher of languages. She obtained her education from Karamat Hussain College, I T College & University of Lucknow. She has a post graduate diploma in teaching English as a foreign language from University of London. She received her MA & Ph.D degrees in Applied Linguistics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. She has also obtained a Certificate of High Proficiency in French from the University of Ottawa and a Certificate in Spoken French from the University of Geneva.
‘Majaz Ki Baatein’ is a beautiful book written by her on the life & poetry of Asrar-ul Haq Majaz as she being a very close relative of ‘Majaz – Keats of Urdu Poetry’. Being also born in Rudauli and brought up in Lucknow, she is a legend who has promoted Majaz & Lucknow at every level and stages of life throughout the globe ! A centenary programme was also organized on Majaz in Rudauli at birth place of the poet.Dr. Ali has also written ‘Learning a Foreign Language – Role of Linguistic Environment’ & ‘Interference from the Second Language in Learning a Third Language’ which are widely acclaimed as renowned Linguistic books. She has taught Hindi, Urdu, English & French at Delhi Public School & St. Xavier’s Boys High School in India, Vox Institute of Languages, Institute of Modern Languages, Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University Washington DC, University of Ottawa & University of Geneva. She is a prolific writer and has contributed many research papers and articles on Linguistics to Journals, Workshops & Seminars. She is freelance reporter and was editor of newsletter of United Nations Women’s Guide, Geneva. She is also a member of many language associations in India and abroad! Kudos Dr Sehba Ali for representing Lucknow at International levels & being the icon of woman-power and the source of the rich heritage & language of Lucknow!
SHARIB RUDAULVI (writer)
Dr. Sharib Rudaulvi is one the most talented poets Lucknow has given to the world of Urdu Literature. He in his long journey through the realms of the language, is at the epitome of success and is world-renowned. The Urdu poets that followed him envy him, for having seen and heard legends like Josh Malihabadi and Firaq Gorakhpuri. He has been a contemporary of Majaz, Sahir, Faiz, Janisaar Akhtar, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Moin Ahsan Jazbi and many other progressive Urdu writers, as his career began as the secretary of the student federation of the Progressive Writers Association.
He has worked at significant positions in the Department of Indian languages, at the Dayal Singh College of the University of Delhi and also at the Jawahar Lal Nehru University. He also served as the Principal Publications Officer in the Education Ministry of the Central Government for 2 years. He has published 14 books, so far, on Urdu Criticism and has also written a book on Majaz Lakhnavi, which was published by the Sahitya Academy, recently.
SKAND SHUKLA (doctor/poet)
Dr Skanda Shukla, (born September 22, 1979), completed his primary education from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh. He completed his MBBS and MD (Medicine) from LLRM Medical college , Meerut and DM in Clinical Immunology from Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. He demonstrated signs of great intelligence as a child and throughout his academic career he was a magnet for appreciation for both his peers and juniors. He was awarded a gold medal during his MD and is the recipient of the prestigious APLAR fellowship at Cambridge, UK. His well-wishers and critics look upto him for a sense of hope and motivation . His deep interest in literature besides medicine and his reputation as a clinician, teacher and writer have continued to define his role and contribution to the society. He comes across as a writer who can inspire passionate opinions and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narration, make him a force to be reckoned with.
VEENA TALWAR OLDENBURG (historian/writer)
A native of Lucknow, Veena Talwar Oldenburg received her B.A. from Loreto Convent College in Lucknow and her M.A. in European History from the University of Lucknow, with a First Class First and two gold medals. In 1970 she arrived in the United States on a Teaching Fellowship at the University of Bridgeport, where she picked up another Masters Degree in History, and then proceeded to get her Ph. D. in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been the recipient of senior research fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, American Institute of Indian Studies, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the American Philosophical Society for Useful Knowledge.
Ms. Oldenburg has taught at Loreto Convent College, Columbia University, and Sarah Lawrence College. She is currently Associate Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. She teaches courses on Modern India, British Colonialism, and Women’s History in the Third World, Modern European and Global History.
She has worked in other allied areas, as the consultant and administrator at the Social Science Research Council on the Ford Foundation project on the South Asian Political Economy, been on the lecture roster of the Asia Society and a consultant on their educational programs, a research associate at the Southern Asian Institute, a regular outreach lecturer and a University Seminar Member at Columbia University. And for almost a quarter century she has remained an avid New Yorker, making the project of her life as important as her career.
VIKRAM RUPANI (film-maker)
Like most aspiring film-makers do, Mr. Vikram Rupani too set on the rebel route to the city of dreams Mumbai to seek out a career in films. But unlike most aspirants, he braved the initial years of struggle and used the time and exposure to refine his experiment yielded niche skills into that of a master craftsman.
In his own words, he is a self-tutored- perrenially-learning film maker. After working as assistant, and sub-assistant to a number of film making roles in Mumbai, Mr. Rupani came back to Lucknow and set up Vikram Artisan Films and VAF Production in 2007. Since then, he has been making documentaries, promotional and short-films under this banner. His works have been acknowledged and commended by The Ayodhya Film Festival.
VINOD MEHTA (writer/journalist)
The quintessential “Lucknow Boy” though born in Rawalpindi Mr. Mehta educated at the La Martinere College is amongst India’s foremost journalist and was till 2012 the Editor in chief of the Outlook Magazine. Leaving home with a BA third class degree, he experimented with a string of jobs, including that of a factory hand in suburban Britain, before accepting an offer to edit Debonair in 1974, a journal best known for featuring naked women. With the eclecticism and flair that were to become his hallmark, he turned it into a lively magazine while managing to keep the fans of its center spreads happy His critically acclaimed biography A Lucknow Boy and other works such as Bombay: A Private View, Meena Kumari, a collection of his articles titled Mr Editor, how close are you to the PM? Are all amongst the best Journalistic writings in India. His most recent work “The Sanjay Story” is as the title suggests about the maverick Sanjay Gandhi As the editor of a Bombay magazine during the Emergency, Mr. Mehta was a target of the censor. But The Sanjay Story is remarkably clinical in its approach: there’s barely a trace of anger in a book published in 1978, just a year after the restoration of democracy.
WASEEM BARELVI (poet/lyricist)
Prof. Waseem Barelvi is one of the most renowned Urdu poets of India. His poetry has been published in scores of literary magazines in India as well as Pakistan and some other countries as well. He has attended thousands of Seminars, Mushairas in various cities of India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, The United States of America etc. His works have been commented upon and assessed by eminent scholars, poets and critics like: Firaq Gorakhpuri, Prof. Mohd. Hasan etc. His ghazals and other compositions have been sung by prominent singers, including Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor, Jagjeet Singh, Tal’at Azeez, Pankaj Udhas. He has published six collections of poetry in Urdu and two in Hindi.
YATINDRA MISHRA (poet)
Yatindra Mishra’s spectrum of his works is multifaceted and almost impossible to be introduced merely in words. He is a poet, sensitive to the world around him, a highly observant editor, outstanding translator, promoter of culture, an art critic, and a devoted student of Music. His published collection of poems titled, “Yada Kada”, “Ayodhya Tatha Anya Kavitaayein” and “Dyodhi par Alaap”, were well received by the literary fraternity. His works combine the intricate details of his personal experiences and his rich literary background. His love for arts, gives his poems uninhibited beauty, lusciousness, and a natural softness of character, which is somehow missing in the works of other contemporary writers. His works which, in essence, bring together the various aspects of Indian arts, never shy from the ethical duties of an artist. He raised many unasked questions in many of his writings, while in others he explores for some unseen answers. Communalism, Babri Masjid Demolition, Religious and social tolerance and its relationship with our culture are some of the important subjects of his works.
His works give newer wings to our understanding of arts and inculcate a new feel in the pleasure of reading. His books on eminent people like the well known Classical Singer Girija Devi, Popular Classical Dancer Sonal Man Singh, Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, titled “Girija”, “Dev Priya” and “Sur ki Baradari” respectively, are by far unparalleled. For his contribution towards Hindi literature he’s been awarded, with the Bharat Bhushana Agrawal Memorial Award, Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samman, Parampara Rituraj Samman, Bhartiya Bhasha Parishada Yuwa Puruskaar, Hemant Smriti Kavita Samman, Aadi Raza foundation Award, and the list goes on. He has also been awarded fellowships by the Ministry of Culture, and also for his Study on Ayodhya, he’s been awarded a fellowship by CSDS Delhi.
YOGESH PRAVEEN (writer)
Dr. Yogesh Praveen a living legend of Lucknow, an eminent writer, an imaginative story teller, a sensitive poet, an accomplished essayist and a lively orator. He at the ripe young age of 75 is still busy writing poems and essays. His famous books include Dastan-e Avadh, Tajdar-e Avadh, Bahar-e Avadh, Gulistan-e Avadh, Doobta Avadh, Dastan-e Lucknow, Aapka Lucknow, Lucknow Monuments (English), Sahib-e Alam, etc. His poetic creations include Shabnam (Urdu), Peele Gulab (Urdu), Anjuman (Ghazals), Indra Dhanush (Geet) and Sumanhar. He has written in Television media and has done much work in some of the most famous documentaries and films like Shatranj ke Khilari, Junoon, Umrao Jaan & Zahre Ishq are credited with his research.
Download Schedule
Inaugural day offers talk shows, book launches, and workshops as varied as comics, Awadhi, Hindi and Urdu poetry, Women empowerment and Social networking impact. A workshop on movie scripting, discussion on Lucknow’s stature in Urdu Poetry, growing comic culture, challenges of contemporary Hindi poetry and a special session for past and future of Awadhi complement each other throughout the colorful day. Sufi Hindi rock band Faridkot concludes a day punctuated with Neelesh Mishra and his troupe weaving a story around songs. Inauguration...
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies...
A sixteenth century lost art’s performance, describing the fifteenth century mystic saint poet Kabir. Dastan Dhaai Aakhar Kee - a story on Kabir - the poet and the lover is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood...
If not its birthplace, then Lucknow is certainly one of the pilgrimage sites of Urdu poetry! The region bears a distinct influence on Urdu ghazal khwaani and Lakhnau school being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. The lyric and...
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan,...
Day two of LLF features launch of some popular books dealing in sufism, mysticism, fiction, political biography, fantasy and poetry. Poetry and Lucknow and cinema remain the flavor of day with a documentary screening on the city’s Piscean symbol, a discussion on the celebrated nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the romance of poetry and cinema, history of dastangoi and the discussion on century of Indian films. Thoughts on media regulation and a session of gadgets catch young patrons. The day features...
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed at 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Write a story on the unique image in not more than 50 words and win prizes daily for 10 days !
Be a part of 2nd edition of International Lucknow Literary Festival on 1st – 2nd Feb 2014
Contest Start Date : 6th January
Contest Duration : 10 Days
Total Contest : 10 [ 6th January to 15th January ]
Entry Deadline of each contest : 2 days [ For example – Contest posted on 6th Jan will be open till 12 midnight of 7th Jan ]
Total Winners : 10 [ One for each contest ]
Entry Rules : Only 1 entry to be submitted by a person for an image, otherwise a person can participate all 10 days
Word Limit : Within 50 words
Age Limit : 5 – 14 Years
Languages : Hindi, Urdu & English
Prize Distribution : Prizes along with Certificates to be distributed on 1st Feb at Lucknow Literary Festival
LUCKNOW Society, an acronym for ‘Lets Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’, the host of the first ever Lucknow Literary Festival opens the day. The festival was formally inaugurated by the legends of literature & art including Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Dolly Thakore.
“Qadmon Ke Neeche Phool Nahi Dil Bhi Rakh Diya,
Dekhe To Koi Lakhnawi Mehmaan Nawaziyan”
Hiroko Fujiwara is a disciple of Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she learned Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. She will be performing Pushpanjali – Ragam Natai, Talam Adi (An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings) and Thillana – Ragam Behag, Talam Adi (prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy)…. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival !
‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ by Muzaffar Ali is a coffee table book with very readable account of sufism in (erstwhile) Awadh. Lucknow’s very own gentleman with an array of interests from cinema, poetry, music, painting, drama, costumes and sufism. His life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. There is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in sufism has lead to the musical performance Jahan-e Khusrau a tribute to the sufism with beautiful compositions. ‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh. It introduces to the reader the history, traditions, sub cultures, institutions and poetry of sufism in the Awadh region. The approach in the book is equally multidisciplinary and the book invites the reader to join a conversation regarding self – discovery ! Qamar Rehman, Mehru Jaffer, Jayant Krishna joins him for the book launch !
‘In Good Faith’ by Saba Naqvi is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief, the India of far away shrines in quaint little places and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman God. From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah. Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism. In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Ms Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. She requested the book launch by her grandmother & writer Atia Naqvi ( also mother of journalist Saeed Naqvi ). Her uncle Shanney Naqvi, recited the Nazm on Guru Nanak by Nazeer Akbarabadi!
“Tere Maathe Pe Yeh Aanchal Bahut Hi Khoob Hai Lekin,
Tu Is Aanchal Se Ek Parcham Bana Leti To Achchha Tha”
– Majaz Lakhnawi
Known for ada and adab, Lucknow gave this clarion call long ago for women empowerment. And if this century is remembered for anything in distant future, it will be remembered for the freedom of expression and the evolving women! As one of the inaugural sessions of Lucknow Literary Festival, eminent theatre personality Dolly Thakore and social activist and educationist Prof. Roop Rekha Verma joined journalist and writer Saba Naqvi to ponder over Women Empowerment and Right to Expression. Prof. Verma remarked, “Ease of expression is certainly a powerful tool to curb crime against fairer sex. It is normalization of small violences that actually culminates into heinous crimes against women. Implementation of right to expression, thus, yields empowerment.”
‘The Virtuals’, Introduction to the first Philosophical Thriller of the World by Anupam Sinha was experienced at LLF. Anupam Sinha is an Indian comic book artist and writer, credited as the revolutionary comics creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. ‘The Virtuals’ by Anupam Sinha is an amazing fiction as well as fantasy novel. The story of the book takes you to an unseen world of fantasy where all your questions are answered and all your prayers are heard. The book is well-written and is a page-turner in its true sense. Although the book is full of fantasies, it is and extremely great read and quite fascinating. Atul Tiwari was also the part of the workshop with Anupam Sinha.
By Murli Raju Qawwal mesmerised the audience with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Chaap Tilak, Aaj Rang Hai, More Pardesi Balamwa Qawwali’s. The Sufis saw music and poetry as powerful mediums to reach the ultimate beloved – God. Today, in the face of a constantly evolving world based more and more on materialistic values, it is through art and music that one can relate to a deep feeling of elation – balancing between fulfillment and a yearning for the beloved, as declaimed by the Sufi poets. The contribution of Hazrat Amir Khusru was also highlighted in the literary arena. The sufi music rejuvenated the senses in the literary festival !
Pankaj Srivastava, Pankaj Umrania & Himanshu Bajpayee in conversation with Mayank Saxena explored the world of social media as to what are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in last decade than the rise of social media and its potential impact on the youth’s behavior. The World saw a toppling of regimes, election campaigns, corporate recruitments, exam preparations, romance, friendships, music, social work, awareness programs, abuse, crap and whats not on this social network. It is believed that if searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next. The new age aspires to move into an open world riding on this social media. What are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Mr Himanshu Bajpai preferred to look at the brighter side as he commented, “Facebook has provided an ideal platform for exchange of idea. Without any inhibition one can put across his arguments, thoughts and supporting facts. This is a good sign for a free thinking society.”
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Ram Shankar Tripathi, Amrendra Tripathi in conversation with Dayanand Pandey highlighted the problem that how contemporary literature stepped down to satisfy populist demands. If not any other art form, Hindi Poetry has been worst hit from the short hand language of populist poets. While populist poets emphasise on lyricism, purists lament the drift. Dayanand Pandey said, “Its heartening to learn that people confuse the term Hindi geet with Hindi film songs”. The panel stood optimistic about a bright future of Hindi Language and all arms of its literature once it becomes the ‘language of employment’ !
Atul Tiwari’s exclusive workshop on how to write a movie script. He is a veteran from National School of Drama and credited with celebrated scripts of Mission Kashmir and Vishwaroop. He took an extensive workshop on screenplay writing and re-inforced that writing is like a do-and-learn-art. One can read a lot of literature and theories, but can never learn it until one writes. He differentiated Story writing and Screenplay writing through a lot of lucid examples. Mr Tiwari stressed on the guru mantra that an art as vast as script writing is not bound by any formula, the people thus should focus on the principles provided in the workshop and create their own magic.
‘Gaon Connection’ by Neelesh Misra is India’s first rural newspaper ! He is the founder & editorial director of the newspaper. The newspaper based is based at Kunaura, a village near Lucknow. The entire project is widely appreciated by the rural fraternity and intellectual arena. Newspaper has been a great success so far ! Lucknow Literary Festival was the right plaftorm for the presentation and discussion on the unique newspaper which is intended to uplift the rural population and provide them a modern newspaper !
‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is a collection of Hindi poetries in a range of emotional spectrum. The book, penned by the talented doctor, contains human emotions and expressions bound in a lyrical rhyme. Well, the poetry composition ‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is an articulate exposition of poems that would definitely be able to lift the reader out of the ordinary and give glimpses of a more illumining reality. Indeed poetry from the heart not only engaging the reader to think but also leave so much to the imagination of the reader. No wonder ‘poet is born not made’. Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi & Ram Shankar Tripathi were the celebrated writers on the book launch.
Sharib Rudalvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed & Anees Ashfaq in conversation with Reshma Parveen made illuminous panel which discussed the impact of Lucknow in Urdu language, born in North India and flourished in many parts of the country. Lucknow is a prominent place which has contributed immensely in Urdu’s rich literature. Lucknow School of Urdu Poetry is considered to be the most impactful version in terms of language & essence. Anees Ashfaq emphasized the remarkable contribution of the Nawabs for giving patronge & the poets highlighted two aspects which are sophistication of culture & sophistication of language. Lucknow’s contribution in every aspect of poetry is remarkable and that is applicable in prose also.
“Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Samne,
Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazalo Ke Saamne”
Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed laid emphasis on the comparision of the language of Delhi with Lucknow and how the history also played an important role when Delhi was declining and Lucknow was emerging. The role of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb is prominent since ages in this region and the beauty of language & love is evident in the poetry here, Sharib Rudaulvi explained the historical fact. He added that Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek ( Progressive Writers Movement ) was started in Lucknow and it refined many languages in India !
“Eik Zara Aap Ko Zehmat Hogi,
Aap Ke Paon Ke Neche Dil Hai”
Reshma Parveen presented appropriate sher on each of the questions & highlights, thus making it a great literary session. Awara, the nazm of Majaz is one of the best nazm of Urdu Poetry.
“Shaher Ki Raat Aur Mein Nashad-o Nakara Phiru,
Jagmagati Jagti Sadko Pe Awara Phiru,
Ghair Ki Basti Hai Kab Tak Dar-ba Dar Mara Phiru,
Ae Ghame Dil Kia Karu Ae Wehshat-e Dil Kia Karu”
An interesting discussion wherein the panel included Dhruv creator Anupam Sinha, humorous writer Jugal Mody, graphic novelist Appu Pen, Anirudh Singh & Nitin Prakash. The pictorial comics have come a long way not only in India but all across the globe. The characters are loved, adored, they inspire, bring out the satire; but have also been controversial and racial in some instances. How are comics pitched in a new world? Reacting to a comment, Mr Anupam Sinha said, “We cannot blame television or internet for the fall in comic readership today. US is a glittering example- they too have access to internet and television, but the American Comic has survived them all, Indian comic artists should catch up with readers and do some serious introspection.”
‘Hala Hala NIP’ by Appu Pen is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world and through different periods in its history – from the long-gone Oberian Age to the dystopian era of dome-cities. Appu Pen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, ‘Halahala’. Appu Pen is a Malayalam word and the name George Mathen adopts while writing about Halahala. In this book he writes about a fictional universe starting from the beginning of time. He traces time into an immediate future to which people can relate to. This graphic novel tries to hint at various issues of life through its characters and the situation they are in. The narration has been done with the help of mainly pictures segmented into connected short stories leaving it to the reader to interpret them. George got the name of his mythical world while reading an Amar Chitra Katha in which Shiva churns the oceans to rid them of poison….the poison that emerges is Halahala. Anupam Sinha did the honours of book launch.
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi in conversation with Yogesh Praveen & Amrendra Tripathi hosted three generations of Avadhi in the celebrated discussion on Avadhi. In a soulful conversation in fluent Avadhi, Bekal Utsahi talked about the adaptability of the age old language which is evident in works of great from Malik Mohammad Jayasi to Tulsidas. Yogesh Parveen lauded how everyday phrases and idioms of Avadhi complimented our life. Amarendra Tripathi lamented that inspite of being older to Hindi, Avadhi has been reduced to a mere dialect and not a language in general understanding. A youngman in the audience expressed joy over attending a full session in Avadhi and asked young generation present to recognize the language so close to our roots !
Tata Consultancy Services, Asia’s premier IT services company, developed a software tool to aide combating the social problem of illiteracy as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor. This flashed based tool works on the principle of cognition and helps a native speaker of a language learn read and write in dramatically reduced time as compared to conventional methods. TCS avails this socially useful tool in nine Indian languages free of cost. This workshop is a part of LUCKNOW Society’s endeavor to help Hindustani speaking people of Lucknow learn read and write Urdu, which was conducted by Anas Khan.
‘Yaad Shaher’, a book by Neelesh Misra was launched at Lucknow Literary Festival 2013. Neelesh connects with his readers through this imaginary city called ‘Yaad Shaher’, a city built of memories. Memories that every individual would want to hold on to, even as work-life takes over their existence. Neelesh Misra ka Yaad Shaher Volume 1 & 2 makes an attempt to re-connect you to that world. Neelesh is a popular Bollywood lyricist who has penned lyrics of movies like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc. As a radio storyteller, his show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 BIG FM has been a huge successs. In this show, he tells stories of Yaad Shaher, which is broadcasted in 35 cities across the nation!
Neelesh Misra narrates a story woven with songs performed by his troupe. Have you ever wondered how a bouquet of songs culminates into a story? How lyrics and rhythmic beats connect with a tale in your heart? Neelesh Mishra, loved for his radio show, presents a story inter woven with songs in ‘Yaadon Ke Safar Mein’. In typical radio style, the performance consists of songs and storytelling by his troupe, put together with a narrative recited by Neelesh Mishra. Songs performed were the selected from the movies whose lyrics is penned by Neelesh like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc.
Live Performance by Faridkot Band was the major attraction and the last activity of the first day. Faridkot is a Hindi rock band based out of New Delhi. The band is well known for their mix of pop vocals, bluesy guitar playing, funk bass lines, melodic (and sometimes pompous) electronic layers combined together in a heap of musical endeavors that they like to call their own. Sometimes in love, sometimes trying to be funny and a little more loving, the band likes to play good music which might transcend the individual inspirations that each musician bring forth.
Pankaj Srivastava, Saba Naqvi in conversation with Himanshu Bajpayee were on the discussion regarding the responsibilities and regulation on media. It is often argued that self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards, not only in media but any industry. But how relevant is this argument in an era of profits chases and higher TRP ratings? A free media represents a free society, and a free society in turns is the breeding ground of free ideas! On either side, the argument presents its own gloomy and colorful pictures of India of tomorrow. Pankaj Srivastava, associate editor with IBN-7, countered the call for full freedom with a pointer towards media working like capitalist business houses of the day. Saba Naqvi was of the view that media houses should be more responsible. She said, “We should be able to something like that and not let government interfere with our work.” Moderated by Himanshu Bajpai, the discussion brought out the need for fine balance in this critical creative field. “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” – Joseph Pulitzer
‘Mayan’ by A P Maheshwari is a fictional narrative about the difficulties and family bonds of his mother who is a cancer patient and what all hardships she had to go through. Mayan (mother in Rajasthani) talks about story of triumphs that his mother acheived through faith, love and determination despite all the odds pitted against her. Besides portraying psycological and emotional panaroma of a cancer patient and his family, the book also describes the pathology of disease and the treatment options available to a modern day cancer patient. Padma Shri Dr Nitya Anand & Padma Shri Runa Banerjee launched the book !
Amish Tripathi, Jugal Mody, Appu Pen in conversation with Nitin Prakash had a discussion on the reading habits of generation next which is used to everything on the move. The youth of today asks hard questions, demands honest answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time- one sees more suicides, prevailing corruption and political disarray. Some enigma about the young minds prevail dynamic, confident and always connected – the youth speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by the elderly marketers. Literary observers across generations ponder over this happy, optimistic but eccentric MTV generation which often behaves like a herd, but refuses to be branded sheep. Amish Tripathi explains that he do not write taking into consideration the minds of the audience, it is the conext which appeals him for writing. He adds that this generation do not accept things as told to them, they have various resources to explore the reality and new aspects. Appu Pen is a comic expert and do it for everybody and in his case the cartoon is explored by people regarless of language / region and age. He puts the content freely on internet, so that people are aware and interest is generated for the same. Jugal Mody is of the opinion that reading habits will stay but the entire process is going through a change process. Readers are now looking for new topics and the role of technology in making people aware about the globe is instrumental is making the shape of the young minds !
Pankaj Umrania, Entrepreneur and expert on changing technology trends presented an insight into the upcoming gadgets and solutions from cool watches to high end televisions working for fast communication ! In a world where mobile OS versions change before you get used to the one, individual has too many options to upgrade and choose to when it comes to technology. Literature is not untouched by the technology and tech readers around you.
‘History of Dastangoi’ by Ankit Chadha was very interactive workshop and he laid stress on preservation and revival of lost art form. The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling, it is a compound of two Persian words dastan and goi which means to tell a Dastan. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. The first historian of Lucknow, Abdul Halim Sharar wrote in Guzishta Lucknow about the proliferation of the art of Dastangoi in the city after the mutiny. Every nobleman, he said, had made it a practice to employ a Dastango in his retinue as chowks or city squares became a favored site for performance of the art. In 1928, just a few years before sound revolutionized the Indian film industry, Mir Baqar Ali died, he was the last famous Dastango of India. The connection is not merely incidental, reports of his performances establish beyond doubt that he was perhaps the last great traditional actor to be born in this country. The first modern Dastangoi performance took place on 4th May 2005 at the India International Auditorium after the recent revival of the art !
‘The Sanjay Story’ a book by Vinod Mehta showcases how a nation of over 600 million people bowed down to the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister’s pampered son. Vinod Mehta, now associated with the Outlook Group was the editor of a Bombay magazine during the Emergency, he was one of the target of the censor at emergency. The book is remarkably clinical in its approach and there is barely a trace of anger. Mehru Jaffer launched the book at the festival.
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
Amir Mohd Amir Sulaiman Khan, Asif Ali Mirza, Roshan Taqui, Amaresh Mishra in conversation with Veena Talwar Oldenburg explored the most loved ruler of Awadh, a visionary who pioneered a nation on secular, artistic and progressive foundations. The last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah remains an elusive personality even today. There lied numerous personalities behind that twirled mustache and one finds a new facet of the man behind every skill he possessed. How did a dancer, poet, playwrite and a patron of numerous art forms balanced the act of a compassionate administrator? Raja Mehmoodabad explained that Britishers were on their plan and way to annex Awadh and so the allegations were framed to defame the ruler. Wajid Ali Shah was the true reresentative of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and this was alarming for the Britishers as their philosophy was Divide And Rule, Amaresh Mishra added the point in discussion. Asif Ali Mirza informed us that Wajid Ali Shah is the author of 117 books and his personality was full of various aspects related to art & literature. His popularity and his contributions in various fields were explained by Roshan Taqui. Veena Talwar Oldenburg highlighted the fact that the Ramayana was being translated into Urdu under the patronage of the King and he was very interested in the subject of Lord Krishna – Radha. Naseer Uddin Shah, as an audience ask the question about the relevance of the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray and Asif Ali Mirza answered that one has to see the movie in great detail to capture the greatness of the Jaan-e Aalam ! Anees Ashfaq, again as an audience added a point that Wajid Ali Shah is credited with the 1st drama of Urdu langauge ! Raja Mehmoodabad demanded a subject of Awadh History in Lucknow University and some institutions in name of the Great King Wajid Ali Shah !
The documentary tries to track the origin of the fish in the history and culture of Awadh and its capital Lucknow. The 15 minute documentary film dives deep into anectodes, old monuments, royal descendants, historians, citizens and retrieves precious pearls of information. The mystery behind the presence of fish motif on diverse architechture, culture and even on state government’s insignia is thus revealed !
‘Toke’ by Jugal Mody is a fun packed book that talks about a boy who is definitely not a hero. Lord Vishnu showed up on him and asked him along with his two friends to save the world. He was joined by his two friends along with his crush, two Japanese girls, an office colleague, a crow and an eagle on this mission to save the world. This book hilariously talks about the adventure Nikhil and his friends went through while rescuing the world. When someone in the audience asked Jugal about the resemblance of the title ‘Toke’ with regular Lakhnawi slang for cigarette shops, he pointed out in a light vein, the role of ‘pot’ in the development of the ‘plot’ of the book !
Muzaffar Ali, Atul Tiwari, Asif Jah, Amit Rai in conversation with Yatendra Mishra bring in nostalgia, recollect memories and salute the personalities that made it happen over the century. Indian cinema will complete 100 years in May 2013; as it was a century ago, in 1913, that the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra, came out. The landmark films of Indian cinema that have enthralled generations of viewers over the past century. Not only entertainment, this industry has yielded a new life to literature, art, culture and folk along with being an exercise in cultural diplomacy to woo the world through India’s soft power. Muzaffar Ali highlighted that a film involves lot of people with various aspects and a successful century in the same is a brilliant landmark. The commercialisation which has big impact on the film industry can lead to decline of real art, pointed out by Yatendra Mishra. Film Najma by Mehboob Khan in 1943 highlighted Lucknow for the 1st time and the journey continues till today with Dabang 2, this fact was contributed by Atul Tiwari. He also talked about the impact of Awadh in films, like Ganga-Jamuna & Lagaan who are based at Awadh but the name is something else in the film. Asif Jah discussed that the culture of Awadh is prominently adopted in cinema as this is the national culture of the country. Amit Rai presented a different aspect about the Indian film industry that it is not as per the international standards and lacking in international arena. He gave a beautiful example that if a girl has to learn acting, she should see the acting of Rekha in the movie Umrao Jaan, which is of high standard in acting !
A unique art of story telling, performance describing the fifteenth century mystic saint & poet Kabir. A story on Kabir is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you!
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
Atul Tiwari presented a paper on the legendary poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and the city of Lucknow. Faiz, whose revolutionary writings resonated in the per-independence India from Lahore to Lucknow, visited the city of Nawabs as a young writer to attend the first conference of Progressive Writers Association in Lucknow in 1936. Faiz was immensely impressed by the inaugural address, delivered by Munshi Premchand, and which later the watershed moment that changed the scenario of literature, arts, theater, films and even politics in India. Faiz, who had just turned 25, was young, full of verve,impressive and impressionable. And the stamp or imprint that Lucknow left on him, the bond that this city made with him was the bedrock of a life long relationship. Atul Tiwari had earlier presented this paper during the centenary birth celebration of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in Lahore in 2011. He hailed the such festivals as occasions where younger generation gets opportunity to know about the past legacy. He hails Faiz, like Manto, as a writer beyond boundaries, and said, “He belonged as much to Asia as to Africa, as much to Beirut as to Bangladesh, as much to Pakistan as to India, and belonged as much to Lahore as he belonged to Lucknow.”
“Khud Ko Manwane Ka Mujh Ko Bhi Hunar Aata Hai,
Mein Woh Qatra Hoo Samandar Mere Ghar Aata Hai”
– Waseem Bareilvi
Lucknow being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira to conclude the Literary festival. A culmination of top contemporary Poets – Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sehba Ali, Aadil Rasheed, Manish Shukla, Malikzada Javed, Shabeena Adeeb, Faheem Jogapuri, Tilak Raj Paras, Tariq Nizami, Sankalp Sharma, Faheem Rajput recited their poetry !
BOOK LAUNCH : ‘Aakhri Parwaaz’ is the Kulliyat ( Complete collection of Poetry ) of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari, a prominent Urdu poet of Tilhar, Shahjahapur. Compilation is done by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari, as a tribute to his Ustaad & book launch was done by the poets of LLF Mushaira
“Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Mera Teer Hai Jaan Leke Niklega,
Mein Kehta Hoo Yeh Meri Jaan Hai Mushkil Se Niklegi”
– Gulzar Dehlvi
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Pankaj Srivastava, Saba Naqvi in conversation with Himanshu Bajpayee were on the discussion regarding the responsibilities and regulation on media. It is often argued that self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards, not only in media but any industry. But how relevant is this argument in an era of profits chases and higher TRP ratings? A free media represents a free society, and a free society in turns is the breeding ground of free ideas! On either side, the argument presents its own gloomy and colorful pictures of India of tomorrow. Pankaj Srivastava, associate editor with IBN-7, countered the call for full freedom with a pointer towards media working like capitalist business houses of the day. Saba Naqvi was of the view that media houses should be more responsible. She said, “We should be able to something like that and not let government interfere with our work.” Moderated by Himanshu Bajpai, the discussion brought out the need for fine balance in this critical creative field. “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” – Joseph Pulitzer
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‘Mayan’ by A P Maheshwari is a fictional narrative about the difficulties and family bonds of his mother who is a cancer patient and what all hardships she had to go through. Mayan (mother in Rajasthani) talks about story of triumphs that his mother acheived through faith, love and determination despite all the odds pitted against her. Besides portraying psycological and emotional panaroma of a cancer patient and his family, the book also describes the pathology of disease and the treatment options available to a modern day cancer patient. Padma Shri Dr Nitya Anand & Padma Shri Runa Banerjee launched the book !
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Amish Tripathi, Jugal Mody, Appu Pen in conversation with Nitin Prakash had a discussion on the reading habits of generation next which is used to everything on the move. The youth of today asks hard questions, demands honest answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time- one sees more suicides, prevailing corruption and political disarray. Some enigma about the young minds prevail dynamic, confident and always connected – the youth speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by the elderly marketers. Literary observers across generations ponder over this happy, optimistic but eccentric MTV generation which often behaves like a herd, but refuses to be branded sheep. Amish Tripathi explains that he do not write taking into consideration the minds of the audience, it is the conext which appeals him for writing. He adds that this generation do not accept things as told to them, they have various resources to explore the reality and new aspects. Appu Pen is a comic expert and do it for everybody and in his case the cartoon is explored by people regarless of language / region and age. He puts the content freely on internet, so that people are aware and interest is generated for the same. Jugal Mody is of the opinion that reading habits will stay but the entire process is going through a change process. Readers are now looking for new topics and the role of technology in making people aware about the globe is instrumental is making the shape of the young minds !
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Pankaj Umrania, Entrepreneur and expert on changing technology trends presented an insight into the upcoming gadgets and solutions from cool watches to high end televisions working for fast communication ! In a world where mobile OS versions change before you get used to the one, individual has too many options to upgrade and choose to when it comes to technology. Literature is not untouched by the technology and tech readers around you.
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‘History of Dastangoi’ by Ankit Chadha was very interactive workshop and he laid stress on preservation and revival of lost art form. The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling, it is a compound of two Persian words dastan and goi which means to tell a Dastan. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. The first historian of Lucknow, Abdul Halim Sharar wrote in Guzishta Lucknow about the proliferation of the art of Dastangoi in the city after the mutiny. Every nobleman, he said, had made it a practice to employ a Dastango in his retinue as chowks or city squares became a favored site for performance of the art. In 1928, just a few years before sound revolutionized the Indian film industry, Mir Baqar Ali died, he was the last famous Dastango of India. The connection is not merely incidental, reports of his performances establish beyond doubt that he was perhaps the last great traditional actor to be born in this country. The first modern Dastangoi performance took place on 4th May 2005 at the India International Auditorium after the recent revival of the art !
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Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
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Amir Mohd Amir Sulaiman Khan, Asif Ali Mirza, Roshan Taqui, Amaresh Mishra in conversation with Veena Talwar Oldenburg explored the most loved ruler of Awadh, a visionary who pioneered a nation on secular, artistic and progressive foundations. The last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah remains an elusive personality even today. There lied numerous personalities behind that twirled mustache and one finds a new facet of the man behind every skill he possessed. How did a dancer, poet, playwrite and a patron of numerous art forms balanced the act of a compassionate administrator? Raja Mehmoodabad explained that Britishers were on their plan and way to annex Awadh and so the allegations were framed to defame the ruler. Wajid Ali Shah was the true reresentative of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and this was alarming for the Britishers as their philosophy was Divide And Rule, Amaresh Mishra added the point in discussion. Asif Ali Mirza informed us that Wajid Ali Shah is the author of 117 books and his personality was full of various aspects related to art & literature. His popularity and his contributions in various fields were explained by Roshan Taqui. Veena Talwar Oldenburg highlighted the fact that the Ramayana was being translated into Urdu under the patronage of the King and he was very interested in the subject of Lord Krishna – Radha. Naseer Uddin Shah, as an audience ask the question about the relevance of the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray and Asif Ali Mirza answered that one has to see the movie in great detail to capture the greatness of the Jaan-e Aalam ! Anees Ashfaq, again as an audience added a point that Wajid Ali Shah is credited with the 1st drama of Urdu langauge ! Raja Mehmoodabad demanded a subject of Awadh History in Lucknow University and some institutions in name of the Great King Wajid Ali Shah !
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The documentary tries to track the origin of the fish in the history and culture of Awadh and its capital Lucknow. The 15 minute documentary film dives deep into anectodes, old monuments, royal descendants, historians, citizens and retrieves precious pearls of information. The mystery behind the presence of fish motif on diverse architechture, culture and even on state government’s insignia is thus revealed !
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‘Toke’ by Jugal Mody is a fun packed book that talks about a boy who is definitely not a hero. Lord Vishnu showed up on him and asked him along with his two friends to save the world. He was joined by his two friends along with his crush, two Japanese girls, an office colleague, a crow and an eagle on this mission to save the world. This book hilariously talks about the adventure Nikhil and his friends went through while rescuing the world. When someone in the audience asked Jugal about the resemblance of the title ‘Toke’ with regular Lakhnawi slang for cigarette shops, he pointed out in a light vein, the role of ‘pot’ in the development of the ‘plot’ of the book !
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Muzaffar Ali, Atul Tiwari, Asif Jah, Amit Rai in conversation with Yatendra Mishra bring in nostalgia, recollect memories and salute the personalities that made it happen over the century. Indian cinema will complete 100 years in May 2013; as it was a century ago, in 1913, that the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra, came out. The landmark films of Indian cinema that have enthralled generations of viewers over the past century. Not only entertainment, this industry has yielded a new life to literature, art, culture and folk along with being an exercise in cultural diplomacy to woo the world through India’s soft power. Muzaffar Ali highlighted that a film involves lot of people with various aspects and a successful century in the same is a brilliant landmark. The commercialisation which has big impact on the film industry can lead to decline of real art, pointed out by Yatendra Mishra. Film Najma by Mehboob Khan in 1943 highlighted Lucknow for the 1st time and the journey continues till today with Dabang 2, this fact was contributed by Atul Tiwari. He also talked about the impact of Awadh in films, like Ganga-Jamuna & Lagaan who are based at Awadh but the name is something else in the film. Asif Jah discussed that the culture of Awadh is prominently adopted in cinema as this is the national culture of the country. Amit Rai presented a different aspect about the Indian film industry that it is not as per the international standards and lacking in international arena. He gave a beautiful example that if a girl has to learn acting, she should see the acting of Rekha in the movie Umrao Jaan, which is of high standard in acting !
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A unique art of story telling, performance describing the fifteenth century mystic saint & poet Kabir. A story on Kabir is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you!
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‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
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Atul Tiwari presented a paper on the legendary poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and the city of Lucknow. Faiz, whose revolutionary writings resonated in the per-independence India from Lahore to Lucknow, visited the city of Nawabs as a young writer to attend the first conference of Progressive Writers Association in Lucknow in 1936. Faiz was immensely impressed by the inaugural address, delivered by Munshi Premchand, and which later the watershed moment that changed the scenario of literature, arts, theater, films and even politics in India. Faiz, who had just turned 25, was young, full of verve,impressive and impressionable. And the stamp or imprint that Lucknow left on him, the bond that this city made with him was the bedrock of a life long relationship. Atul Tiwari had earlier presented this paper during the centenary birth celebration of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in Lahore in 2011. He hailed the such festivals as occasions where younger generation gets opportunity to know about the past legacy. He hails Faiz, like Manto, as a writer beyond boundaries, and said, “He belonged as much to Asia as to Africa, as much to Beirut as to Bangladesh, as much to Pakistan as to India, and belonged as much to Lahore as he belonged to Lucknow.”
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“Khud Ko Manwane Ka Mujh Ko Bhi Hunar Aata Hai,
Mein Woh Qatra Hoo Samandar Mere Ghar Aata Hai”
– Waseem Bareilvi
Lucknow being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira to conclude the Literary festival. A culmination of top contemporary Poets – Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sehba Ali, Aadil Rasheed, Manish Shukla, Malikzada Javed, Shabeena Adeeb, Faheem Jogapuri, Tilak Raj Paras, Tariq Nizami, Sankalp Sharma, Faheem Rajput recited their poetry !
BOOK LAUNCH : ‘Aakhri Parwaaz’ is the Kulliyat ( Complete collection of Poetry ) of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari, a prominent Urdu poet of Tilhar, Shahjahapur. Compilation is done by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari, as a tribute to his Ustaad & book launch was done by the poets of LLF Mushaira
“Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Mera Teer Hai Jaan Leke Niklega,
Mein Kehta Hoo Yeh Meri Jaan Hai Mushkil Se Niklegi”
– Gulzar Dehlvi
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‘The Virtuals’, Introduction to the first Philosophical Thriller of the World by Anupam Sinha was experienced at LLF. Anupam Sinha is an Indian comic book artist and writer, credited as the revolutionary comics creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. ‘The Virtuals’ by Anupam Sinha is an amazing fiction as well as fantasy novel. The story of the book takes you to an unseen world of fantasy where all your questions are answered and all your prayers are heard. The book is well-written and is a page-turner in its true sense. Although the book is full of fantasies, it is and extremely great read and quite fascinating. Atul Tiwari was also the part of the workshop with Anupam Sinha.
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By Murli Raju Qawwal mesmerised the audience with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Chaap Tilak, Aaj Rang Hai, More Pardesi Balamwa Qawwali’s. The Sufis saw music and poetry as powerful mediums to reach the ultimate beloved – God. Today, in the face of a constantly evolving world based more and more on materialistic values, it is through art and music that one can relate to a deep feeling of elation – balancing between fulfillment and a yearning for the beloved, as declaimed by the Sufi poets. The contribution of Hazrat Amir Khusru was also highlighted in the literary arena. The sufi music rejuvenated the senses in the literary festival !
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Pankaj Srivastava, Pankaj Umrania & Himanshu Bajpayee in conversation with Mayank Saxena explored the world of social media as to what are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in last decade than the rise of social media and its potential impact on the youth’s behavior. The World saw a toppling of regimes, election campaigns, corporate recruitments, exam preparations, romance, friendships, music, social work, awareness programs, abuse, crap and whats not on this social network. It is believed that if searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next. The new age aspires to move into an open world riding on this social media. What are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Mr Himanshu Bajpai preferred to look at the brighter side as he commented, “Facebook has provided an ideal platform for exchange of idea. Without any inhibition one can put across his arguments, thoughts and supporting facts. This is a good sign for a free thinking society.”
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Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Ram Shankar Tripathi, Amrendra Tripathi in conversation with Dayanand Pandey highlighted the problem that how contemporary literature stepped down to satisfy populist demands. If not any other art form, Hindi Poetry has been worst hit from the short hand language of populist poets. While populist poets emphasise on lyricism, purists lament the drift. Dayanand Pandey said, “Its heartening to learn that people confuse the term Hindi geet with Hindi film songs”. The panel stood optimistic about a bright future of Hindi Language and all arms of its literature once it becomes the ‘language of employment’ !
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Atul Tiwari’s exclusive workshop on how to write a movie script. He is a veteran from National School of Drama and credited with celebrated scripts of Mission Kashmir and Vishwaroop. He took an extensive workshop on screenplay writing and re-inforced that writing is like a do-and-learn-art. One can read a lot of literature and theories, but can never learn it until one writes. He differentiated Story writing and Screenplay writing through a lot of lucid examples. Mr Tiwari stressed on the guru mantra that an art as vast as script writing is not bound by any formula, the people thus should focus on the principles provided in the workshop and create their own magic.
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‘Gaon Connection’ by Neelesh Misra is India’s first rural newspaper ! He is the founder & editorial director of the newspaper. The newspaper based is based at Kunaura, a village near Lucknow. The entire project is widely appreciated by the rural fraternity and intellectual arena. Newspaper has been a great success so far ! Lucknow Literary Festival was the right plaftorm for the presentation and discussion on the unique newspaper which is intended to uplift the rural population and provide them a modern newspaper !
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‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is a collection of Hindi poetries in a range of emotional spectrum. The book, penned by the talented doctor, contains human emotions and expressions bound in a lyrical rhyme. Well, the poetry composition ‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is an articulate exposition of poems that would definitely be able to lift the reader out of the ordinary and give glimpses of a more illumining reality. Indeed poetry from the heart not only engaging the reader to think but also leave so much to the imagination of the reader. No wonder ‘poet is born not made’. Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi & Ram Shankar Tripathi were the celebrated writers on the book launch.
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Sharib Rudalvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed & Anees Ashfaq in conversation with Reshma Parveen made illuminous panel which discussed the impact of Lucknow in Urdu language, born in North India and flourished in many parts of the country. Lucknow is a prominent place which has contributed immensely in Urdu’s rich literature. Lucknow School of Urdu Poetry is considered to be the most impactful version in terms of language & essence. Anees Ashfaq emphasized the remarkable contribution of the Nawabs for giving patronge & the poets highlighted two aspects which are sophistication of culture & sophistication of language. Lucknow’s contribution in every aspect of poetry is remarkable and that is applicable in prose also. Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Samne, Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazalo Ke Saamne. Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed laid emphasis on the comparision of the language of Delhi with Lucknow and how the history also played an important role when Delhi was declining and Lucknow was emerging. The role of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb is prominent since ages in this region and the beauty of language & love is evident in the poetry here, Sharib Rudaulvi explained the historical fact. He added that Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek ( Progressive Writers Movement ) was started in Lucknow and it refined many languages in India ! Eik Zara Aap Ko Zehmat Hogi, Aap Ke Paon Ke Neche Dil Hai. Reshma Parveen presented appropriate sher on each of the questions & highlights, thus making it a great literary session. Awara, the nazm of Majaz is one of the best nazm of Urdu Poetry. Shaher Ki Raat Aur Mein Nashad-o Nakara Phiru, Jagmagati Jagti Sadko Pe Awara Phiru, Ghair Ki Basti Hai Kab Tak Dar-ba Dar Mara Phiru, Ae Ghame Dil Kia Karu Ae Wehshat-e Dil Kia Karu !
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An interesting discussion wherein the panel included Dhruv creator Anupam Sinha, humorous writer Jugal Mody, graphic novelist Appu Pen, Anirudh Singh & Nitin Prakash. The pictorial comics have come a long way not only in India but all across the globe. The characters are loved, adored, they inspire, bring out the satire; but have also been controversial and racial in some instances. How are comics pitched in a new world? Reacting to a comment, Mr Anupam Sinha said, “We cannot blame television or internet for the fall in comic readership today. US is a glittering example- they too have access to internet and television, but the American Comic has survived them all, Indian comic artists should catch up with readers and do some serious introspection.”
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‘Hala Hala NIP’ by Appu Pen is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world and through different periods in its history – from the long-gone Oberian Age to the dystopian era of dome-cities. Appu Pen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, ‘Halahala’. Appu Pen is a Malayalam word and the name George Mathen adopts while writing about Halahala. In this book he writes about a fictional universe starting from the beginning of time. He traces time into an immediate future to which people can relate to. This graphic novel tries to hint at various issues of life through its characters and the situation they are in. The narration has been done with the help of mainly pictures segmented into connected short stories leaving it to the reader to interpret them. George got the name of his mythical world while reading an Amar Chitra Katha in which Shiva churns the oceans to rid them of poison….the poison that emerges is Halahala. Anupam Sinha did the honours of book launch.
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Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi in conversation with Yogesh Praveen & Amrendra Tripathi hosted three generations of Avadhi in the celebrated discussion on Avadhi. In a soulful conversation in fluent Avadhi, Bekal Utsahi talked about the adaptability of the age old language which is evident in works of great from Malik Mohammad Jayasi to Tulsidas. Yogesh Parveen lauded how everyday phrases and idioms of Avadhi complimented our life. Amarendra Tripathi lamented that inspite of being older to Hindi, Avadhi has been reduced to a mere dialect and not a language in general understanding. A youngman in the audience expressed joy over attending a full session in Avadhi and asked young generation present to recognize the language so close to our roots !
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Tata Consultancy Services, Asia’s premier IT services company, developed a software tool to aide combating the social problem of illiteracy as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor. This flashed based tool works on the principle of cognition and helps a native speaker of a language learn read and write in dramatically reduced time as compared to conventional methods. TCS avails this socially useful tool in nine Indian languages free of cost. This workshop is a part of LUCKNOW Society’s endeavor to help Hindustani speaking people of Lucknow learn read and write Urdu, which was conducted by Anas Khan.
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Neelesh Misra narrates a story woven with songs performed by his troupe. Have you ever wondered how a bouquet of songs culminates into a story? How lyrics and rhythmic beats connect with a tale in your heart? Neelesh Mishra, loved for his radio show, presents a story inter woven with songs in ‘Yaadon Ke Safar Mein’. In typical radio style, the performance consists of songs and storytelling by his troupe, put together with a narrative recited by Neelesh Mishra. Songs performed were the selected from the movies whose lyrics is penned by Neelesh like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc.
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Live Performance by Faridkot Band was the major attraction and the last activity of the first day. Faridkot is a Hindi rock band based out of New Delhi. The band is well known for their mix of pop vocals, bluesy guitar playing, funk bass lines, melodic (and sometimes pompous) electronic layers combined together in a heap of musical endeavors that they like to call their own. Sometimes in love, sometimes trying to be funny and a little more loving, the band likes to play good music which might transcend the individual inspirations that each musician bring forth.
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Tere Maathe Pe Yeh Aanchal Bahut Hi Khoob Hai Lekin,
Tu Is Aanchal Se Ek Parcham Bana Leti To Achchha Tha!
– Majaz Lakhnawi
Known for ada and adab, Lucknow gave this clarion call long ago for women empowerment. And if this century is remembered for anything in distant future, it will be remembered for the freedom of expression and the evolving women! As one of the inaugural sessions of Lucknow Literary Festival, eminent theatre personality Dolly Thakore and social activist and educationist Prof. Roop Rekha Verma joined journalist and writer Saba Naqvi to ponder over Women Empowerment and Right to Expression. Prof. Verma remarked, “Ease of expression is certainly a powerful tool to curb crime against fairer sex. It is normalization of small violences that actually culminates into heinous crimes against women. Implementation of right to expression, thus, yields empowerment.”
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‘In Good Faith’ by Saba Naqvi is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief, the India of far away shrines in quaint little places and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman God. From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah. Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism. In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Ms Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. She requested the book launch by her grandmother & writer Atia Naqvi ( also mother of journalist Saeed Naqvi ). Her uncle Shanney Naqvi, recited the Nazm on Guru Nanak by Nazeer Akbarabadi!
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‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ by Muzaffar Ali is a coffee table book with very readable account of sufism in (erstwhile) Awadh. Lucknow’s very own gentleman with an array of interests from cinema, poetry, music, painting, drama, costumes and sufism. His life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. There is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in sufism has lead to the musical performance Jahan-e Khusrau a tribute to the sufism with beautiful compositions. ‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh. It introduces to the reader the history, traditions, sub cultures, institutions and poetry of sufism in the Awadh region. The approach in the book is equally multidisciplinary and the book invites the reader to join a conversation regarding self – discovery ! Qamar Rehman, Mehru Jaffer, Jayant Krishna joins him for the book launch !
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Hiroko Fujiwara is a disciple of Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she learned Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. She will be performing Pushpanjali – Ragam Natai, Talam Adi (An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings) and Thillana – Ragam Behag, Talam Adi (prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy)…. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival !
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LUCKNOW Society, an acronym for ‘Lets Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’, the host of the first ever Lucknow Literary Festival opens the day. The festival was formally inaugurated by the legends of literature & art including Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Dolly Thakore.
“Qadmon Ke Neeche Phool Nahi Dil Bhi Rakh Diya,
Dekhe To Koi Lakhnawi Mehmaan Nawaziyan!”
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Inaugural day offers talk shows, book launches, and workshops as varied as comics, Awadhi, Hindi and Urdu poetry, Women empowerment and Social networking impact. A workshop on movie scripting, discussion on Lucknow’s stature in Urdu Poetry, growing comic culture, challenges of contemporary Hindi poetry and a special session for past and future of Awadhi complement each other throughout the colorful day.
Sufi Hindi rock band Faridkot concludes a day punctuated with Neelesh Mishra and his troupe weaving a story around songs.
LUCKNOW Society, an acronym for ‘Lets Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’, the host of the first ever Lucknow Literary Festival opens the day. The festival was formally inaugurated by the legends of literature & art including Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Dolly Thakore.
“Qadmon Ke Neeche Phool Nahi Dil Bhi Rakh Diya,
Dekhe To Koi Lakhnawi Mehmaan Nawaziyan”
Hiroko Fujiwara is a disciple of Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she learned Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. She will be performing Pushpanjali – Ragam Natai, Talam Adi (An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings) and Thillana – Ragam Behag, Talam Adi (prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy)…. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival !
‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ by Muzaffar Ali is a coffee table book with very readable account of sufism in (erstwhile) Awadh. Lucknow’s very own gentleman with an array of interests from cinema, poetry, music, painting, drama, costumes and sufism. His life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. There is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in sufism has lead to the musical performance Jahan-e Khusrau a tribute to the sufism with beautiful compositions. ‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh. It introduces to the reader the history, traditions, sub cultures, institutions and poetry of sufism in the Awadh region. The approach in the book is equally multidisciplinary and the book invites the reader to join a conversation regarding self – discovery ! Qamar Rehman, Mehru Jaffer, Jayant Krishna joins him for the book launch !
‘In Good Faith’ by Saba Naqvi is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief, the India of far away shrines in quaint little places and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman God. From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah. Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism. In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Ms Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. She requested the book launch by her grandmother & writer Atia Naqvi ( also mother of journalist Saeed Naqvi ). Her uncle Shanney Naqvi, recited the Nazm on Guru Nanak by Nazeer Akbarabadi!
“Tere Maathe Pe Yeh Aanchal Bahut Hi Khoob Hai Lekin,
Tu Is Aanchal Se Ek Parcham Bana Leti To Achchha Tha”
– Majaz Lakhnawi
Known for ada and adab, Lucknow gave this clarion call long ago for women empowerment. And if this century is remembered for anything in distant future, it will be remembered for the freedom of expression and the evolving women! As one of the inaugural sessions of Lucknow Literary Festival, eminent theatre personality Dolly Thakore and social activist and educationist Prof. Roop Rekha Verma joined journalist and writer Saba Naqvi to ponder over Women Empowerment and Right to Expression. Prof. Verma remarked, “Ease of expression is certainly a powerful tool to curb crime against fairer sex. It is normalization of small violences that actually culminates into heinous crimes against women. Implementation of right to expression, thus, yields empowerment.”
‘The Virtuals’, Introduction to the first Philosophical Thriller of the World by Anupam Sinha was experienced at LLF. Anupam Sinha is an Indian comic book artist and writer, credited as the revolutionary comics creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. ‘The Virtuals’ by Anupam Sinha is an amazing fiction as well as fantasy novel. The story of the book takes you to an unseen world of fantasy where all your questions are answered and all your prayers are heard. The book is well-written and is a page-turner in its true sense. Although the book is full of fantasies, it is and extremely great read and quite fascinating. Atul Tiwari was also the part of the workshop with Anupam Sinha.
By Murli Raju Qawwal mesmerised the audience with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Chaap Tilak, Aaj Rang Hai, More Pardesi Balamwa Qawwali’s. The Sufis saw music and poetry as powerful mediums to reach the ultimate beloved – God. Today, in the face of a constantly evolving world based more and more on materialistic values, it is through art and music that one can relate to a deep feeling of elation – balancing between fulfillment and a yearning for the beloved, as declaimed by the Sufi poets. The contribution of Hazrat Amir Khusru was also highlighted in the literary arena. The sufi music rejuvenated the senses in the literary festival !
Pankaj Srivastava, Pankaj Umrania & Himanshu Bajpayee in conversation with Mayank Saxena explored the world of social media as to what are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in last decade than the rise of social media and its potential impact on the youth’s behavior. The World saw a toppling of regimes, election campaigns, corporate recruitments, exam preparations, romance, friendships, music, social work, awareness programs, abuse, crap and whats not on this social network. It is believed that if searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next. The new age aspires to move into an open world riding on this social media. What are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Mr Himanshu Bajpai preferred to look at the brighter side as he commented, “Facebook has provided an ideal platform for exchange of idea. Without any inhibition one can put across his arguments, thoughts and supporting facts. This is a good sign for a free thinking society.”
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Ram Shankar Tripathi, Amrendra Tripathi in conversation with Dayanand Pandey highlighted the problem that how contemporary literature stepped down to satisfy populist demands. If not any other art form, Hindi Poetry has been worst hit from the short hand language of populist poets. While populist poets emphasise on lyricism, purists lament the drift. Dayanand Pandey said, “Its heartening to learn that people confuse the term Hindi geet with Hindi film songs”. The panel stood optimistic about a bright future of Hindi Language and all arms of its literature once it becomes the ‘language of employment’ !
Atul Tiwari’s exclusive workshop on how to write a movie script. He is a veteran from National School of Drama and credited with celebrated scripts of Mission Kashmir and Vishwaroop. He took an extensive workshop on screenplay writing and re-inforced that writing is like a do-and-learn-art. One can read a lot of literature and theories, but can never learn it until one writes. He differentiated Story writing and Screenplay writing through a lot of lucid examples. Mr Tiwari stressed on the guru mantra that an art as vast as script writing is not bound by any formula, the people thus should focus on the principles provided in the workshop and create their own magic.
‘Gaon Connection’ by Neelesh Misra is India’s first rural newspaper ! He is the founder & editorial director of the newspaper. The newspaper based is based at Kunaura, a village near Lucknow. The entire project is widely appreciated by the rural fraternity and intellectual arena. Newspaper has been a great success so far ! Lucknow Literary Festival was the right plaftorm for the presentation and discussion on the unique newspaper which is intended to uplift the rural population and provide them a modern newspaper !
‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is a collection of Hindi poetries in a range of emotional spectrum. The book, penned by the talented doctor, contains human emotions and expressions bound in a lyrical rhyme. Well, the poetry composition ‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is an articulate exposition of poems that would definitely be able to lift the reader out of the ordinary and give glimpses of a more illumining reality. Indeed poetry from the heart not only engaging the reader to think but also leave so much to the imagination of the reader. No wonder ‘poet is born not made’. Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi & Ram Shankar Tripathi were the celebrated writers on the book launch.
Sharib Rudalvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed & Anees Ashfaq in conversation with Reshma Parveen made illuminous panel which discussed the impact of Lucknow in Urdu language, born in North India and flourished in many parts of the country. Lucknow is a prominent place which has contributed immensely in Urdu’s rich literature. Lucknow School of Urdu Poetry is considered to be the most impactful version in terms of language & essence. Anees Ashfaq emphasized the remarkable contribution of the Nawabs for giving patronge & the poets highlighted two aspects which are sophistication of culture & sophistication of language. Lucknow’s contribution in every aspect of poetry is remarkable and that is applicable in prose also.
“Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Samne,
Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazalo Ke Saamne”
Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed laid emphasis on the comparision of the language of Delhi with Lucknow and how the history also played an important role when Delhi was declining and Lucknow was emerging. The role of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb is prominent since ages in this region and the beauty of language & love is evident in the poetry here, Sharib Rudaulvi explained the historical fact. He added that Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek ( Progressive Writers Movement ) was started in Lucknow and it refined many languages in India !
“Eik Zara Aap Ko Zehmat Hogi,
Aap Ke Paon Ke Neche Dil Hai”
Reshma Parveen presented appropriate sher on each of the questions & highlights, thus making it a great literary session. Awara, the nazm of Majaz is one of the best nazm of Urdu Poetry.
“Shaher Ki Raat Aur Mein Nashad-o Nakara Phiru,
Jagmagati Jagti Sadko Pe Awara Phiru,
Ghair Ki Basti Hai Kab Tak Dar-ba Dar Mara Phiru,
Ae Ghame Dil Kia Karu Ae Wehshat-e Dil Kia Karu”
An interesting discussion wherein the panel included Dhruv creator Anupam Sinha, humorous writer Jugal Mody, graphic novelist Appu Pen, Anirudh Singh & Nitin Prakash. The pictorial comics have come a long way not only in India but all across the globe. The characters are loved, adored, they inspire, bring out the satire; but have also been controversial and racial in some instances. How are comics pitched in a new world? Reacting to a comment, Mr Anupam Sinha said, “We cannot blame television or internet for the fall in comic readership today. US is a glittering example- they too have access to internet and television, but the American Comic has survived them all, Indian comic artists should catch up with readers and do some serious introspection.”
‘Hala Hala NIP’ by Appu Pen is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world and through different periods in its history – from the long-gone Oberian Age to the dystopian era of dome-cities. Appu Pen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, ‘Halahala’. Appu Pen is a Malayalam word and the name George Mathen adopts while writing about Halahala. In this book he writes about a fictional universe starting from the beginning of time. He traces time into an immediate future to which people can relate to. This graphic novel tries to hint at various issues of life through its characters and the situation they are in. The narration has been done with the help of mainly pictures segmented into connected short stories leaving it to the reader to interpret them. George got the name of his mythical world while reading an Amar Chitra Katha in which Shiva churns the oceans to rid them of poison….the poison that emerges is Halahala. Anupam Sinha did the honours of book launch.
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi in conversation with Yogesh Praveen & Amrendra Tripathi hosted three generations of Avadhi in the celebrated discussion on Avadhi. In a soulful conversation in fluent Avadhi, Bekal Utsahi talked about the adaptability of the age old language which is evident in works of great from Malik Mohammad Jayasi to Tulsidas. Yogesh Parveen lauded how everyday phrases and idioms of Avadhi complimented our life. Amarendra Tripathi lamented that inspite of being older to Hindi, Avadhi has been reduced to a mere dialect and not a language in general understanding. A youngman in the audience expressed joy over attending a full session in Avadhi and asked young generation present to recognize the language so close to our roots !
Tata Consultancy Services, Asia’s premier IT services company, developed a software tool to aide combating the social problem of illiteracy as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor. This flashed based tool works on the principle of cognition and helps a native speaker of a language learn read and write in dramatically reduced time as compared to conventional methods. TCS avails this socially useful tool in nine Indian languages free of cost. This workshop is a part of LUCKNOW Society’s endeavor to help Hindustani speaking people of Lucknow learn read and write Urdu, which was conducted by Anas Khan.
‘Yaad Shaher’, a book by Neelesh Misra was launched at Lucknow Literary Festival 2013. Neelesh connects with his readers through this imaginary city called ‘Yaad Shaher’, a city built of memories. Memories that every individual would want to hold on to, even as work-life takes over their existence. Neelesh Misra ka Yaad Shaher Volume 1 & 2 makes an attempt to re-connect you to that world. Neelesh is a popular Bollywood lyricist who has penned lyrics of movies like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc. As a radio storyteller, his show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 BIG FM has been a huge successs. In this show, he tells stories of Yaad Shaher, which is broadcasted in 35 cities across the nation !
Neelesh Misra narrates a story woven with songs performed by his troupe. Have you ever wondered how a bouquet of songs culminates into a story? How lyrics and rhythmic beats connect with a tale in your heart? Neelesh Mishra, loved for his radio show, presents a story inter woven with songs in ‘Yaadon Ke Safar Mein’. In typical radio style, the performance consists of songs and storytelling by his troupe, put together with a narrative recited by Neelesh Mishra. Songs performed were the selected from the movies whose lyrics is penned by Neelesh like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc.
Live Performance by Faridkot Band was the major attraction and the last activity of the first day. Faridkot is a Hindi rock band based out of New Delhi. The band is well known for their mix of pop vocals, bluesy guitar playing, funk bass lines, melodic (and sometimes pompous) electronic layers combined together in a heap of musical endeavors that they like to call their own. Sometimes in love, sometimes trying to be funny and a little more loving, the band likes to play good music which might transcend the individual inspirations that each musician bring forth.
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
A sixteenth century lost art’s performance, describing the fifteenth century mystic saint poet Kabir. Dastan Dhaai Aakhar Kee – a story on Kabir – the poet and the lover is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes you on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you.
If not its birthplace, then Lucknow is certainly one of the pilgrimage sites of Urdu poetry! The region bears a distinct influence on Urdu ghazal khwaani and Lakhnau school being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. The lyric and rhyme of an Urdu nazm or ghazal is best enjoyed in a traditional mushaira where poets’ distinct style of elocution adds to the creations’ charm and cheered by listeners’ waah waahi! A lakhnawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira, a culmination of top contemporary Poets, to conclude the Literary festival!
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
Day two of LLF features launch of some popular books dealing in sufism, mysticism, fiction, political biography, fantasy and poetry. Poetry and Lucknow and cinema remain the flavor of day with a documentary screening on the city’s Piscean symbol, a discussion on the celebrated nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the romance of poetry and cinema, history of dastangoi and the discussion on century of Indian films. Thoughts on media regulation and a session of gadgets catch young patrons. The day features performances by talented Lakhnawisalong side Atul Tiwari’s monologue for the city and Ankit Chadha’s dastangoi on Kabir. The Lucknow Literature festival is aptly concluded by a mushaiyra or culmination of Urdu shayars in a poetic evening.
Pankaj Srivastava, Saba Naqvi in conversation with Himanshu Bajpayee were on the discussion regarding the responsibilities and regulation on media. It is often argued that self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards, not only in media but any industry. But how relevant is this argument in an era of profits chases and higher TRP ratings? A free media represents a free society, and a free society in turns is the breeding ground of free ideas! On either side, the argument presents its own gloomy and colorful pictures of India of tomorrow. Pankaj Srivastava, associate editor with IBN-7, countered the call for full freedom with a pointer towards media working like capitalist business houses of the day. Saba Naqvi was of the view that media houses should be more responsible. She said, “We should be able to something like that and not let government interfere with our work.” Moderated by Himanshu Bajpai, the discussion brought out the need for fine balance in this critical creative field. “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” – Joseph Pulitzer
‘Mayan’ by A P Maheshwari is a fictional narrative about the difficulties and family bonds of his mother who is a cancer patient and what all hardships she had to go through. Mayan (mother in Rajasthani) talks about story of triumphs that his mother acheived through faith, love and determination despite all the odds pitted against her. Besides portraying psycological and emotional panaroma of a cancer patient and his family, the book also describes the pathology of disease and the treatment options available to a modern day cancer patient. Padma Shri Dr Nitya Anand & Padma Shri Runa Banerjee launched the book !
Amish Tripathi, Jugal Mody, Appu Pen in conversation with Nitin Prakash had a discussion on the reading habits of generation next which is used to everything on the move. The youth of today asks hard questions, demands honest answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time- one sees more suicides, prevailing corruption and political disarray. Some enigma about the young minds prevail dynamic, confident and always connected – the youth speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by the elderly marketers. Literary observers across generations ponder over this happy, optimistic but eccentric MTV generation which often behaves like a herd, but refuses to be branded sheep. Amish Tripathi explains that he do not write taking into consideration the minds of the audience, it is the conext which appeals him for writing. He adds that this generation do not accept things as told to them, they have various resources to explore the reality and new aspects. Appu Pen is a comic expert and do it for everybody and in his case the cartoon is explored by people regarless of language / region and age. He puts the content freely on internet, so that people are aware and interest is generated for the same. Jugal Mody is of the opinion that reading habits will stay but the entire process is going through a change process. Readers are now looking for new topics and the role of technology in making people aware about the globe is instrumental is making the shape of the young minds !
Pankaj Umrania, Entrepreneur and expert on changing technology trends presented an insight into the upcoming gadgets and solutions from cool watches to high end televisions working for fast communication ! In a world where mobile OS versions change before you get used to the one, individual has too many options to upgrade and choose to when it comes to technology. Literature is not untouched by the technology and tech readers around you.
‘History of Dastangoi’ by Ankit Chadha was very interactive workshop and he laid stress on preservation and revival of lost art form. The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling, it is a compound of two Persian words dastan and goi which means to tell a Dastan. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. The first historian of Lucknow, Abdul Halim Sharar wrote in Guzishta Lucknow about the proliferation of the art of Dastangoi in the city after the mutiny. Every nobleman, he said, had made it a practice to employ a Dastango in his retinue as chowks or city squares became a favored site for performance of the art. In 1928, just a few years before sound revolutionized the Indian film industry, Mir Baqar Ali died, he was the last famous Dastango of India. The connection is not merely incidental, reports of his performances establish beyond doubt that he was perhaps the last great traditional actor to be born in this country. The first modern Dastangoi performance took place on 4th May 2005 at the India International Auditorium after the recent revival of the art !
‘The Sanjay Story’ a book by Vinod Mehta showcases how a nation of over 600 million people bowed down to the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister’s pampered son. Vinod Mehta, now associated with the Outlook Group was the editor of a Bombay magazine during the Emergency, he was one of the target of the censor at emergency. The book is remarkably clinical in its approach and there is barely a trace of anger. Mehru Jaffer launched the book at the festival.
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
Amir Mohd Amir Sulaiman Khan, Asif Ali Mirza, Roshan Taqui, Amaresh Mishra in conversation with Veena Talwar Oldenburg explored the most loved ruler of Awadh, a visionary who pioneered a nation on secular, artistic and progressive foundations. The last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah remains an elusive personality even today. There lied numerous personalities behind that twirled mustache and one finds a new facet of the man behind every skill he possessed. How did a dancer, poet, playwrite and a patron of numerous art forms balanced the act of a compassionate administrator? Raja Mehmoodabad explained that Britishers were on their plan and way to annex Awadh and so the allegations were framed to defame the ruler. Wajid Ali Shah was the true reresentative of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and this was alarming for the Britishers as their philosophy was Divide And Rule, Amaresh Mishra added the point in discussion. Asif Ali Mirza informed us that Wajid Ali Shah is the author of 117 books and his personality was full of various aspects related to art & literature. His popularity and his contributions in various fields were explained by Roshan Taqui. Veena Talwar Oldenburg highlighted the fact that the Ramayana was being translated into Urdu under the patronage of the King and he was very interested in the subject of Lord Krishna – Radha. Naseer Uddin Shah, as an audience ask the question about the relevance of the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray and Asif Ali Mirza answered that one has to see the movie in great detail to capture the greatness of the Jaan-e Aalam ! Anees Ashfaq, again as an audience added a point that Wajid Ali Shah is credited with the 1st drama of Urdu langauge ! Raja Mehmoodabad demanded a subject of Awadh History in Lucknow University and some institutions in name of the Great King Wajid Ali Shah !
The documentary tries to track the origin of the fish in the history and culture of Awadh and its capital Lucknow. The 15 minute documentary film dives deep into anectodes, old monuments, royal descendants, historians, citizens and retrieves precious pearls of information. The mystery behind the presence of fish motif on diverse architechture, culture and even on state government’s insignia is thus revealed !
‘Toke’ by Jugal Mody is a fun packed book that talks about a boy who is definitely not a hero. Lord Vishnu showed up on him and asked him along with his two friends to save the world. He was joined by his two friends along with his crush, two Japanese girls, an office colleague, a crow and an eagle on this mission to save the world. This book hilariously talks about the adventure Nikhil and his friends went through while rescuing the world. When someone in the audience asked Jugal about the resemblance of the title ‘Toke’ with regular Lakhnawi slang for cigarette shops, he pointed out in a light vein, the role of ‘pot’ in the development of the ‘plot’ of the book !
Muzaffar Ali, Atul Tiwari, Asif Jah, Amit Rai in conversation with Yatendra Mishra bring in nostalgia, recollect memories and salute the personalities that made it happen over the century. Indian cinema will complete 100 years in May 2013; as it was a century ago, in 1913, that the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra, came out. The landmark films of Indian cinema that have enthralled generations of viewers over the past century. Not only entertainment, this industry has yielded a new life to literature, art, culture and folk along with being an exercise in cultural diplomacy to woo the world through India’s soft power. Muzaffar Ali highlighted that a film involves lot of people with various aspects and a successful century in the same is a brilliant landmark. The commercialisation which has big impact on the film industry can lead to decline of real art, pointed out by Yatendra Mishra. Film Najma by Mehboob Khan in 1943 highlighted Lucknow for the 1st time and the journey continues till today with Dabang 2, this fact was contributed by Atul Tiwari. He also talked about the impact of Awadh in films, like Ganga-Jamuna & Lagaan who are based at Awadh but the name is something else in the film. Asif Jah discussed that the culture of Awadh is prominently adopted in cinema as this is the national culture of the country. Amit Rai presented a different aspect about the Indian film industry that it is not as per the international standards and lacking in international arena. He gave a beautiful example that if a girl has to learn acting, she should see the acting of Rekha in the movie Umrao Jaan, which is of high standard in acting !
A unique art of story telling, performance describing the fifteenth century mystic saint & poet Kabir. A story on Kabir is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you!
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
Atul Tiwari presented a paper on the legendary poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and the city of Lucknow. Faiz, whose revolutionary writings resonated in the per-independence India from Lahore to Lucknow, visited the city of Nawabs as a young writer to attend the first conference of Progressive Writers Association in Lucknow in 1936. Faiz was immensely impressed by the inaugural address, delivered by Munshi Premchand, and which later the watershed moment that changed the scenario of literature, arts, theater, films and even politics in India. Faiz, who had just turned 25, was young, full of verve,impressive and impressionable. And the stamp or imprint that Lucknow left on him, the bond that this city made with him was the bedrock of a life long relationship. Atul Tiwari had earlier presented this paper during the centenary birth celebration of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in Lahore in 2011. He hailed the such festivals as occasions where younger generation gets opportunity to know about the past legacy. He hails Faiz, like Manto, as a writer beyond boundaries, and said, “He belonged as much to Asia as to Africa, as much to Beirut as to Bangladesh, as much to Pakistan as to India, and belonged as much to Lahore as he belonged to Lucknow.”
“Khud Ko Manwane Ka Mujh Ko Bhi Hunar Aata Hai,
Mein Woh Qatra Hoo Samandar Mere Ghar Aata Hai”
– Waseem Bareilvi
Lucknow being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira to conclude the Literary festival. A culmination of top contemporary Poets – Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sehba Ali, Aadil Rasheed, Manish Shukla, Malikzada Javed, Shabeena Adeeb, Faheem Jogapuri, Tilak Raj Paras, Tariq Nizami, Sankalp Sharma, Faheem Rajput recited their poetry !
BOOK LAUNCH : ‘Aakhri Parwaaz’ is the Kulliyat ( Complete collection of Poetry ) of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari, a prominent Urdu poet of Tilhar, Shahjahapur. Compilation is done by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari, as a tribute to his Ustaad & book launch was done by the poets of LLF Mushaira.
“Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Mera Teer Hai Jaan Leke Niklega,
Mein Kehta Hoo Yeh Meri Jaan Hai Mushkil Se Niklegi”
– Gulzar Dehlvi
Inaugural day offers talk shows, book launches, and workshops as varied as comics, Awadhi, Hindi and Urdu poetry, Women empowerment and Social networking impact. A workshop on movie scripting, discussion on Lucknow’s stature in Urdu Poetry, growing comic culture, challenges of contemporary Hindi poetry and a special session for past and future of Awadhi complement each other throughout the colorful day.
Sufi Hindi rock band Faridkot concludes a day punctuated with Neelesh Mishra and his troupe weaving a story around songs.
LUCKNOW Society, an acronym for ‘Lets Unite for Culture, Knowledge, Nationalism and Objective Welfare Society’, the host of the first ever Lucknow Literary Festival opens the day. The festival was formally inaugurated by the legends of literature & art including Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri Muzaffar Ali, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Dolly Thakore.
“Qadmon Ke Neeche Phool Nahi Dil Bhi Rakh Diya,
Dekhe To Koi Lakhnawi Mehmaan Nawaziyan”
Hiroko Fujiwara is a disciple of Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidynathan. She initially studied Western Classical Ballet in Japan and came to India as an ICCR scholarship student. She has strong Lucknow ties as she learned Bharatanatyam at Bhatkhande Music University from 2009 to 2011. She will be performing Pushpanjali – Ragam Natai, Talam Adi (An invocation to Gods and Goddesses to seek their blessings) and Thillana – Ragam Behag, Talam Adi (prayer to Saraswati with the rhythm of joy)…. A special version for the Lucknow Literary Festival !
‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ by Muzaffar Ali is a coffee table book with very readable account of sufism in (erstwhile) Awadh. Lucknow’s very own gentleman with an array of interests from cinema, poetry, music, painting, drama, costumes and sufism. His life is a constant journey of self-discovery, in whatever he does and in whichever medium he chooses. There is a constant quest to unravel the mysteries of life and to find a long-term solution to worldly strife and anguish. His interest in sufism has lead to the musical performance Jahan-e Khusrau a tribute to the sufism with beautiful compositions. ‘A Leaf Turns Yellow’ is an omnibus on the sufi traditions in India and more specifically in Awadh. It introduces to the reader the history, traditions, sub cultures, institutions and poetry of sufism in the Awadh region. The approach in the book is equally multidisciplinary and the book invites the reader to join a conversation regarding self – discovery ! Qamar Rehman, Mehru Jaffer, Jayant Krishna joins him for the book launch !
‘In Good Faith’ by Saba Naqvi is a journalistic account of the discovery of an India that at times defies belief, the India of far away shrines in quaint little places and of communities and individuals who reach out to a comman God. From the Muslim forest goddess of Bengal to an unknown facet of the Shivaji legend in Maharashtra; from the disputed origins of the Shirdi Sai Baba, to shrines across the land that are both Temple and Dargah. Her book shows how in the little pockets an idea of a tolerant India still survives. These neglected ground realities the author argues these little islands of pluralism, music, art and culture may yet provide a strong counter to fundamentalism. In an age when the idea of a religious community is determined by stereotypes and old fault lines, Ms Naqvi takes a journey across the country in search of her own identity among people, communities and shrines that challenge our nations of what make a person a Hindu or Muslim. She requested the book launch by her grandmother & writer Atia Naqvi ( also mother of journalist Saeed Naqvi ). Her uncle Shanney Naqvi, recited the Nazm on Guru Nanak by Nazeer Akbarabadi!
“Tere Maathe Pe Yeh Aanchal Bahut Hi Khoob Hai Lekin,
Tu Is Aanchal Se Ek Parcham Bana Leti To Achchha Tha”
– Majaz Lakhnawi
Known for ada and adab, Lucknow gave this clarion call long ago for women empowerment. And if this century is remembered for anything in distant future, it will be remembered for the freedom of expression and the evolving women! As one of the inaugural sessions of Lucknow Literary Festival, eminent theatre personality Dolly Thakore and social activist and educationist Prof. Roop Rekha Verma joined journalist and writer Saba Naqvi to ponder over Women Empowerment and Right to Expression. Prof. Verma remarked, “Ease of expression is certainly a powerful tool to curb crime against fairer sex. It is normalization of small violences that actually culminates into heinous crimes against women. Implementation of right to expression, thus, yields empowerment.”
‘The Virtuals’, Introduction to the first Philosophical Thriller of the World by Anupam Sinha was experienced at LLF. Anupam Sinha is an Indian comic book artist and writer, credited as the revolutionary comics creator of the famous Raj Comics superhero Super Commando Dhruva. He is also credited with steering Nagraj to new heights. ‘The Virtuals’ by Anupam Sinha is an amazing fiction as well as fantasy novel. The story of the book takes you to an unseen world of fantasy where all your questions are answered and all your prayers are heard. The book is well-written and is a page-turner in its true sense. Although the book is full of fantasies, it is and extremely great read and quite fascinating. Atul Tiwari was also the part of the workshop with Anupam Sinha.
By Murli Raju Qawwal mesmerised the audience with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Chaap Tilak, Aaj Rang Hai, More Pardesi Balamwa Qawwali’s. The Sufis saw music and poetry as powerful mediums to reach the ultimate beloved – God. Today, in the face of a constantly evolving world based more and more on materialistic values, it is through art and music that one can relate to a deep feeling of elation – balancing between fulfillment and a yearning for the beloved, as declaimed by the Sufi poets. The contribution of Hazrat Amir Khusru was also highlighted in the literary arena. The sufi music rejuvenated the senses in the literary festival !
Pankaj Srivastava, Pankaj Umrania & Himanshu Bajpayee in conversation with Mayank Saxena explored the world of social media as to what are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in last decade than the rise of social media and its potential impact on the youth’s behavior. The World saw a toppling of regimes, election campaigns, corporate recruitments, exam preparations, romance, friendships, music, social work, awareness programs, abuse, crap and whats not on this social network. It is believed that if searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next. The new age aspires to move into an open world riding on this social media. What are the cautions, promises, new horizons that await us? Mr Himanshu Bajpai preferred to look at the brighter side as he commented, “Facebook has provided an ideal platform for exchange of idea. Without any inhibition one can put across his arguments, thoughts and supporting facts. This is a good sign for a free thinking society.”
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Ram Shankar Tripathi, Amrendra Tripathi in conversation with Dayanand Pandey highlighted the problem that how contemporary literature stepped down to satisfy populist demands. If not any other art form, Hindi Poetry has been worst hit from the short hand language of populist poets. While populist poets emphasise on lyricism, purists lament the drift. Dayanand Pandey said, “Its heartening to learn that people confuse the term Hindi geet with Hindi film songs”. The panel stood optimistic about a bright future of Hindi Language and all arms of its literature once it becomes the ‘language of employment’ !
Atul Tiwari’s exclusive workshop on how to write a movie script. He is a veteran from National School of Drama and credited with celebrated scripts of Mission Kashmir and Vishwaroop. He took an extensive workshop on screenplay writing and re-inforced that writing is like a do-and-learn-art. One can read a lot of literature and theories, but can never learn it until one writes. He differentiated Story writing and Screenplay writing through a lot of lucid examples. Mr Tiwari stressed on the guru mantra that an art as vast as script writing is not bound by any formula, the people thus should focus on the principles provided in the workshop and create their own magic.
‘Gaon Connection’ by Neelesh Misra is India’s first rural newspaper ! He is the founder & editorial director of the newspaper. The newspaper based is based at Kunaura, a village near Lucknow. The entire project is widely appreciated by the rural fraternity and intellectual arena. Newspaper has been a great success so far ! Lucknow Literary Festival was the right plaftorm for the presentation and discussion on the unique newspaper which is intended to uplift the rural population and provide them a modern newspaper !
‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is a collection of Hindi poetries in a range of emotional spectrum. The book, penned by the talented doctor, contains human emotions and expressions bound in a lyrical rhyme. Well, the poetry composition ‘Skand Spand’ by Skand Shukla is an articulate exposition of poems that would definitely be able to lift the reader out of the ordinary and give glimpses of a more illumining reality. Indeed poetry from the heart not only engaging the reader to think but also leave so much to the imagination of the reader. No wonder ‘poet is born not made’. Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi & Ram Shankar Tripathi were the celebrated writers on the book launch.
Sharib Rudalvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed & Anees Ashfaq in conversation with Reshma Parveen made illuminous panel which discussed the impact of Lucknow in Urdu language, born in North India and flourished in many parts of the country. Lucknow is a prominent place which has contributed immensely in Urdu’s rich literature. Lucknow School of Urdu Poetry is considered to be the most impactful version in terms of language & essence. Anees Ashfaq emphasized the remarkable contribution of the Nawabs for giving patronge & the poets highlighted two aspects which are sophistication of culture & sophistication of language. Lucknow’s contribution in every aspect of poetry is remarkable and that is applicable in prose also.
“Da’wa Zabaan Ka Lucknow Walo Ke Samne,
Izhaar Boo-e Mushq Ghazalo Ke Saamne”
Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed laid emphasis on the comparision of the language of Delhi with Lucknow and how the history also played an important role when Delhi was declining and Lucknow was emerging. The role of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb is prominent since ages in this region and the beauty of language & love is evident in the poetry here, Sharib Rudaulvi explained the historical fact. He added that Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek ( Progressive Writers Movement ) was started in Lucknow and it refined many languages in India !
“Eik Zara Aap Ko Zehmat Hogi,
Aap Ke Paon Ke Neche Dil Hai”
Reshma Parveen presented appropriate sher on each of the questions & highlights, thus making it a great literary session. Awara, the nazm of Majaz is one of the best nazm of Urdu Poetry.
“Shaher Ki Raat Aur Mein Nashad-o Nakara Phiru,
Jagmagati Jagti Sadko Pe Awara Phiru,
Ghair Ki Basti Hai Kab Tak Dar-ba Dar Mara Phiru,
Ae Ghame Dil Kia Karu Ae Wehshat-e Dil Kia Karu”
An interesting discussion wherein the panel included Dhruv creator Anupam Sinha, humorous writer Jugal Mody, graphic novelist Appu Pen, Anirudh Singh & Nitin Prakash. The pictorial comics have come a long way not only in India but all across the globe. The characters are loved, adored, they inspire, bring out the satire; but have also been controversial and racial in some instances. How are comics pitched in a new world? Reacting to a comment, Mr Anupam Sinha said, “We cannot blame television or internet for the fall in comic readership today. US is a glittering example- they too have access to internet and television, but the American Comic has survived them all, Indian comic artists should catch up with readers and do some serious introspection.”
‘Hala Hala NIP’ by Appu Pen is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world and through different periods in its history – from the long-gone Oberian Age to the dystopian era of dome-cities. Appu Pen is a comic creator and artist who tells stories from his mythical world, ‘Halahala’. Appu Pen is a Malayalam word and the name George Mathen adopts while writing about Halahala. In this book he writes about a fictional universe starting from the beginning of time. He traces time into an immediate future to which people can relate to. This graphic novel tries to hint at various issues of life through its characters and the situation they are in. The narration has been done with the help of mainly pictures segmented into connected short stories leaving it to the reader to interpret them. George got the name of his mythical world while reading an Amar Chitra Katha in which Shiva churns the oceans to rid them of poison….the poison that emerges is Halahala. Anupam Sinha did the honours of book launch.
Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi in conversation with Yogesh Praveen & Amrendra Tripathi hosted three generations of Avadhi in the celebrated discussion on Avadhi. In a soulful conversation in fluent Avadhi, Bekal Utsahi talked about the adaptability of the age old language which is evident in works of great from Malik Mohammad Jayasi to Tulsidas. Yogesh Parveen lauded how everyday phrases and idioms of Avadhi complimented our life. Amarendra Tripathi lamented that inspite of being older to Hindi, Avadhi has been reduced to a mere dialect and not a language in general understanding. A youngman in the audience expressed joy over attending a full session in Avadhi and asked young generation present to recognize the language so close to our roots !
Tata Consultancy Services, Asia’s premier IT services company, developed a software tool to aide combating the social problem of illiteracy as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor. This flashed based tool works on the principle of cognition and helps a native speaker of a language learn read and write in dramatically reduced time as compared to conventional methods. TCS avails this socially useful tool in nine Indian languages free of cost. This workshop is a part of LUCKNOW Society’s endeavor to help Hindustani speaking people of Lucknow learn read and write Urdu, which was conducted by Anas Khan.
‘Yaad Shaher’, a book by Neelesh Misra was launched at Lucknow Literary Festival 2013. Neelesh connects with his readers through this imaginary city called ‘Yaad Shaher’, a city built of memories. Memories that every individual would want to hold on to, even as work-life takes over their existence. Neelesh Misra ka Yaad Shaher Volume 1 & 2 makes an attempt to re-connect you to that world. Neelesh is a popular Bollywood lyricist who has penned lyrics of movies like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc. As a radio storyteller, his show Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 BIG FM has been a huge successs. In this show, he tells stories of Yaad Shaher, which is broadcasted in 35 cities across the nation!
Neelesh Misra narrates a story woven with songs performed by his troupe. Have you ever wondered how a bouquet of songs culminates into a story? How lyrics and rhythmic beats connect with a tale in your heart? Neelesh Mishra, loved for his radio show, presents a story inter woven with songs in ‘Yaadon Ke Safar Mein’. In typical radio style, the performance consists of songs and storytelling by his troupe, put together with a narrative recited by Neelesh Mishra. Songs performed were the selected from the movies whose lyrics is penned by Neelesh like Jism, Woh Lamhe, Krishna Cottage, Rog, Gangster, Holiday, Once upon a time in Mumbai, Ready, Agent Vinod, Burfi, Bodyguard, Eik tha Tiger, etc.
Live Performance by Faridkot Band was the major attraction and the last activity of the first day. Faridkot is a Hindi rock band based out of New Delhi. The band is well known for their mix of pop vocals, bluesy guitar playing, funk bass lines, melodic (and sometimes pompous) electronic layers combined together in a heap of musical endeavors that they like to call their own. Sometimes in love, sometimes trying to be funny and a little more loving, the band likes to play good music which might transcend the individual inspirations that each musician bring forth.
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“Aaj Bhi Kehta Hai Har Sahib-e Nazar Roshan Khayaal,
Lucknow Ilm-o Adab Mein Aap Hi Apni Misaal”
The first ever Lucknow Literary Festival is an endeavour of the LUCKNOW Society, which is a non profit organisation dedicated to the cause of promoting & conserving the Culture, Tehzeeb & Heritage of Shaher-e Lucknow. Shamim A. Aarzoo, the founder of the society is instrumental in organising the festival !
Uttar Pradesh, is the land of Amir Khusru, Meer Taqi Meer, Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib, Mir Anees, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Abdul Halim Sharar, Munshi Premchand, Yashpal, Amrit Lal Nagar, Raghupati Sahai Firaq Gorakhpuri, Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz, Pandit Brij Narain Chakbast, Jigar Moradabadi, Qurratulain Haider and many others who gave us masterpieces and made epic contributions to Literature. Even today contemporary authors like Javed Akhtar, K P Saxena, Veena Talwar Oldenburg, Neelesh Misra, Prasoon Joshi, etc have kept the flame of the written word burning bright. Despite the presence of such literary greats, Uttar Pradesh has not had a literary summit for a long time, even though we had a tradition of Kavi Sammelans, Mushairas & Nashists. To carry on this legacy, and consciously try to enlighten the reader, Lucknow Literary Festival is being started at the capital of Uttar Pradesh to promote the literary genius of Uttar Pradesh & Lucknow in particular ! The festival is an effort to bring forth the lutf of languages – Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi & English on a common platform.
Special award ‘Pride of Lucknow’ has also been initiated and presented to 7 legends : Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi – Outstanding Contribution in Awadhi Language; Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed – Outstanding Contribution in Urdu Language; Gopal Das Neeraj – Outstanding Contribution in Hindi Language; Vinod Mehta – Outstanding Contribution in English Language; Padma Shri Runa Banerjee – Outstanding Contribution in Women Empowerment; Jayant Krishna – Outstanding Contribution in Corporate Sector & Heritage Rejuvenation; Padma Shri Raj Bisaria – Outstanding Contribution in Art & Culture !
The Literary festival once again invoke the creative spirit of the city and bring together the scholars from all over the country. The festival witnessed a diverse spectrum of novelists, playwrights, poets, screenwriters, journalists, lyricists and bloggers which usher in the revival of the city’s literary culture in 2 day festival at 3 auditoriums. Books were launched, contemporary and historical issues were discussed and debated threadbare. Through reading sessions the average reader re-discovered the joys of the books. Inaugurated traditionally with Vandana / Bharat Natyam Performance by Hiroko Fujiwara from Japan. The following books were launched : A Leaf Turns Yellow by Muzaffar Ali; In Good Faith by Saba Naqvi; Toke by Jugal Mody; The Virtuals by Anupam Sinha; Yaad Shaher by Neelesh Misra; Skand Spand by Skand Shukla; Hala Hala Nip by Appu Pen; Mayan by A P Maheshwari; The Sanjay Story by Vinod Mehta; The Oath of Vayuputras by Amish Tripathi; Aakhri Parwaaz by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari. Contemporary discussions were on Women Empowerment – Right to Expression; Social Network – The New Age Mantra; Samkaleen Hindi Kavita – Lokpriyata Ki Chunauti; Urdu Shayri Mein Lucknow Ka Maqaam; Zip Zap Zoom – The Future Comic Universe; Avadhi – Kal Aaj Aur Kal; Regulation on Media; Decoding Young Minds; Gadgets – Technology Upgrade; Wajid Ali Shah; A Century In Indian Cinema. Special Workshops were also conducted for the benefit of the audience like, Script Factory – How to write a movie script by Atul Tiwari; Aati Hai Urdu Zabaan Aate Aate to learn Urdu language through special software by TCS; History of Dastangoi by Ankit Chadha. ‘Tribute to the Urdu Poets of Lucknow’ & a paper on ‘Faiz Ahmed Faiz Ka Lucknow’ were another attractions of the festival.
There was also an entertainment quotient to the festival which highlighted through the cultural events like Dastangoi on Kabir, Sufi Qawwali, Mushaira, Performance of Neelesh Misra & Live Concert by Faridkot band. Award winning documentary ‘Nishaan-e Lucknow’ which highlighted the symbol of Fish in Awadh was also screened. The event further boost the magnetic pull of the city’s rich architectural heritage through photo exhibition of rare & new photographs of Lakhnau. Calligraphy, Vintage Car Exhibition, Chikan & Handicrafts on display were also added to the flavour of the festival. The world renowned zaiqa of Awadh was also the quintessential ingredient in the culture cauldron of the city. ‘Lucknow’s Got Talent’ was the another attraction for the Youth ! Naseeruddin Shah, Padma Shri Bekal Utsahi, Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Amaresh Mishra, Dolly Thakore, Veena Talwar Oldenburg, Roshan Taqui, Raja Mehmoodabad, Asif Mirza (direct descendant of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Kolkata), Padma Shri Runa Banerjee, Padma Shri Raj Bisaria, Padma Shri O P Agarwal, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sharib Rudaulvi, Pankaj Srivastava, Brijesh Pandey, Anirudh Singh, Amrendra Tripathi, Prof Roop Rekha Verma, were some of the other participants of the festival. It was an opportunity to bring in the traveller as well as the ‘literary tourist’ to Lucknow. As an annual event, we hope to see it grow into a melting pot of idea’s and cultures where litterateurs come share and enjoy in the city of Ada, Andaaz and Adab.
“Ek Lutf-e Khaas Dil Ko Teri Aarzoo Me Hai,
Allah Jaane Kitni Kashish Lucknow Me Hai”
Day two of LLF features launch of some popular books dealing in sufism, mysticism, fiction, political biography, fantasy and poetry. Poetry and Lucknow and cinema remain the flavor of day with a documentary screening on the city’s Piscean symbol, a discussion on the celebrated nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the romance of poetry and cinema, history of dastangoi and the discussion on century of Indian films. Thoughts on media regulation and a session of gadgets catch young patrons. The day features performances by talented Lakhnawisalong side Atul Tiwari’s monologue for the city and Ankit Chadha’s dastangoi on Kabir. The Lucknow Literature festival is aptly concluded by a mushaiyra or culmination of Urdu shayars in a poetic evening.
Pankaj Srivastava, Saba Naqvi in conversation with Himanshu Bajpayee were on the discussion regarding the responsibilities and regulation on media. It is often argued that self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards, not only in media but any industry. But how relevant is this argument in an era of profits chases and higher TRP ratings? A free media represents a free society, and a free society in turns is the breeding ground of free ideas! On either side, the argument presents its own gloomy and colorful pictures of India of tomorrow. Pankaj Srivastava, associate editor with IBN-7, countered the call for full freedom with a pointer towards media working like capitalist business houses of the day. Saba Naqvi was of the view that media houses should be more responsible. She said, “We should be able to something like that and not let government interfere with our work.” Moderated by Himanshu Bajpai, the discussion brought out the need for fine balance in this critical creative field. “A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.” – Joseph Pulitzer
‘Mayan’ by A P Maheshwari is a fictional narrative about the difficulties and family bonds of his mother who is a cancer patient and what all hardships she had to go through. Mayan (mother in Rajasthani) talks about story of triumphs that his mother acheived through faith, love and determination despite all the odds pitted against her. Besides portraying psycological and emotional panaroma of a cancer patient and his family, the book also describes the pathology of disease and the treatment options available to a modern day cancer patient. Padma Shri Dr Nitya Anand & Padma Shri Runa Banerjee launched the book !
Amish Tripathi, Jugal Mody, Appu Pen in conversation with Nitin Prakash had a discussion on the reading habits of generation next which is used to everything on the move. The youth of today asks hard questions, demands honest answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time- one sees more suicides, prevailing corruption and political disarray. Some enigma about the young minds prevail dynamic, confident and always connected – the youth speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by the elderly marketers. Literary observers across generations ponder over this happy, optimistic but eccentric MTV generation which often behaves like a herd, but refuses to be branded sheep. Amish Tripathi explains that he do not write taking into consideration the minds of the audience, it is the conext which appeals him for writing. He adds that this generation do not accept things as told to them, they have various resources to explore the reality and new aspects. Appu Pen is a comic expert and do it for everybody and in his case the cartoon is explored by people regarless of language / region and age. He puts the content freely on internet, so that people are aware and interest is generated for the same. Jugal Mody is of the opinion that reading habits will stay but the entire process is going through a change process. Readers are now looking for new topics and the role of technology in making people aware about the globe is instrumental is making the shape of the young minds !
Pankaj Umrania, Entrepreneur and expert on changing technology trends presented an insight into the upcoming gadgets and solutions from cool watches to high end televisions working for fast communication ! In a world where mobile OS versions change before you get used to the one, individual has too many options to upgrade and choose to when it comes to technology. Literature is not untouched by the technology and tech readers around you.
‘History of Dastangoi’ by Ankit Chadha was very interactive workshop and he laid stress on preservation and revival of lost art form. The word Dastangoi refers to the art of storytelling, it is a compound of two Persian words dastan and goi which means to tell a Dastan. Telling tales of adventure, magic and warfare, Dastans mapped new worlds and horizons, encountered the unseen and protected the hero through many travails and lovers as he moved on his quest. The first historian of Lucknow, Abdul Halim Sharar wrote in Guzishta Lucknow about the proliferation of the art of Dastangoi in the city after the mutiny. Every nobleman, he said, had made it a practice to employ a Dastango in his retinue as chowks or city squares became a favored site for performance of the art. In 1928, just a few years before sound revolutionized the Indian film industry, Mir Baqar Ali died, he was the last famous Dastango of India. The connection is not merely incidental, reports of his performances establish beyond doubt that he was perhaps the last great traditional actor to be born in this country. The first modern Dastangoi performance took place on 4th May 2005 at the India International Auditorium after the recent revival of the art !
‘The Sanjay Story’ a book by Vinod Mehta showcases how a nation of over 600 million people bowed down to the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister’s pampered son. Vinod Mehta, now associated with the Outlook Group was the editor of a Bombay magazine during the Emergency, he was one of the target of the censor at emergency. The book is remarkably clinical in its approach and there is barely a trace of anger. Mehru Jaffer launched the book at the festival.
Vinod Mehta in conversation with Mehru Jaffer was an interactive session regarding Sanjay Gandhi. Vinod Mehta writes the biography of Sanjay Gandhi, India’s most controversial member of a Prime Minister’s family. As the title suggests story begins at Anand Bhavan, abode of Nehru’s in Allahabad and the kinship that Feroz Gandhi shares with the Nehru family. The book features all the facts of his emergence as a youth congress leader, his establishment of the Maruti factory and covers all the controversies of emergency period. By projecting light on the darker side of independent Indian history, book surely attracts a reader who has an interest in history, politics and current affairs. Vinod Mehta is attracted with the strong personality of Sanjay Gandhi and this is what our country needs today, he explains. Mehru Jaffer analysed the political situation since emergeny till today and the role of Nehru family in the post independence era in India.
Amir Mohd Amir Sulaiman Khan, Asif Ali Mirza, Roshan Taqui, Amaresh Mishra in conversation with Veena Talwar Oldenburg explored the most loved ruler of Awadh, a visionary who pioneered a nation on secular, artistic and progressive foundations. The last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah remains an elusive personality even today. There lied numerous personalities behind that twirled mustache and one finds a new facet of the man behind every skill he possessed. How did a dancer, poet, playwrite and a patron of numerous art forms balanced the act of a compassionate administrator? Raja Mehmoodabad explained that Britishers were on their plan and way to annex Awadh and so the allegations were framed to defame the ruler. Wajid Ali Shah was the true reresentative of the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and this was alarming for the Britishers as their philosophy was Divide And Rule, Amaresh Mishra added the point in discussion. Asif Ali Mirza informed us that Wajid Ali Shah is the author of 117 books and his personality was full of various aspects related to art & literature. His popularity and his contributions in various fields were explained by Roshan Taqui. Veena Talwar Oldenburg highlighted the fact that the Ramayana was being translated into Urdu under the patronage of the King and he was very interested in the subject of Lord Krishna – Radha. Naseer Uddin Shah, as an audience ask the question about the relevance of the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray and Asif Ali Mirza answered that one has to see the movie in great detail to capture the greatness of the Jaan-e Aalam ! Anees Ashfaq, again as an audience added a point that Wajid Ali Shah is credited with the 1st drama of Urdu langauge ! Raja Mehmoodabad demanded a subject of Awadh History in Lucknow University and some institutions in name of the Great King Wajid Ali Shah !
The documentary tries to track the origin of the fish in the history and culture of Awadh and its capital Lucknow. The 15 minute documentary film dives deep into anectodes, old monuments, royal descendants, historians, citizens and retrieves precious pearls of information. The mystery behind the presence of fish motif on diverse architechture, culture and even on state government’s insignia is thus revealed !
‘Toke’ by Jugal Mody is a fun packed book that talks about a boy who is definitely not a hero. Lord Vishnu showed up on him and asked him along with his two friends to save the world. He was joined by his two friends along with his crush, two Japanese girls, an office colleague, a crow and an eagle on this mission to save the world. This book hilariously talks about the adventure Nikhil and his friends went through while rescuing the world. When someone in the audience asked Jugal about the resemblance of the title ‘Toke’ with regular Lakhnawi slang for cigarette shops, he pointed out in a light vein, the role of ‘pot’ in the development of the ‘plot’ of the book !
Muzaffar Ali, Atul Tiwari, Asif Jah, Amit Rai in conversation with Yatendra Mishra bring in nostalgia, recollect memories and salute the personalities that made it happen over the century. Indian cinema will complete 100 years in May 2013; as it was a century ago, in 1913, that the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra, came out. The landmark films of Indian cinema that have enthralled generations of viewers over the past century. Not only entertainment, this industry has yielded a new life to literature, art, culture and folk along with being an exercise in cultural diplomacy to woo the world through India’s soft power. Muzaffar Ali highlighted that a film involves lot of people with various aspects and a successful century in the same is a brilliant landmark. The commercialisation which has big impact on the film industry can lead to decline of real art, pointed out by Yatendra Mishra. Film Najma by Mehboob Khan in 1943 highlighted Lucknow for the 1st time and the journey continues till today with Dabang 2, this fact was contributed by Atul Tiwari. He also talked about the impact of Awadh in films, like Ganga-Jamuna & Lagaan who are based at Awadh but the name is something else in the film. Asif Jah discussed that the culture of Awadh is prominently adopted in cinema as this is the national culture of the country. Amit Rai presented a different aspect about the Indian film industry that it is not as per the international standards and lacking in international arena. He gave a beautiful example that if a girl has to learn acting, she should see the acting of Rekha in the movie Umrao Jaan, which is of high standard in acting !
A unique art of story telling, performance describing the fifteenth century mystic saint & poet Kabir. A story on Kabir is composed and performed by Ankit Chadha, under the direction of Mahmood Farooqui. The dastaan takes on a journey about finding the Kabir who is around you and, in you!
‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ is the third and the concluding part of the best-selling Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ d ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, the first two novels have been commercial successes with million copies sold in the span of two years and with a gross retail sale of Rs 22 crores. The Shiva Trilogy has been referred to as ‘one of the most successful book series in the history of Indian publishing’. ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’ finally reveals the root of the all evils. Shiva, the savior of Meluha, reaches Panchvati where he comes to know about his true enemy. The Neelkanth declares a holy war to destroy the evil. Series of battle begins that agitates the whole of India. In order to win the battle, Shiva reaches out to the Vayuputras who have never helped him earlier. The book narrates the vigorous journey that Shiva took to triumph over the Evil. The highly awaited and anticipated Shiva Trilogy of author Amish Tripathi comes to a spell-binding conclusion. Veena Talwar Oldenburg did the honour of launching the book !
Atul Tiwari presented a paper on the legendary poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and the city of Lucknow. Faiz, whose revolutionary writings resonated in the per-independence India from Lahore to Lucknow, visited the city of Nawabs as a young writer to attend the first conference of Progressive Writers Association in Lucknow in 1936. Faiz was immensely impressed by the inaugural address, delivered by Munshi Premchand, and which later the watershed moment that changed the scenario of literature, arts, theater, films and even politics in India. Faiz, who had just turned 25, was young, full of verve,impressive and impressionable. And the stamp or imprint that Lucknow left on him, the bond that this city made with him was the bedrock of a life long relationship. Atul Tiwari had earlier presented this paper during the centenary birth celebration of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in Lahore in 2011. He hailed the such festivals as occasions where younger generation gets opportunity to know about the past legacy. He hails Faiz, like Manto, as a writer beyond boundaries, and said, “He belonged as much to Asia as to Africa, as much to Beirut as to Bangladesh, as much to Pakistan as to India, and belonged as much to Lahore as he belonged to Lucknow.”
“Khud Ko Manwane Ka Mujh Ko Bhi Hunar Aata Hai,
Mein Woh Qatra Hoo Samandar Mere Ghar Aata Hai”
– Waseem Bareilvi
Lucknow being one of the most prominent schools of Urdu Poetry. A Lucknawi social gathering is incomplete without few couplets being exchanged, what’s better than a Mushaira to conclude the Literary festival. A culmination of top contemporary Poets – Padma Shri Gulzar Dehlvi, Malikzada Manzoor Ahmed, Waseem Bareilvi, Munawwar Rana, Anwar Jalalpuri, Sehba Ali, Aadil Rasheed, Manish Shukla, Malikzada Javed, Shabeena Adeeb, Faheem Jogapuri, Tilak Raj Paras, Tariq Nizami, Sankalp Sharma, Faheem Rajput recited their poetry !
BOOK LAUNCH : ‘Aakhri Parwaaz’ is the Kulliyat ( Complete collection of Poetry ) of Mehboob Hasan Khan Nayyar Tilhari, a prominent Urdu poet of Tilhar, Shahjahapur. Compilation is done by Aadil Rasheed Tilhari, as a tribute to his Ustaad & book launch was done by the poets of LLF Mushaira.
“Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Mera Teer Hai Jaan Leke Niklega,
Mein Kehta Hoo Yeh Meri Jaan Hai Mushkil Se Niklegi”
– Gulzar Dehlvi
LUCKNOW LITERARY FESTIVAL (लखनऊ साहित्य महोत्सव)
C/O LUCKNOW Society
Sector 21/250, Indira Nagar
Lucknow – 16 (U.P.) INDIA
Phone: +91 97959 23232
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