Partnered Events Archives

BLF2020 | Calcutta Chronicles – Nandita Bose and Tony V Francis with Maitreyee B Chowdhury

May 3, 2021May 31, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

All of them revealed that their works are always entrenched in Calcutta, whether in terms of the place, the people, or the experience. Bose discussed the elements she deeply enjoys and loves about Calcutta and its usage in her works like ‘Tread Softly’ and ‘Everglow’. Further, she gave us more insight about the lens through which she looked at Calcutta – as an outsider, yet deeply attached. Coming from a cosmopolitan city, she observed so many contrasts and changes. She shared her thoughts about some bad aspects of Calcutta with us, as well as celebrated the beautiful and warm aspects of it. Bose also talked about the way in which she captured and weaved together rock music and classical music in her work ‘Everglow’, just like the way Calcutta captured these two genres of music. She read out an excerpt from this romance novel for us.

Tony Francis then gave us insight into his experience with Calcutta. As an impressionable young boy whose education took place in Calcutta, he revealed that the city became something of an extended family for him. Nostalgia took hold of Francis for a while when he poured his emotions about Calcutta, its roads, the sidewalks, and other little things. He briefly traced a trajectory of Calcutta from his youth to the present-day city which has changed, just like its name. He discussed his book The Autograph Seeker which is based in Calcutta. He beautifully described Calcutta as a city so passionate that it became a character of its own in his novel. His work draws from the Sans Souci Theatre built during the colonial period (the 1800s) which was then turned into an institution. Francis discussed how this led him to explore this place and much of Calcutta’s history. He too read out an excerpt from his work.

Chowdhury briefly discussed her experience with Calcutta and its influence on her book The Hungryalists. In the discussion, she delved into her love for an era she was never a part of – the 1960s. She discussed this work of hers which was set in that era and revolves around the poetry revolution that Calcutta experienced. She also talks about her engagement with the locals of Calcutta which was an essential part of her research for the book. All in all, this session wrapped together humor, love, truth, experience in a wholesome way.

About the Author: Immersed in the process of unlearning and relearning different values and ideas, Nanditha Murali chooses writing as her medium to approach the world. She is currently pursuing her English (Honours) degree at Christ University, Bangalore.

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BLF2020 | Modern Perspectives on the Mahabharata – Krishna Udayasankar and Madhavi Mahadevan

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

Mahabharata, the Indian epic, has us all intrigued for ages with various questions about life, karma, dharma, and bhakti. The writers on the stage, Krishna Udayasankar and Madhavi Mahadevan were so intrigued that they have written books about certain characters on their journey to unleash the answers about the Mahabharata.

On the first day of the Bangalore Literature Festival 2020, we had two writers on the stage, Krishna, a renowned author of the ‘Chronicles of Aryavarta,’ and several other books; and Madhavi, a book critic and writer of children’s stories and short stories. She has written two books based on the characters of the Mahabharata. These ladies spoke about their take on modern perspectives on the Mahabharata, that is, how is the 2000 year old epic relevant now?

To this, Krishna answered that people don’t change throughout ages. She further explained that the socio-technical perspectives change, times change, resources change, but people remain the same. Like the canvas of the painting changes, colours change, but the characters stay the same. To which Madhavi agreed. Madhavi further added that because Mahabharata is so honest and presented the way it is, it is widely accepted. It is not like the characters are entirely right or entirely devil. There are greyed characters too, neither black nor white. Madhavi feels that Mahabharata is an aid to questions like, Who am I? What is my purpose? And what is the right thing to do?

Krishna now asked Madhavi what drew her towards writing on the mythical tales around Mahabharata? Madhavi graciously answered that she came across women characters that stood their ground in a man’s world who did not give up on their self-worth and fought for what is right. These women characters, often called ‘Pancha Kanya’, inspired her and drew her towards writing about Mahabharata. The five women referred to as Pancha Kanya are Kunti, Draupadi, Ahalya, Tara, and Mandodari.

Krishna now answered why she was driven towards writing Mahabharata. She says that she first attempted poetry in her starting days of writing, and it turned out that she was terrible at it. Later, she tried to write a satire on the Mahabharata and stumbled on the character Govinda (Krishna/Vasudev). She said that the personality of Govinda wasn’t easy to decipher and write about. This is where she pushed her boundaries, explored more, and wrote the chronicles on Govinda.

Madhavi asked how it was to explore a male character and write about a divine persona. Krishna elaborated that in her books, Govinda is not divine and is a normal human being. The books are a narrative of how an average person turns out to be so extraordinary. Also, gender hadn’t got anything to do with her style of writing.

Madhavi presented her take on it as it was somewhat challenging to write about women characters because it was an age of patriarchy. She was overwhelmed with the Pancha Kanya that they had so much endurance and perseverance towards achieving what they believed in.

They concluded their discussion that the Pancha Kanya and the men of Mahabharat are relevant even today. Not just the characters but the acts of violence against women, injustice, and many other things are relevant today. Amongst this, it is paramount to draw one lesson: to look at the larger picture always, just like Govinda looked at the revolution of justice that they were creating even at the cost of blood spillage.

About the Author: Puja Ambalgekar is an IT employee who finds writing, reading, and books in general as an outer space experience. She believes that words have the power to make the difference you intend to. She likes writing poetry, mythology, and technology. You can find her here. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | The Nine Lives of Pakistan

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

Neena Gopal, former editor of the Bangalore edition of the Deccan Chronicle, interviewed Declan Walsh, a foreign correspondent reporter who was formerly the Pakistan bureau chief for the New York Times. His book, The Nine Lives of Pakistan, is based on the people he had interacted with while reporting from Pakistan.

Neena Gopal begins by asking Declan Walsh about how he felt when he was ordered to leave Pakistan.

“The story started just before the elections in Islamabad” began Walsh, as he explained how he received a letter at midnight, that ordered him to leave the country. His visa was cancelled, and he was given just 12 hours to leave. Later, when he went to London, he attempted to come back to Pakistan. His inability to come back was the starting point of his book. He asked himself how he could narrate the story of what he’d seen- and came upon the inspiration of writing the book.

Neena went on to ask, “Did you feel like you’ve crossed a line?” in reference to his exile from Pakistan

Journalism, Walsh stated, had always been restricted in Pakistan. He reflected, in a detailed manner, on his adventures at Balochistan, and what he learnt about the culture of journalism there. Sensitive topics are often not covered by the local press and the publication of stories in world-renowned newspapers such as The Guardian, where Walsh previously worked, helped break the stigma surrounding these stories. He had never seen the expulsion coming. “They felt I’d overstayed my welcome.”

Neena proceeded to ask him about one of the chapters she’d found interesting- that of Azma Jahangir.

“Azma was undoubtedly impressive”. Azma Jahangir was one of the leading women in Pakistan, to raise her voice against the discriminations they faced. She led the resistance against the Pakistani restrictions. Walsh goes on to explain how Azma was particularly impressive as she used her privilege as a weapon. People viewed Azma as a traitor of her class and her place as a woman in society. Walsh chose to focus an entire chapter on Azma as he has considered her to be the best example. Azma Jahangir stood for diagnosing a problem when the state doesn’t act as neutral territory.

Neena Gopal, particularly interested in the relationship shared between Benazir Bhutto and Azma Jahangir, asked Walsh what his thoughts were about the same.

“Benazir and Azma had so much in common”, reflected Walsh very enthusiastically. Before Benazir Bhutto passed away, Azma Jahangir had a talk on a public forum, where she spoke about her relationship with Bhutto. Both Bhutto, as well as Azma, have criticised each other publicly and privately too. They shared a strange relationship that was bound by a common belief- a belief about what Pakistan would become. In the broader fight against the Pakistani military, Benazir had prepared to contest Musharraf. Azma, at the same time, was put behind bars by Musharraf. Their mutual relationship almost reached a full circle towards the end of their lives. The death of Bhutto, said Walsh in sombre tone, marked Azma very deeply. She used that moment to talk about the militants and called them “useless duffers”, laughed Walsh.

Neena Gopal brought the attention of the audience to another chapter she found interesting- to the one about Salman Wazir. She asked Walsh a very specific question- “Will the elite ever have a say in Pakistan?”

The debate is really between the ‘Progressive’ Pakistanis and the Extremists. The battle was about bringing a balance between these two approaches, and it was a battle that the likes of Azma Jahangir fought. “Blasphemy is an important problem and has gotten worse”, argued Walsh. He described the ‘institutionalization’ of blasphemy. In a rather hopeful attempt, Walsh felt that the youth of the Pakistani state have a very important role to play in voicing what the country should be like. Imran Khan, Walsh remembers, had based his election on young people, and has tried to tap into their ‘modern’ identity.

Walsh spoke about his interaction with Nawab Bakhtiyar. He was very impressed with the way the Nawab presented himself. He remembered how Nawab Bakhtiyar, or “Nawab Bakti”, as Walsh likes to call him, had even quoted Rabindranath Tagore’s prose to him. Walsh situated Baktiyar as a huge figure who had significant connections with the military. Baktiyar had come to Baluchistan due to a gas dispute but went on to become a part of a wider dispute. Walsh had found Baktiyar in exile, at Geneva. Even there, Baktiyar was leading armed groups in Pakistan. As a foreign correspondent journalist, Walsh thinks about the alarming ways and methods in which the Pakistanis prosecute their people.

When asked about the ISI and the Taliban. Walsh gave a brief history of the ISI and their growth since the 1980s. He thinks they are very good at manipulating the politics in Pakistan. Their involvement is strategic- and happens by supporting Islamist guerrilla organisations. He, however, finds many faults and criticisms concerning the ISI and points to their various disastrous attacks- “When you point to the failures of this spy agency, you see that at the strategic level, the chickens were coming home to roost at that point.”

Talking of Pakistan’s relationship with India, Declan said he knew a lot of people who came to India for business. With the cricket diplomacy that Musharraf and Manmohan Singh tried to establish, the relationship between Indians and Pakistanis were becoming better. The cultural desires of the people, however, had become hostage to politics. He sees how on both sides of the border, there is a yearning and desire for cultural linkages. He added, “To respond to your question on my relationship with the country, I think it would be cliché of me to say that it was warm. But what drew me to Pakistan were the people, and how they were open, to be frank about their lives, in terms of what was going on with them. As a reporter, that was incredibly gratifying”

Neena found it wonderful that, despite being thrown out of the country, Walsh went on to write a book about his journey in Pakistan. The session ended with Neena Gopal congratulating Declan Walsh on his fabulous book, and recommended it to everyone to read.

About the Author: Anusha is a final year undergraduate student pursuing English Hons at Christ University. She can usually be found expressing her thoughts in the genres of social concerns and satires, often accompanied with a cup of chai. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | Food and Faith – Shoba Narayan with Mani Rao

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

Mani Rao started off the session by giving an introduction about Shoba Narayan and her writing techniques. Upon discussing her versatile writing style, her various interests, and her works, she prompted the discussion further. Shoba Narayan, aided by Mani Rao’s questions and thoughts, explored the connection between food and faith, just as she has in her book with the same name. In today’s session, Narayan talked about Prasadam (sacred food) that is served all over the country in different temples. She made it clear that she covered many places of worship, not just Hindu temples, but also other sacred places like Churches.

Narayan narrated her experience in deciding on these particular places that she would visit and write about. She looked for places wherever there was a deep connection between religion/faith and food. Through an intense discussion, she conveyed her thoughts on how the connection between faith and food, regardless of which religion, is intimate and powerful.

Narayan took us on a journey across various regions all over India, each and every direction. Engaging with her, we traveled from Bangalore to all these different places like Madurai, Udupi, Kashi, Ajmer, Goa, Puri, Amritsar and so many more.

Later, the discussion steered towards the method and technique she had adopted to make this book a reality. She gave insight into the style of the book which is similar to a travel memoir, along with intense research work. As a writer and a columnist about everyday topics like food, travel, fashion, etc., she revealed that she adopted a similar method by drawing many ideas and research from her articles.

She talked about how in the book, she draws from her experiences with a lot of countries that she has visited which carry the remains of old civilizations, like Greece, Egypt, and China. She compared and contrasted these different cultures with India. She talked about how India has sustained older civilizations and religious practices, which acted as a catalyst when she was trying to decide on the content of this book.

Rao commented on Narayan’s belief that she is a “skeptical seeker on a pilgrimage.” This fueled an intense discussion about her religious beliefs and how this journey shaped that belief system. Narayan also shared many anecdotes about her numerous experiences as a part of this journey. These tales gave us an insight into the working of these temples and how they produce Prasadam, how they perceive it, and their beliefs. These experiences, we could clearly see, changed her entire thought process about faith. She also talked about how she learned to respect the different places and their working, but also critique problematic approaches without being offensive.

Later, she revealed to us that she was driven to go on this journey and explore this connection because she was interested in finding the inner truth far more than focusing on different doctrines prevalent in India. Towards the end, she also briefly covered the working of these different places of worship through a feminist lens. The session concluded with a very interactive question-answer session.

BLF2020 | A Tale of Two Spies – Asad Durrani and AS Dulat with Anand Arni

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

If there were to be a recollection of long-standing political issues through the last few decades in India, the Indo-Pak relationship is one that’s impossible to miss. The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace is a book that looks at the very same, in the eyes of two experts on the topic.

The session was moderated by Anand Arni, a former Special Secretary at the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), currently a Distinguished Fellow of the Geostrategy Programme at the Takshashila Institution, Bangalore. The two guests at the session were the voices in the book as well; Lt. Gen Mohammad Asad Durrani is a retired Three-Star rank General in the Pakistan Army, and currently is a commentator, speaker, and author. The conversation also had the co-author of the book, AS Dulat, a former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and former Chief of the R&AW, and former advisor on Kashmir to the Prime Minister between 2000 and 2004.

The session’s first few pointers were on the pursuit of peace between the two countries, and how the former Chiefs viewed the prospects of it, and how it could be achieved. Durrani went back in time to when he was in office and his perception of how India’s stand was strictly status quo, and any movement on the same could spiral a situation out of control. However, he suggested his counterpart, AS Dulat, seemed far more optimistic, a tone that could be sensed throughout the session. Dulat believed and still does, that the situation between the neighbours could certainly improve, and how this could be incremental. Dulat stood by his stand of how the prospect of peace is dependent on engagement and that both countries should keep trying. The case has been so, through the tenures of past leadership within the country. Dulat’s reiteration was strong on the lines of moving past a stalemate, of a status quo that may favour one nation over the other. He acknowledged that both countries have had their fair share of issues, but must be ready to negotiate and get “something moving”.

The second topic of discussion brought forth by Anand Arni was that of Pakistan’s perception of India as a threat, and how Pakistan’s army plays a role in controlling the narratives in context with the Indo-Pak relations. Durrani acknowledges that the main threat or the most imminent ones are mostly internal, irrespective of the country. India may not be the biggest of the lot, given that multiple other facets of a political situation and the dynamics of that country with others in the World could be bigger, also sighting the example of Afghanistan’s dynamics with Pakistan. The threats have also been managed over the last few decades as well, and this certainly is not new. He also brought in the context of why or how the army could even have the power of Vetoing. He insisted that the army would have stepped in at a point when they had to because something was amiss, and certainly would not have been the only one wielding power, and banks on a combined effort.

The conversation steered into understanding what India could do, to ease this. Dulat recommended a mindset change. Many frameworks that have come from India, that of a composite dialogue formula or how former governments have been able to address quick wins. He brought back the challenge of moving away from the status quo, and for the country to be magnanimous and generous with its dialogues.

Towards a conversation that focused on the more recent topics around Kashmir, such as that of Article 370, Dulat also shed light on how both countries have had considerable emotions on newer developments. He insisted that conversations and actions to ease situations must be driven top-down, instead of bottom-up. Encouraging governments to have open and friendly conversations, perhaps increase visits and help discover ways to move forward are important, Dulat affirmed.

The last leg of the conversation revolved around how multiple parties, and not just India and Pakistan, understand and are expecting the countries to resolve, and address the issues between the two. Everyone is aware, he says, and there exists an expectation of resolution, not just sympathetic, but also if seen in the context of the book, even as a minuscule example, Durrani and Dulat’s association and coming together have been appreciated.

About the Author: A believer in the subtlety of magic in everyday living, and Shobhana seeks the same from the books she reads, and the poetry she writes. Immerses herself in music, literature, art, and looking out the window with some coffee. She curates her poetry, and occasional verses in her blog Thinking; inking. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | The Masked Intruder: Pandemic and You

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

What could be a more relevant discussion during these pandemic times than having three versatile panelists discuss at length about it!

Amandeep Sandhu opened the conversation with his view on how in the last 9 months, as a nation, we had a strange emotional graph from denial, bravado, to freezing and then abandonment. His first question to Anna Chandy, a psychology counsellor, was on her recollection of advances made as a nation before the pandemic. Anna said that she views the world as pre, and post-March 2020 and feels that good progress was made in mental health. She also elaborated on 3 types of mental health – public, societal, and self-stigma. Because of uncertainty since post-March 2020, mental health conversations were hijacked by people who do not have the competence and thus the progress was reversed. This resulted in the cornering of suffers and their families.

Amandeep asked Dr. Farah, a family physician in Narayana and an author, to tell more on her book “Newborns and New Moms”. Dr. Farah explained how despite being a doctor, no professional education prepared her for the life of motherhood. She said that her book was a step by step guide for mothers. Especially during pandemic times where the work boundaries are not respected and mothers have suffered more, the book has helped many mothers.

The conversation then moved onto drawing parallels between mental health and COVID. How both sneak up to us without realizing and both cause short- and long-term damage.

Anna put across that depression and anxiety are pandemic too, but without a lockdown. Stigma and society exclusion are the commonality between them, thus punishing the patients for something that is beyond their control. She also compared the seriousness of the entire situation to World War II. The next generations will have an impact on the psychological construct, and it will play out differently when they are adults. She said that this is not being spoken about as much as it should be.

Amandeep steered the conversation to Dr. Farah on whether there was a change in statistics related to infant mortality, TB patients, diabetics etc. He wondered aloud on how are they managing post-COVID?

Dr. Farah gave insights from her experiences. She said that doctors racked their brains to understand why there was a decline in heart attack patients coming in emergencies. Is it fear to report or have the incidences reduced due to less pollution and commuting? Narrating a few stories of her patients, she brought about the aspect of psychological effects on all ages. It was heartening to hear her story about her son who is under the autism spectrum, progressed in his speech in the last few months. She accounted for this change to the attention and time children are receiving from parents. She said that a lot depended on how patient parents are with their kids.

Continuing the conversation, Anna spoke about the changes going on inside the counselling circles. She said that people from age groups 25-30 are reaching out and openly seeking support.

The discussion proceeded to serious impacts on women and their monthly cycles. Dr. Farah had many examples to share in this regard. She strongly sent out the message that most problems are psychological where the body is manifesting itself and reaching out for help. Anna aptly made a strong recommendation to the book “The body keeps a score” by Bessel van der Kolk.

When Amandeep asked her views on collectivism, she said that most Asian countries are collectivist society, where the needs of the groups take priority and are thus governed by group laws. These laws are mostly unsaid, covert, and transmitted silently on how to be or not to be.

She brought about the advantage of such societies and pandemics is an opportunity to work in groups to our advantage. She also said that different communities are dealing with pandemic differently. In smaller towns, community support is higher.

Anna had an interesting take on dealing with pandemics and quoted the ABC concept. A – Accounting for your feelings, B – managing anxiety through breathing, C – care and communication. She also suggested that this is the time to ask fundamental existential questions if one has faced job loss.

The last leg of this discussion turned very exciting as Dr. Farah stood up, removed her mask and performed a rap sporting demo of one of her parodies on “Apna time aayega”. The parody was a take on how messed up every mother’s Sunday is. Her intent of these parodies is to send across feminist messaging through a lighter medium.

With that delightful performance, the last question was, who is actually the masked intruder?

Anna, Dr. Farah and Amandeep had variations but primarily the same answers – “ourselves”, “the selective versions of ourselves”, “our fearful selves” are the mask intruders.

Amandeep gave a heartfelt dedication of this session to all the front-line staff who seamlessly work for the safety of all of us during these thought times!

About the Author: Neha Agrawal carries a spirit of positivism and a smile that emanates from the heart and wants to reach out to the world. She dreams to make this world an inclusive one. She works as a strategic leader heading multiple areas like inclusion & diversity, corporate social responsibility and organization culture. She is a public speaker and an influencer. She loves travelling, especially to the mountains. She writes poetry under the handle #fursatkealfaaz on Instagram, enjoys reading and having conversations. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | India Love Project – Samar Halarnkar

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

The session started with the context of the ‘Love Jihad’. Two couples- Natasha and Ashraf, and Sadaf and Yatin, were being interviewed by Samar Halarnkar. Samar Halarnkar began the session by asking Natasha and Ashraf about how their relationship changed- from the time that it had begun, until today.

Afzal responded first. Change, he said, was more personal. There was no government involvement. You could take support from the administration. They were not the enemy of the social figure back then. At the time the relationship began, Ashraf and Natasha were scared of their parents first, before they began fearing the government.

Ashraf’s parents were not concerned about his marriage. Ashraf kept delaying getting married, and his parents had given up on him. As long as Ashraf got married, they were okay with anyone marrying him. He faced no resistance from them. Natasha, on the other hand, faced a different response from her parents. Her father was very adamant in what he thought- she could marry anyone, but not a Muslim. When the two had started dating, Natasha was concerned if they were doing the right thing.

Samar referred to a picture on the page of India Love Project- a picture of Sadaf and Yatin’s mothers holding each other’s hands had become very popular.

Sadaf continued to tell the story about their relationship. Her family is from Lucknow. “My mom told me it’s important to find love.” It was easier for Sadaf to talk to her mom. Her father, however, was against the marriage and only wanted a Muslim husband for Sadaf. She described her father as soft-spoken, but still his “no” was quite affirmative. He understood the differences in opinion between him and Sadaf, so he suggested Sadaf and her father to “part ways”. Sadaf thought of it as nonsense- she kept trying to convince him for a year.

Refering to the popular picture, a Sadaf added how the couple’s mothers had become very close. Yatin’s family members were okay with the marriage, and their mothers had started to bond. The photo had been taken last year. Samar then inquired about Natasha’s daughters, and how she introduced them to topics like religion.

For the longest time, Natasha and Ashraf hadn’t spoken about religion with their three children. Their children’s first question about their identity was if they were Pakistanis. Being a Pakistani, Natasha argued, had become a slur, that was the result of all the discriminatory depictions of Muslims. The children began to engage with politics due to the mainstream media and their depictions. Natasha and Ashraf have three children, who all dwell on their mixed identity of being having a Hindu parent as well as a Muslim one. Their two children, Natasha says with pride, have recently started getting curious about their father’s religious prayers. They have started to fast, and even pray with him. Natasha and Ashraf would like them to have an identity that is reflective of both the religions.

Both the couples discussed their opinion on Love Jihad. Sadaf commented on how, while it’s not openly practised by her family, there was always the little ways in which her religion would be hidden away. Her surname itself- Chowdhary, did not bring in any religious connotations, and kept her Hindu in-laws happy.

Love Jihad, and its entire concept is not funny anymore, both parties agree. They discussed about how the government’s involvement in their relationship has become very problematic. However, it was a fun, filled session with inter-religious anecdotes and personal reflections on marriage, and gave an interesting insight towards the India Love Project.

BLF2020 | Poetry Pickings – Mani Rao, Mamta Sagar, Maitreyee B Chowdhury, Nandita Bose and Prathibha Nandakumar

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

The stage was decked up with five wonderful ladies, all of them poets, and were there to read out selective pieces of their poems themselves. It was the first day of the Bangalore Literature Festival 2020, and these ladies just pushed the radar with an all-woman panel of poets.

Up first, we had author Mani Rao; she got featured in the Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry. She has poems and essays published in journals like the poetry magazine, Fulcrum, Wasafiri, Meanjin, Washington Square, West Coast Line, and Tinfish. She reads out her poem titled, ‘2020’. She expressed her concerns about how this year has been a roller coaster of feelings—a mixture of fear and gratitude simultaneously. A sense of community and sharing, at the same time, a tinge of self-centeredness is how Mani expressed the strangeness of the year 2020. Here are a few lines of the poem 2020 she recited:

There’s nobody I know in the ten thousand dead on the front page of New York times.
Give us this day our daily spread; don’t read the news before going to bed.

Her poem spoke of the uncertainty that this year has been.

Next, we had author Maitreyee Chowdhury; she has four books to her credit “Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen: Bengali Cinema’s First Couple,” “The Hungryalists: The Poets Who Sparked a Revolution,” “Where Even the Present Is Ancient: Benaras,” and “Reflections on My India: An Indian Insight.” She teaches poetry and design at NIFT Bangalore. Maitreyee read out her first poem, which speaks to lengths about an ancient farmers’ life. She described the spirit of the farmers to keep their mother nature always nurtured and alive. The next poem she read was about her father, which mainly revolves around the woes of partition. She said that even if it has been decades since the partition, she carries the pain that her father felt even now, and that lot of her work is directed towards immigration and borders that separate people. Here are a few lines from her poem:

Both brother and sister laugh and cry at once
Their stories last all night in me; they last forever.

Next, we had author Mamta Sagar; she is a noted poet, writer, and translator. She is an active participant in various art and literature-oriented workshops and exhibits. She teaches at the Srishti Institute of art, design, and technology. Mamta reads out Kannada poems and their translations. However, ‘reads-out’ is quite an undertone because she literally enacted her poems! One such verse goes like this:

When words are picked up, carefully splattered, the poem floats out of reach.
Does a poem need order in this chaotic world?

Here she explained how words can have a free fall in a poem and do not necessarily need an orderly arrangement.

Next, we had author Nandita Bose; she is a fiction writer, poet, and book reviewer. She occasionally indulges in writing about films, politics, and current events. She opened up by saying that her poems are usually short and meaningful. She read out beautiful poems about how we should take care of mother earth and nature. Here are a few lines:

On a long hollow night of no ounce
It is up to the stars to sing of emptiness.

Next, we had author Prathibha Nandakumar; she is a bi-lingual author, poet, journalist, film maker, columnist, and translator. She has various publications to her credit: autobiographies, poems, short stories, columns in Kannada, and English. She is also honoured with several awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya academy book award, Bangalore Literature Festival Literary Achievement award. Pratibha mainly read out her Kannada poems, and most of them had a socio-political edge to them. But interestingly, she presented them in a very humorous way, which was quite engaging! Here’s one of the translations titled ‘The Mad Monkey and the Master Act’:

Sanity and insanity are not equal and opposite in my case
And hence measure your words carefully.
Eccentric maybe, but I’m condemned by my master
To obey and perform all things different and dangerous
Normal is boring.

Reading a book is a joyous feeling, but hearing the same from the writer is blissful. That is the experience here; you know what the writer means by the expressions, voice modulation, and body language. Moreover, as far as poetry is concerned, it has great meanings to it in the few verses that they have! This panel was indeed a sight to watch, with the authors being so animate with every line of poetry they read. It thoroughly took me to different worlds and left me meandering with the words.

BLF2020 | A Spotlight on Debuts

April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

The panel discussion started at 11 AM at the auditorium. The session explored two things, firstly the Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok and secondly, discussion on the book What’s Wrong With You, Karthik? by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan. The session brought in two different kinds of genres together. This panel was interspersed with many interesting facts and informative stories.

Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking with Krish Ashok

The discussion was taken up by Krish Ashok. This session gave great insights regarding the science behind Indian cooking. Cooking is completely about experimenting with new tastes and there are no set of rules or any one-way guide to cooking. Krish explained the ideas and theory behind cooking through his book ‘Masala lab’. Krish Ashok is not a chef but is excited to cook daily; he is not a scientist but can aptly explain the science in cooking. He learnt cooking from women in his family who could cook perfectly. Krish mostly prefers the scientific way of cooking because it lets him test his own skills and tastes.

The speaker spoke of daily examples which we never have thought about. Have any of us wondered why our grandmother threw a tea bag into the pressure cooker while boiling chickpeas, or why she measured using the knuckle of her index finger? Is this done with knowing the science behind it or just like that? Did our mothers and grandmothers think about seasonings and perfect flavorings? Krish also drew the attention of the audience towards authentic food; relationships between food and science, modern techniques to save time in cooking and the role of chemistry in it which reminded us about our high school chemistry lessons.

Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a science nerd’s exploration of Indian cooking with the ultimate aim of making the reader a better cook and turning the kitchen into a joyful, creative playground for culinary experimentation. The book is exhaustively tested and researched work that keeps one curious and engaged. The panel was concluded with a quick and informative Q&A.

What’s Wrong With You, Karthik? Siddhartha Vaidyanathan with Aparajitha Sankar

Soon after Masala Lab concluded, the session was taken over by Aparajitha Sankar in conversation with Siddhartha Vaidyanathan.The panel started with the introduction to Siddartha’s book What’s wrong with you, Karthik?.

The book revolves around a 12 year old boy Karthik who has just got admission into St. George’s, an elite boys’ school in Bangalore. Being born in a conservative family, the protagonist faces big change in his life during this time. The book talks about his life in the period of a year, the challenges he faces, changes he undergoes, things he learnt and finally the recognition he earns. The plot connects well with the city Bangalore and the author shared his experience of living in the city for 22 years and recalled his childhood days. Set in the 90s, the storyline is a coming of age story that anyone could completely relate to. The author also read out a few pages from his book. The session wrapped up with the story on how the author being an engineer stumbled into cricket writing.

About the Author: Bhuvanashree Manjunath is a freelance writer and a poet, currently pursuing Civil Engineering in Bengaluru. Being an avid reader and book lover, she enjoys working as a Book Reviewer. Apart from literature, her fields of interest include painting, photography, music and teaching. She finds solace in writing poems and blogs. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions – Sundeep Khanna and Varun Sood with Pankaj Mishra

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

This was a powerhouse of a conversation, in which Pankaj Mishra quizzed Sundeep and Varun, the authors of the book Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions.

Azim Premji, the man beyond the book – what is it that Sundeep and Varun could not cover?

Sundeep responded with a tinge of regret that they could not meet Premji or his family, as a result they could not get aspects such as his family’s reaction when he decided to give up 90% of his wealth to philanthropy. Though they got to speak with the Board and CEOs, Premji’s inputs would have enriched the book.

What defined who he is, what he could not become?

Sundeep described the pivotal moment in the first years of this century for Premji as a business leader. After Wipro’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Wipro started losing steam. Pre-2000, Premji had not been hands-on in IT; later, when he did become hands-on, Wipro became a laggard compared to others like TCS and HCL, with margins slipping. This was pivotal since Premji got more into philanthropy.

Varun narrated how Premji wrote a ten-page letter to Welch on why the GE team should come to India and give Wipro a fair chance. He reflected on the irony that people in the industry greatly respect Premji, yet he had difficulty in finding CEOs (Wipro saw eight CEOs in the last two decades).

What will be his legacy?

Varun spoke about the Wipro values that Premji created way back in 1971, which Indian IT companies are inspired by today – respect for customers, respect for employees, do business in the only way of doing it correctly.

Sundeep added that Premji has shown that path which is now a part of the DNA of the Indian IT industry – make money the right way, then give to society.

If you meet Premji, what questions would you ask him directly?

Sundeep immediately responded, “At 75, what next?”. He wondered whether Premji would get deeper into philanthropy or take up any new projects in the offing. He would also ask Premji, if not IT, any other business he would have gotten into, and among competitors, who did he consider the fiercest.

Varun had a slightly more personal set of questions – what makes Premji happy? His perspective on the state of affairs in the country?

How would you compare Premji with other business leaders?

Pankaj’s poser was not restricted to either business or philanthropy, but through multiple lenses of Premji as a personality. Sundeep responded that each leader has different perspectives, priorities, and ambitions. Premji was a limited business leader compared to others because he chose to keep his ambitions checked. His vision for philanthropy makes him among the best in the world.

Pankaj had a comment on how Premji used to be vocal earlier, e.g. coming out about bad roads in Bangalore; however, during the past decade he has become a recluse. Sundeep remarked that Premji is who he is; he does not do anything to please anybody.

Managing Succession – Comparing Wipro and Infosys

Pankaj got into further comparison and asked, “How do you compare Wipro and Infy on managing succession?”

Both Varun and Sundeep agreed that succession is better handled at Wipro. Varun reflected on how Rishabh went through a proper grooming and moved from ground up, which was planned and noiseless. Though Premji did overstay for a couple of years. Sundeep added that when Murthy brought in his son, there were murmurs. That said, he felt there are many factors which go into managing succession, hence they might not be the right people to comment on it from outside.

Q&A from Audience

The first question from the audience was whether it is the culture in Bangalore that drives philanthropy. Sundeep called it ‘Serendipity’. Bangalore has become a hub for philanthropists, an ecosystem has been created with Murthy and Premji being role models. Varun’s take was that Bangalore is a young city with a diverse set of people and this drives philanthropy. Pankaj had a differing opinion – he said that the buck has stopped, the next generation of taking it forward is non-existent, which is a worrying sign.

The last poser was on the extent to which philanthropists impact policy. Varun disagreed to the premise and mentioned that philanthropists give away their money not to gain something from it, Sundeep added, “If someone was looking for power, they would keep the money, not give it away”. Pankaj gave a twist to the tale by saying that philanthropists do want to shape policy, since the future of their philanthropy depends on it, it is important to bring about an outcome.

About the Author: Usha Ramaswamy craves to get more creative in addition to being an avid reader, traveller, vlogger, marketer of events, mobile photographer. One day, she wants to write a book but for now, she pens her reflections at her blog, talks about her experiences in her YouTube channel Usha’s LENS and puts up photos on Instagram. She is also a software professional and a mother of two. She currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | Crime and the City – Rachna Singh, V Sanjay Kumar and Zac O’Yeah with Krishna Udayasankar

March 14, 2021March 14, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

The moderator for the session Crime and the city was Krishna Udayasankar who is known for her amazing works like The Aryavata Chronicles, Immortal, and Objects of affection. The panel included Rachna Singh, V. Sanjay Kumar, and Zach O’Yeah. Rachna Singh is a humour writer who was born and brought up in Allahabad. Her debut “Dating, Diapers and Denial” has earned good reviews from readers across the globe. V. Sanjay Kumar, is a Bangalore-based writer. His works include The Third Squad, Virgin Gingelly, and Artist, Undone. Zach O’Yeah is a crime novelist who has published 18 books of which many are bestsellers. He is also a literary critic, playwright, performer, director, and musician.

The session kick-started with Krishna Udayasankar asking “Why the city or place plays a major role in crime writing?” Sanjay Kumar has brilliantly answered it by sharing his first memory of the crime and his experiences related to white-collared crimes in Mumbai. Zach O’Yeah felt that sometimes it’s difficult to translate crime writings from one language to another language as the nature of crime differs from one place to another place and he strongly stated that the city plays a major role in shaping crimes and criminals. He said that the cultural aspects of India set it apart from other countries. He believes that every writing reflects a particular culture and because of those cultural differences, there cannot be a generic city. He further added that because of all these factors, ‘where the plot is set’ is as important as the plot itself in a crime novel. Following up on the conversation, Rachna Singh shared her views about the same by sharing her thoughts on cities like Allahabad and Mumbai.

According to Sanjay Kumar, the most important part of crime writing is not just describing the city but it’s more about the set of characters the city creates. He shared some interesting things about a few characters from his previous books to give some insights into how the city plays a crucial role in building the mindsets of individuals. Making the conversation more interesting, Zach O’Yeah shared about his travel writing job, mentioning how he enjoys exploring different cities and writing about them. He especially talked about how amused he was while travelling in Bangalore and getting to know a wide range of fascinating things about it. He made a valuable point by saying “When it comes to novels, it’s different. It’s not like ‘my city’ I am talking about in my writings but I am talking about a city from the point of view of the person in the book. It is what makes things more challenging as a fiction writer; the need to write from a general perspective. Also, what defines a city is how comfortable it is for other people, the ones who are not as privileged as you are. We should think with intellectual empathy.”

The session had its fair share of laughter when Krishna Udayasankar asked everyone to describe different cities in a single word. All the panel members displayed a great sense of humor and came up with the funniest responses.

The next part of the session saw Sanjay Kumar reading an excerpt from his latest book and expressing his thoughts about it. Later, Zach O’Yeah pointed out that there are neither completely black characters nor completely white characters in his books; it’s always a mixture of them, all characters are grey.

The session ended with panel members discussing contemporary crimes and the way they affect the style of crime writing.

About the Author: Sai Pradeep is an aspiring writer from Visakhapatnam who recently published his first collection of poetry, All the lights within us. He is working as a content writer in Bangalore. He currently writes for TheSeer.

BLF2020 | The Story of My Captivity, Survival and Freedom – Hamid Ansari and Geeta Mohan with Chandan Gowda

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

Chandan Gowda is a professor at Azim Premji University and moderated the session. Geeta Mohan is a foreign affairs editor at India Today TV Network and covers international relations and diplomacy. She met with Hamid Ansari at his house’s basement, to work on the book – The Story of My Captivity, Survival and Freedom. Hamid Ansari has previously worked with the Rotary club and has volunteered at the UN. He is presently a visiting faculty at a Mumbai college and is a motivational speaker.

Hamid Ansari had gone to Pakistan to help out a young girl who was struggling to live in a conservative household. The two had met online and Fiza had revealed to Hamid about her painful life. She had begun to see suicide as her only option to get out of her tragic life and Hamid upon realising this wanted to help her out. After reaching out to various NGOs, he decided to go to Pakistan and help her out in person. It is when he reached Pakistan, that his life completely changed. The Pakistani guards suspected him as an Indian spy and put him in solitary confinement at Peshawar. He was at that solitary confinement for six whole years and later was shifted to civil jail. A long and hard battle was fought for him by his mother, and it was because of her efforts, and a few others that he could return back to India. The book was written when Hamid’s case was brought to light, and Hamid’s lawyers had asked him to start journaling his experience at the Pakistani holding.

When Hamid came to India, he was taken aback by the efforts taken by people back at home. He realised that his capture was only half of the story. There was another narrative critical to the story- that of his mother and Zeenat, who went to great lengths to bring him back. Pakistani officials denied Hamid’s capture and his existence on the Pakistani soil. It was his mother’s relentless efforts to keep finding a way out of this horrific mess that had saved his life.

Geeta talked about how establishing the construct of the book was a tough job. The story wouldn’t strike someone if it had not been written in first person. Reader’s needed to know, how each individual was involved in bringing Hamid Ansari back. Hamid Ansari’s life in the solitary confinement facilities in Pakistan brought up a lot of discussions. Hamid explained what his life was like in the cell. For six years, he was alone and without any communication. Hamid attributed the divine power and faith in God to his motivation to keep going. Every time he prayed; Hamid coincidentally received answers from the officials.

His case took more and more shape as he prayed. It was his faith, Hamid said that helped him stay alive. Writing the book was difficult for him because it constantly brought back repressed memories of his mental health in the holding. He started to fight back with the Pakistani officials, when they told him that his words hurt their sentiments. Geeta was very happy with how their book was received. Journalists who’ve read the book have remarked how it was very nuanced in how Hamid’s case was handled. It also reflected India-Pakistan relationship. Even when Hamid faced tremendous torturous situations, in the book, he is very humble about his interactions with Pakistani civilians. People have cried reading the book, which meant that it touched them. This, Hamid thought, was the mark of a successful narrative.