Solan, March 19
The 3rd edition of Shoolini Litfest concluded on Saturday after discussions on a variety of books and subjects by large number of poets, writers, musicians, and other prominent personalities from the world of art and culture.
The concluding day of the Litfest began with Chitra Divakaruni’s session where she talked about her writings with a feminist perspective and glorifying the victim and not the hunter.
Another exciting session of the day was “The Love of Reading,” moderated by Atul Khosla, Vice Chancellor, Shoolini University, where Col. Vivek Prakash Singh and Suhail Mathur, The Book Bakers, highlighted the importance of reading books and promoting the practice even more.
The session “Dikkat Kya Hai?” moderated by Avnee Khosla and led by two literary enthusiastic students of Shoolini University along with guest Ankit Jambh, author of three bestselling books and his next, “The Most Negative Book of Positivity.” Jambh shared his life story and emphasised the importance of creating a space where people do not live in fake positivity and rather have exposure to harsh truths.
The session “Wonder Women” featured Sacred Games fame Rajshri Deshpande and Atika Chohan, moderated by Namrata Joshi. Rajshri said that sex, gender, and feminism are not connected, and the discussion revolved around Bechdel and women’s representation. Atika Chohan said that choosing the right path requires many other sacrifices.
The session “Towards a Better You” had Vivek Atray and DS Cheema, moderated by CJ Singh. Atray said that life is not about marks but making a mark, and he emphasised working on one’s strengths and knowing them.
The session “My Creative World” with Karan Oberoi was moderated by Navreet Sahi, where he began with his hit song, “Gori,” and talked about his new book, “Battlefield Brothers.”
The second day of the Literature Festival saw a range of sessions, from classical music concerts to discussions on poetry and literature. One such noteworthy session was Echoes of the Soul, moderated by Prof. Ashoo Khosla, featuring lyricist Raj Shekhar who shared his creations and made the audience dance to his tunes.
Another session, Saying it in Verses, moderated by Prof. Ashoo Khosla, featured panellists Mamta, Kamayani, and Suhani discussing the pros and poetry of the written word.
In Swapping and Swinging, author Suma Raha discussed her book, The Swap, which tackles the peculiar topic of relationship dynamics and couple swapping in urban India. Veteran journalist Mr.Vipin Pubby, Director School of Journalism and New Media at Shoolini University, moderated the session, ensuring a lively and engaging discussion.
From Print to Screen saw Ashwini Bhatnagar and Karan Oberoi discuss their books with moderator Suhail Mathur. Karan narrated the story of four brothers who were soldiers, while Ashwani Bhatnagar talked about Mahejabeen as Meena Kumari, a book that tells the story of the legendary actress.
In Kavya aur Srijan, Vidya Nidhi talked about her book, “Badla Mosam Badel Gye Hum”, which tells the story of a person’s inner conflict as society changes around them. The session was moderated by Dr. Purnima Bali and Prakash Chand.
The classical musical festival “Basantotsav” marked the end of the literary festival, followed by a vote of thanks from Mrs. Saroj Khosla. She expressed her joy and gratitude towards the phenomenal and creatively charged festival, extending her blessings to all the speakers and participants.
Dr Ashoo Khosla, Chief Learning Officer, Shoolini University and Prof. Manju Jaidka Dean Faculty of Liberal Arts, Co-directors of the Litfest, thanked all participants and audience for making the Litfest a grand success.
The festival began on Friday with the session “The World Needs Stories” by Ruskin Bond moderated and introduced by Prof. Tej Nath Dhar in which Bond advised young writers not to feel discouraged by rejections from publishers but to keep working hard to emerge successful. He also advised them to read more to write better.
Prof. Navreet Sahi’s book book Trickster or Hero: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Picaro., was also released at the occasion. It followed a session on “Surviving Against Odds” by Sanjay Deshpande, Aditya, Arjun, and Pallavi moderated by Poonam Nanda, Dean Student Welfare. They talked about living with limitations and how difficult life can be for a young adult with cancer. There were other sessions, including “Shayari Ka Luft” by Gurdeep Gul and Ashok Bhandari, moderated by Lily Swarn which was a perfect blend of Urdu and Hindi literature for all the shayari lovers.
Renowned speaker and writer, General Raj Mehta, along with Mr. Balram Gupta, spoke on the importance of law and literature in everyday life at a recent session. Maj Gen Raj Mehta, known for his support of the Mission Victory India, discussed his published articles and columns with ‘FORCE’.
Another session was “Food for Soul” by Vikas Chawla and Puneetinder Kaur Sandhu, moderated by Pratip Mazumdar, Dean of Hospitality and Hotel Management. They talked about the significance of Emotional Intelligence and how millets are going to be the future of healthy and sustainable diets.
Litfest also included a session titled “The World’s a Stage” by well-known Director Mahesh Dattani, moderated by Manju Jaidka. Dattani talked about the nature of stories and how performing arts align with them.
One of the sessions, titled “Of Cosmic Signs and Dogtrines,” featured acclaimed author Manjiri Prabhu. Prabhu, known for her expertise in the genre of Destination Thriller, discussed her writing process and how she sees the main character of her books in her dreams before penning them down. She also talked about her love for dogs and her book “The Dogtrine of Peace,” in which she celebrates dogs as a means to attain peace.
Another session, titled “The Real and the Mythical,” was led by author Neelesh Kulkarni. Kulkarni discussed how myths exist at various levels to make the divine more relatable to us, and that myths are not just creations of the past but are continuously being created in the present. “Missing in Action,” a session led by Chander Suta Dogra, was a captivating discussion that touched on the art of storytelling and the power of resilience and the human spirit.
Jupinderjit Singh, author of “In the Name of Honour,” led a session on the discovery of Bhagat Singh and shared his experiences following a case for 22 years, asking for justice for Jussi.
“Punjabi Tadka” was a session led by Sukhwinder Amrit and Jagdeep, two renowned Punjabi musicians. They shared their experiences and insights into the music industry, discussing the challenges they faced early on in their careers and the hard work and dedication that ultimately led to their success.
Other sessions included “Songs of Protest” with Pavan Jha, which looked back on the evolution of protest songs pre- and post-independence, and a storytelling session with Jaishree Sethi. There was also an interaction with Litwitz club members led by Raj Shekhar and Pawan Jha. The day one of the festival concluded with a musical evening at the Open-Air Theatre, featuring the Benam Artist Band. The band engaged and captured the audience with their grand performances, turning the celebration of literature into a celebration of life.
