Interspersed with dance performances, excerpts from her autobiography, and tales narrated by her daughter Madhu Nataraj and Tara Kini - Hindustani classical music maestro, Dr. Maya Rao’s legacy was brought to life on a balmy Saturday afternoon. It was for the first time at the Bangalore Literature Festival that a book on dance had been featured. There couldn't have been a better choice for this hallmark event than Maya Rao: A Lifetime in Choreography.
An up close and ever-evolving interaction between the storyteller and his audience, as they craft together both story and theatre.
The difference between horror and suspense (if there is one!), creating atmosphere, and that chill down your spine when you realize you can actually relate to your favorite horror flick's grotesque protagonist...
Authors focusing on Young Adults open up about the creative process, emphasize the importance of illustrations, and discuss the challenges that come with navigating difficult societal issues in appropriate language.
Navigate and learn about the process of transforming prose into picture. Should writers pitch to the box office from the onset of the crafting a novel? And where the money really is - Tisca Chopra steers writers toward International TV Series with successes like Game of Thrones and Homeland.
Imploring the audience to disentangle stereotypes and misconceptions about the Northeast, panelists invite more Indians to visit, discover, and embrace the people of the region with the intention of richer understanding.
Far more than technology, the biggest threat to Kannada is its poor adoption, especially among youth. With Kannada currently not being taught in quite a number of schools and colleges, the panelists felt Kannada might as well be declared a minority language. It faces a serious threat of extinction from within.
From the specific brand of Indian Feminism to the half-girlfriend, the TOI and Deepika Padukone dilemma, his wife, critics, taste in women, and Bollywood, Chetan Bhagat bears all to his one and only editor, Shinie Anthony, and admits he's a damn good marketer if not a "brilliant" author.
Arthi Anand's tales took the audience from Meghalaya to Arunachal Pradesh, and were interwoven with the geography, terrain and languages of the North East. Her book is said to be the first one about the Mishmi in the country.
Panelists assess Modi's re-branding of India from elephant to lion, consider whether jugaad is mis- or well-understood, and dethrone FDI.
The 2014 BLF was inaugurated with a Kamsale invocation to Mahadeva. Highlights of the conversations include explaining what makes the BLF unique and lauding it for drawing attention to the Northeastern states. The inauguration concluded with a Shraddhanjali in the form of a documentary about U.R. Ananthamurthy.
By Melanie P. Kumar
Swapan Dasgupta, the Moderator, inaugurates the session by asking whether a literary person has framed the title. Has anyone ever observed the phenomenon of a “gasping elephant?”
One of the panelists, Dr. R. Vaidyanathan suggests the …
The crowd roared with laughter throughout this session. In addition to one-liners and jokes only a panel of such talent could pull off, they also discussed how humour can be used to address social issues.
The panelists implored us to seek a more nuanced understanding of the causes that lead youth toward organizations like ISIS. Despite facing injustice and oppression, why is it that only a minority take up arms? Why do the majority not participate? How can India resolve the root of separatist insurgencies and begin living as a pluralistic collective?
Kannada is one of the oldest languages of India. It has constantly evolved and re-invented itself throughout the course of its 2000-odd years of existence. Bangalore plays host to the most number of highly educated migrants. By improving facilities to learn and interact in Kannada and increasing the pride of speaking the language, it is possible for Kannada to continue to expand its reach and influence.
A highly interactive session where you're invited to shop for that perfect tail and must match it to the correct character later.
What differentiates a short story from a novel? Why isn't there more commercialization of short stories by publishing houses in the wake of concept fiction and shortening attention spans? A discussion on the peculiarities and enigmas around short stories.
The general consensus among the panelists is that love, as a feeling, is experienced differently by men and women. Romantic love is too intense to last forever. Intimate love is far more enduring. While offering tips on marriage, relationships (including the risks of extra-marital ones), trust, intimacy and equality figured as the important factors for maintaining a healthy marriage.
How authors incorporate gender into writing, especially when its not shared with their characters.
A lively session with astute observations from the audience, impassioned arguments from the panel, and perhaps a few suggestions for a more hopeful future.
