Jaipur Literature Festival: Here are the topics in focus on Day 8

The 15th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival, which enters eighth day on Saturday, will have an an interesting line-up of speakers having thoughtful conversations around the topics like mutiny of the Royal Indian Navy that delivered a mortal blow to the British power in India, mediaeval political power, globalisation and the vibrant cultural patronage of the mediaeval South and more.

What to Expect From Day 8?

Founder and publisher of Roli Books Pramod Kapoor, who conceived and produced some of the boldest, most definitive and acclaimed titles relating to India and its heritage in his career of nearly four decades, will be having a conversation with naval historian Srikant Kesnur and Editor News9+ and author, Sandeep Unnithan around his book 1946: Naval Uprising That Shook the Empire. Kapoor discusses this integral yet under-represented segment in the history of Independence.

Anirudh Kanisetti, writer of upcoming flick Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas, will be engaging in a chat with Manu S. Pillai, author of Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji, The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore and, most recently, False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma.

Kanisetti's Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas is a testament to his thoughtful and immense study of mediaeval South India and its influence on contemporary politics and culture. He explores mediaeval political power, globalisation and the vibrant cultural patronage of the mediaeval South. Whereas, Manu S Pillai has contributed extensively to the fascinating history of the mediaeval Deccan, a different age that ended an empire and rewrote India's destiny.

Acclaimed writer and biochemist Pranay Lal, who brings this marginal life form to the forefront and gives us fascinating insights into the world of viruses in his book Invisible Empire, will have a conversation with the academic, surgeon, and author Ambarish Satwik as he explores the history of viruses that have turned from simple life forms to catastrophic illnesses causing agents and discusses the vast ramifications that one tiny life form can have on humanity.

India is a multilingual nation, existing in a constant and ongoing state of translation. Four writers who express themselves with proficiency in more than one language in their literary pursuits speak of how they negotiate the distances between their mother tongues and learned languages, and how they communicate their creativity in both. While poet and academic Akhil Katyal's writing and poetry straddles both Hindi and English, Kunal Basu feels no need to choose between English and Bangla, as both literary streams run concurrently within him. Anukrti Upadhyay's work, which covers cultures as diverse as Rajasthan and Japan, is published in Hindi and English. Tanuj Solanki scales the binaries between his mother tongue, Hindi and the chosen language of expression, English. In a session of readings and conversation, they speak of their discipline, writing process, and the linguistic and literary worlds they carry within them.

The idea of India's maharajahs as trifling, decadent despots who chased opulence over the public good, or as incompetent leaders who submitted to British design and dominance, has long been circulated, past verifiability. Historian and acclaimed writer Manu S. Pillai disputes this view in his seamless new book, False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma. Through the travels of iconic painter Ravi Varma, Pillai uncovers the princely world of legal battle, resistance, industrialisation, social and political mobilisation, in stark contrast to popular history, instrumental in the making of modern India. Shashi Tharoor, no stranger to upending misinformed notions, has chronicled disruptive histories in works such as An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India and Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India. His most recent book, The Battle Of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be Indian, is an erudite examination of India's contemporary existential crisis. In conversation with author and historian Ira Mukhoty, Pillai and Tharoor come together for a conversation that is sure to galvanise historical perspectives.

Day 7 Round Up:

With a glorious beginning to the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, there was tremendous diversity in sessions, speakers, and themes in the programming of the previous day. At a session for the JCB Prize for Literature Series, Lindsay Perirar, journalist and editor; Rijula Das, writer; Shabir Ahmad Mir, writer and Daribha Lyndem, writer and a civil servant were in conversation with writer Karuna Ezara Parikh. During the session, the panel discussed their exciting experiences with their first novels.

Enlightening the morning with the mindfulness of pranayama, yoga instructor Sumit Thalwal started with calming strains of prana mudra with hand movements along with some om chanting. Thalwal also portrayed quite a few breathing exercises at the Front lawn which uplifted the morning attendance. "Morning Music" at the literary extravaganza was performed by acclaimed classical vocalist Aastha Goswami. She commenced her set of music with a blend of tabla and harmonium that asserted the audience to the Front lawn of the rich celebration. The early performances were an appropriate beginning to the world's biggest hybrid literary festival.

National award winning actor, Manoj Bajpayee graced the panel of the 15th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival in a stellar conversation with co-author of the National Award-winning book RD Burman: The Man, The Music Balaji Vittal and Pragya Tiwari.

For registrations and more info visit Jaipur Literature Festival Website