Chandigarh all set for third edition of literature festival

Chandigarh all set for third edition of literature festival

MUNISH DHIMAN  18th Oct 2014

Altaf Tyrewala and Mitul Dikshit (right) With the aim of putting Chandigarh on the national literary map, the four-day-long Chandigarh Literature Festival-2014 has been scheduled from 30 October to 2 November at the sprawling Chandigarh Club in Sector 1. The third edition of the literary festival has been conceptualised to attract book lovers as well as the who's who of the literary world. The four-day event will feature panel discussions, writing workshops, film screening, book- readings, musical soirees and several other activities. There are many attractions in this season, the first being a special panel discussion on 30 years of Operation Blue Star, a grim reminder of the days of militancy that had robbed Punjab of its well-being. Extracts from 14 books authored by Indian writers will be read out and critically analysed at the festival. Like previous years, film screenings will be among the most anticipated fixtures this time too; the number of films has been increased from three to four. Noted filmmakers & critics will be a part of the discussions in this edition. While interacting with Guardian20, Festival Director Altaf Tyrewala says, "I've always felt that literature is like a mirror that reflects our true images. These invisible images may be referred to as hallucinations as they originate from the written letters but paint a picture of society we live in." Echoing these sentiments, Mitul Dikshit, Chairman, Adab Foundation says, "The committee has strived hard to make all the previous literature festivals a huge success. With each edition we have tried to add something to make it unique and impressive. A power-packed performance by a Chandigarh-based theatre group (based on passages from some of the books discussed during the festival) will be an additonal attraction for the audience. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the authors." The festival will lure not only literature-lovers but also movie buffs. Screening of films such as Dedh Ishqiya, Luck By Chance, Shahid and Passive Euthanasia will attract the youth. This step has been taken to portray the correlation between the two media: cinema and literature. The film screenings will be followed by thematic discussions between the critics and film-makers, including Raja Sen, Mayank Shekhar, Zoya Akhtar, Ajay Brahmatmaj, Hansal Mehta, Chetan Shah et al. "Most of the literature festivals attract authors and their fans but our focus would be on books," adds Altaf. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/bookbeat/chandigarh-all-set-for-third-edition-of-literature-festival