BLF 2022
HEARTLAND STORIES encourages the narration of stories so as to unlock those hidden human emotions that are intrinsic to all of us and which bind our spirits together. This togetherness is the powerful force that can be evoked to transform the lone individual into the powerful collective. This is where words written find voice, silence finds expression and darkness is illuminated - so as to touch and kindle the soul of every individual, every collective, every society. Heartland Stories are those stories that stimulate the intellect and provoke detailed discussion and candid dialogue.
Inspired by the glorious traditions and rich history of Central India - stories from the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Sanchi (close to the Heliodorus Pillar and the Udaygiri Caves) and Bhimbhedka, the enticing and mysterious jungles of Central India, the upsurge of traditional and contemporary arts: epics writers like Kalidas; literary giants like Makhanlal Chaturvedi, Hari Shankar Parsai and Subhadra Kumari Chauhan; artists like SH Raza, MF Husain and NS Bendre; musicians like Tansen, Ustad Allauddin Khan and Kumar Gandharv - and the common desire to foster an environment of culture, the Bhopal Literature and Art Festival is an annual celebration.
Bhopal is the city of Raja Bhoja, the Gond Rani Kamlapati and the Nawab Begums of Bhopal. It has seen the rise of Emperor Ashoka and Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Dotted with gardens, its historic palaces and their floral interiors provide rare insights into the aesthetic and cultural finesse of those times. The unfolding of history is reflected in its diverse architecture, its beautiful lakes and its serene multicultural ethos.
Events
Events &
Program Schedule
Disclaimer : The speakers are solely responsible for the views expressed by them during the festival and the society is not liable for them.
Antarang - Wildlife Conservation : Success or Failure, HS Pabla in conversation with Abhilash Khandekar and Prog Yogesh Dube
Vagarth - To Be or Not To Be, Disappearing Livelihoods, Aparna Karthikeyan in conversation with Dr Madhu Verma
Antarang - FORMAL INAUGURATION BY SHRI ADITI KUMAR TRIPATHI, DIRECTOR - CULTURE, GoMP, SHRI SY QURAISHI AND SHRI UDAY MAHURKAR
Antarang - Crime Thrillers And Fiction, Dr Pradeep Kapoor and Kiran Manral in conversation with Dr S W Naqvi, IPS and Dr Neha Jain
Vagarth - Against All Odds, Hetal Sonpal in conversation with Tejaswi Naik (Virtual)
Antarang - Kargil gallantry of Late Capt. Manoj Pandey, PVC, a human story: Martyr’s Classmate and Chronicler Pawan Mishra in conversation with Brig Sanjay Agarwal
Vagarth - Educational Heritage of India, Sahana Singh in conversation with Sharad Chandra Behar (Virtual)
Antarang : Fantasy Sports: Facts and Fallacies, a presentation by Anwar Shirpurwala - CEO Federation of India Fantasy Sports
Vagarth : Parde ke Saamne: The art of Film Criticism, Dr Ritu Sharma in conversation with Brajesh Rajput
Antarang - Ethnic Fashion of Bhopal and its Begums, a presentation by Mumtaz Khan moderated by Vertul Singh
Vagarth - The Saga of Israel, Dr Seshadri Chari in conversation with Rakesh Agarwal and Sqn Ldr RTS Chinna (Retd)
Antarang - From Sarees to Stripes, Manisha Mohan Puri in conversation with Dr Meera Dass, Nidhi Chaphekar and Smita Singh
Vagarth - Twelfth Fail, So What, Motivation Through Storytelling, Anurag Pathak in conversation with Jyoti Pande
Antarang - The Population Myth, S Y Quraishi in conversation with Dr Sandeep Shastri
Vagarth - Leadership for a Happy and Purposeful Workplace, Bharat Wakhlu in conversation with Rajeev Mishra
Antarang - Game India, Amul and other success stories, R N Bhaskar in conversation with Shailaja Srinivasan
Vagarth - The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition, Uday Mahurkar in conversation with Abhilash Khandekar
LUNCH
Antarang - Unbroken, Nidhi Chaphekar in conversation with Manjeev Singh Puri (IFS), Manisha Mohan Puri and Smita Singh
Vagarth - Rivers Remember, Krupa Ge in conversation with Prof. Yogesh Dube
Antarang - War and Victory, Maj. Gen. R S Bhadauria in conversation with Ambreen Zaidi
Vagarth - The Scindia Legacy - From Ranoji to Jyotiraditya by Abhilash Khandekar in conversation with C K Naidu and Uday Mahurkar
Antarang -Off the Camera, Brajesh Rajput in conversation with Sharad Dwivedi
Vagarth - Flood and Fury, Viju B in conversation with Dr Madhu Verma
Antarang - India vs UK - The Biggest Diplomatic Win, Syed Akbaruddin (IFS) with Manjeev Singh Puri (IFS)
Vagarth - Tryst with the Tribes, Pravir Krishna in conversation with Manoj Shrivastava, Raghav Chandra and Seema Raizada
Antarang - Adi Shakti to Modern Shakti, Alka Pande in conversation with Harshali Singh
Vagarth - Influence of Social Media on India’s Foreign Policy Making, Prof Dr Vijay Khare in conversation with Sqn Ldr RTS Chhina (Retd)
Antarang - Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga, Nitin A. Gokahle in conversation with Brig Sanjay Agarwal
Vagarth - Made in India, Soumya Gupta in conversation with Dr Neha Jain
Heritage Walk
Antarang - Guilt, Love, Longevity, Ecology and more, Pascal Bruckner in conversation with Sadhna Shanker
Vagarth - Birding in India, Dr Satish Pande and Dr Suruchi Pande in conversation with Abhilash Khandekar
Antarang - Mahabharat Unravelled, Ami Ganatra in conversation with Pallavi Jain Govil
Vagarth - Masterpieces of Heritage Art, Rima Hooja in conversation with Pratap Verma
Antarang - Covid Warriors, Tarun Kumar Pithode in conversation with Mohammed Suleman and Dr Skand Trivedi
Vagarth - Sikhism Globally, Manjeev Singh Puri in conversation with Vertul Singh
LUNCH
Antarang - Khaki Files and the Making of DELHI CRIME, Neeraj Kumar in conversation with Rakesh Agarwal and Kaneez Zehra Razavi
Vagarth - Fauna and Deities, Dr Suruchi Pande and Dr Satish Pande in conversation with Dr Joseph Manuel
Antarang - Putting Back Broken Pieces, Anukrti Upadhyay in conversation with Seema Raizada
Vagarth - The Gallantry of War Widows, Ambreen Zaidi in conversation with Smita Singh
Antarang - Secrets of the Sprakkar, The First Lady of Iceland - Eliza Reid in conversation with Raghav Chandra (Virtual)
Vagarth - Nizam-i-Bhopal, Gen Milan Naidu in conversation with Vertul Singh
Antarang - Savarkar : A Contested Legacy, Vikram Sampath in conversation with Dr Sandeep Shastri
Vagarth - Climbing Mt Everest, Ravindra Kumar in conversation with Vijay Yadav
Antarang - Relationships in the time of Lock-down, Shobhaa De in conversation with Raghav Chandra and Dr Neelkamal Kapoor (Session sponsored by Dainik Bhaskar)
Vagarth - Transforming Mobility with Energy Transition, Anil Srivasatava in conversation with Rahul Walawalkar and Abhishek Saxena
Antarang - Valedictory Function - Book Unveilings and Announcement of Poetry Contest Winners
SUSHILA DEVI AWARD 2021 for the BEST BOOK of FICTION written by a WOMAN AUTHOR published in 2020
The Ratanlal Foundation and the organizing Committee of the Bhopal Literature and Art Festival are happy to announce the Sushila Devi Award for the Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman author published in 2020. This prize has been instituted by the Shri Ratanlal Foundation.
The Sushila Devi Award for the best book of fiction written by a woman author for 2021 goes to Anukrti Upadhyay for her novel Kintsugi. Set primarily in India and Japan, the story explores intercultural relationships through a tapestry of perspectives on art and social practices. A beautifully crafted novel based on the central idea of ‘Kintsugi’ or the skill of joining fragmented bits with precious artistry, the quiet flow of emotions is richly nuanced. While the novel reads easily due to an engrossing plot line, the complex narrative is woven with finesse to leave no loose ends. The author builds a web of life that is authentic to the cultures but transcends them to reach towards a universal humanism. A remarkable feat in imaginative extension and also firmly grounded on cultural reality, this book holds a wide appeal for a global literary audience.
The jury comprising of writers and academics Malashri Lal, GJV Prasad and Sukrita Paul Kumar noted the high quality of the book submissions which ranged from novels by established, internationally known writers as well as debut novelists. The subjects were equally diverse from classical historical renderings to experimental speculative fiction. Now in its fourth year, the Sushila Devi award has gained a prestigious position in the literary sphere. Previous winners have been Namita Gokhale (Things To Leave Behind), Shubhangi Swarup (Latitudes of Longing) and Avni Doshi (Girl in White Cotton).
The award carries a generous value of Rs. two lakhs given by the family Trust of Shri Ratan Lal, a humanitarian businessman of Delhi.
Anukrti is being flown to Bhopal to do a session on her book in the Bhopal Literature Festival on the 27th March 2022. She will receive the award from the Chief Minister of MP who is the Chief Guest for the valedictory function of the Bhopal Literature Festival.
