The festival commenced with a film based on Nida Fazli, directed by Atul Pandey. Actor-writer Atul Tiwari spoke with him about this remarkable film. Answering why he chose Nida for the film, Atul Pandey said that the depth in Nida’s poetry deeply influenced him. That is why he chose Nida over anyone else. Atul Tiwari mentioned that Nida Sahab was not just a poet but also a scholar. Because of this, he sometimes had conflicts with people from the film industry, and people even boycotted him. After the discussion on the film, there was a Q&A session where the audience asked questions, which were answered by director Atul Pandey.
Festival Inauguration
Following this, the festival was officially inaugurated. First, a tribute was paid to the famous tabla player Zakir Hussain. Festival director Anjali Tiwari mentioned that this is the seventh festival, successfully organized with the support of the people of Kanpur. She expressed that this festival will be taken to greater heights in the future. She thanked all the supporters and provided details about the two-day event. She stated that the festival always promotes the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. The screening of the Nida film was a part of this initiative. After this, the formal inauguration of the festival took place by lighting the lamp by Shri Dharmveer Kushwaha, Dr. Rahul Goyal, Dr. Praveen Saraswat, Dr. A.K. Trivedi, and Atul Pandey.
Theme: “Auratanama” and Honor Ceremony
Under the festival’s theme “Auratanama,” Supreme Court Advocate Sheena Taqi was honored for her courage and struggle. The honor was presented by the city’s renowned advocate, Saeed Naqvi. The story of her struggles was narrated by Anita Mishra.
Second Session – Bazm-e-Shayari
After this, the Bazm-e-Shayari session commenced, where poets and shayars Ashu Mishra, Bilal Saharanpuri, and Soharab Kakrala presented their poetry.
The event was hosted by poetess Bhavana Mishra.
Bilal Saharanpuri recited:
“Those filled with lies never read stories,
Do not read jokes in mushairas.
Even this year, I could not pay the fees.
Even this year, poor children did not study.”
He dedicated a couplet to Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb:
“I call that room in my house Hindustan,
Where the Gita is placed next to the Quran.”
His wonderful poetry created an enchanting atmosphere.
Soharab Kakrala from Badaun presented:
“There is no time in the journey of life,
To rest for a moment in the shade of curls.
I have gone deep into the ocean to become a pearl.
I have fallen to great depths to reach great heights.
Daughters left with their dowry,
One gets a cup of tea if a relationship is honored.”
Ashu Mishra from Bareilly recited:
“We no longer listen to rumors,
We no longer pay attention to people.
In this city, only you remain loyal to beauty,
All shopkeepers do not keep this merchandise.”
“A bird leaving a drying tree,
Is it not selfishness but ungratefulness?
“My eyes have an ocean buried within,
This is someone’s last favor.
Earlier, your tone was not so harsh.
It seems you fear someone now.”
Every verse was met with enthusiastic applause.
At the end of the session, all the shayars were honored.
Third Session – Aam Baat Khaas Baat
In this session, Atul Tiwari had a conversation with journalist Sopan Joshi about his recently published book “Mangifera Indica—A Biography of Mango.”
Sopan stated that the word “Aam” (Mango) is actually derived from the Urdu word “Awaam” (Public). Further explaining, he said, “I am a journalist of the ‘remaining’ and stay away from the ‘main’ or ‘special.’ My focus is on the common people.”
He called mango the “Fruit of India.”
Atul Tiwari shared an interesting fact that traces of gold are found in mango peels, and mango is even used in cancer treatment.
Sopan mentioned that mango is also used in identifying fake paintings.
This book was written after more than five years of research.
He also noted that while mangoes are mentioned in the Puranas and Upanishads, they are not found in the Vedas.
Mango is associated with both Buddha and Kamadeva. It is mentioned in Kalidasa’s Shakuntalam as well as the Kamasutra, where it is described as the fruit of lovers.
Sopan added that North India is the poorest in terms of mangoes, as mangoes here are genetically weak. Mango is actually a fruit of Eastern India.
In South India, people cultivate mangoes with great effort, while in the North, it is not done as extensively.
The Mughals promoted mango orchards, but the British started cutting them down.
Sopan also shared that Mughal ruler Babur was deeply fond of plants.
Fourth Session – A Literature-Loving Actor
In this session, theater actor Rajendra Gupta had a conversation with Suryamohan Kulshreshtha.
Suryamohan asked Rajendra about his experiences at the National School of Drama and the kind of pressure directors used to exert on actors at that time.
They also discussed Rajendra’s journey in TV serials, how those experiences shaped his career, and how his journey evolved over time.
Towards the end, Suryamohan talked about Rajendra’s recent initiative where he recites the works of various poets in his unique style on social media.
Following this, Rajendra Gupta recited several remarkable poems, which received thunderous applause.
Fifth Session – Abhijit Ghoshal & Band
In this session, artist Abhijit Ghoshal performed. He is an 11-time winner of Sa Re Ga Ma. He mesmerized the audience with his musical performances. On one hand, he sang several superhit Bollywood songs, while on the other, he presented many of his own composed songs. His bhajans took the audience to a different realm, and he also delivered a musical performance in Sanskrit.
Second Day of Kanpur Literature Festival – First Session
The second day of the Kanpur Literature Festival began with an open mic event. With the thought that a person may be born, but to live, literature, sensitivity, and society are essential, program host and writer Prakhar Srivastava commenced the session.
The session was presided over by Dr. Pratibha Singh, Head and Senior Consultant—Fertility Specialist at Indira IVF, Kanpur Center, who is not only proficient in literary creation but also performs the virtuous task of nurturing the hopes and aspirations growing in the wombs of countless mothers. The session coordinator, Dr. Anjali Bajpai, and Kanak Lata Chauhan, coordinator of the Lucknow Literature Festival, honored her.
Among the participants were Pradeep Ji, Jyoti Yadav, Harmeet Kaur, Anshul Awasthi, Khushi Singh, Harsh, Eram Arora, Anurag Saxena, Kulsum Ansari (a Class 9 student from Allen House School), and Laiba Shakeel (a Class 11 student).
The speakers presented their compositions in Hindi, Urdu, and English, and at the end, the president, Dr. Pratibha, concluded the session with her composition “Tum Main Aur Khula Aasman” (You, Me, and the Open Sky). The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Bhavana Mishra.
December 22 – Second Session
The first session of the second day began with a conversation between Indian Administrative Service officer Ajay Pandey and Dr. Alok Bajpai, where they discussed everything from geopolitics to the intricacies of writing.
Ajay Pandey started his speech with a line from a poem by Longfellow:
“Life is not an empty dream; life is earnest.”
He emphasized that he did not want to talk about himself. He specifically wanted to address the youth and tell them that life itself is vast. Empty words have no meaning.
We live in a patriarchal society. Women may be physically weaker, but they are the ones who inspire men. We do not have stories of women, like the story of Ahilyabai. We must tell women’s stories and talk about their strength.
We should tell the stories of marginalized people.
Feminism simply means demanding dignity. Laws grant us rights, but what we need is dignity.
Speaking about his writing process, he said:
“I always had the desire to write. My sister loved listening to stories. She told me, ‘Write.’ That inspired me.”
Regarding geopolitics, he stated:
“There has never been a single day in history without war. Peace will certainly be established in the Middle East.”
Third Session – The Truth of Indian Painting
Renowned painter Ashok Bhowmick introduced various aspects of Indian painting. Ashok Bhowmick is not only a painter but also a writer. He was in conversation with IIT Kanpur artist Shatarupa Thakurata Roy.
He said that coming to Kanpur feels like coming home. His memories are deeply connected to this city. The general perception of painting among common people is incomplete.
The uniqueness of painting is different from other arts. Unlike poetry or other forms of art, which cannot be bought, art can be purchased. Often, people buy it without necessarily understanding it.
The history of Indian painting is the history of enslaved art. Painting has reached us through religious and political power. If we deeply observe Indian art, Raja Ravi Varma’s contribution is immense.
Our country’s paintings do not record our history. They do not capture pain, suffering, or famines; instead, they focus more on religious interpretations. However, this is not the case in the paintings of Rabindranath Tagore and Amrita Sher-Gil. It can be said that the era of the Renaissance in Indian painting can be attributed to them.
