My Experiences at Kolkata Literary Carnival 2024
“Literary festivals in India”
That was my search term on that wintry evening of December 23, 2023. I was eager to know how many literary festivals are scheduled in the following year around the country.
After attending four literary festivals in 2023 alone, I was keen on covering as many festivals as I could. The insights and lessons I got from the festivals were invaluable.
As I pressed the ‘Enter’ button, results appeared in a fraction of a second. My eyes fell on one of the top results. It said “Kolkata Literary Carnival 2024.”
I clicked for more details, proceeded to the main event page, and registered myself to attend the two-day event. The next day, I booked a round trip to Kolkata.
On January 13, I boarded the early morning train and was bubbling with the enthusiasm of a teenager. It was late afternoon when I reached Howrah station. After getting out of the station, I grabbed a quick meal from Mio Amore, boarded the AC5 bus, and set out to Jodhpur Park.
I arrived at the event at around 4 pm. The outdoor session was going on in full swing and I arrived at the middle of the session. After it ended, I had a look around the stalls.
I saw some really beautiful art by some incredibly talented artists. The paintings by artist Mukta Chowdhury Nandi caught my attention. I loved a miniature painting of water lilies. Just behind it was a beautiful painting of Lord Jagannath. I told her how beautiful the painting was.
As I walked some steps further, I saw the painting of a sculptor crafting the idol of Lord Ganesha. I loved it.
After that, I came across the abstract paintings of fine artist Rashida Kalangi Kunnath. Among her paintings, I loved her portrait of Dominique Lapierre, the legendary author whose book Kolkata was named ‘The City of Joy.’ She also showed the picture of her prized portrait of legendary rocket boy Vikram Sarabhai, which’s installed in a premier institute in Hyderabad.
By 4:30, Sufi fusion band Fakirnama was inside the convention hall for a sound check. The indoor session started at around 5:30 pm with a series of enthralling performances by an all-women folk music group Rongila Nao.
After that, there were some sessions but I went outside to make a few calls. I found the band members of Fakirnama outside and took a couple of selfies with them.
When I returned, I was fortunate enough to witness the Fireside chat with Reena Puri, Executive Editor, and Amar Chitra Katha with host Sanjai Banerji on Evolution of Graphic Novels and ACK. Here is the full video:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tcF2Uopj1Bw?si=vR2UMr871IqH5Sbi
Soon after that, the mindboggling performance of Fakirnama enthralled the audience.
Day 2: January 14, 2024. The next day was a Sunday and I reached the ground at about 3 pm. The movie “Walk” was being screened. I missed about 15–20 minutes of the movie.
I was astonished to see Archana Puran Singh as a news channel head. As the movie progressed, I was hooked on it. The story was simple but extremely soulful and moving. The cinematography was beautiful. It was a technically well-made film.
If I speak about acting, the lead actor who essayed the role of a migrant worker played the role with utmost conviction. It was as good as watching an Iranian movie actor at the best of his craft. And the surprising part is, he is Ashiqui’s lead actor Rahul Roy! The child actor Sparsh Suman also played his part extremely well.
After the screening, we all went outside. I saw the director Nitin Kumar Gupta, and had a nice little conversation with him. I gave my honest feedback on the movie and he appreciated my views. I then requested him for a couple of selfies to which he graciously obliged. He also told me about his upcoming projects.
At around 5:30 pm, the indoor session started. I was delighted to see noted veteran actor Dolly Basu being felicitated at the event. She gave a beautiful speech on “Following Your Dream.” Here is the video:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/g80ndSpbtNE?si=nippNWxwadPtuXUJ"
After that, Mrs Dolly Basu presented the Sueños Excellence Art Awards to talented artists.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m8eMklInyjs
After that, I went outside and met some really interesting people. Among them Hindi teacher, author, lyricist, and poet Mr Velmula Jaypal Reddy, Ukiyoto Publishing’s Chandan, and others.
If I sum up my experiences, it was worth the money, effort, and time I put in to visit Kolkata and attend the festival. It’s undoubtedly my best-ever visit to the city.
