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From planetary ideas to intimate memories, the last time of the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2026 unfolded arsenic a quiescent arc of reflection. Monday’s sessions moved from a Nobel Laureate’s introspection of nine and economics successful the greeting to a profoundly idiosyncratic evening speech with erstwhile diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi, bringing the festival to a thoughtful close.
The last time began with a plenary league titled ’Chhaunk: On Food, Economics and Society’ featuring Nobel Laureate and economist Abhijit Banerjee successful speech with French illustrator Cheyenne Olivier. Centered connected Mr. Banerjee’s publication and the reasoning down it, the treatment explored however economical ideas are rooted successful lived realities. “While penning the book, I tried to marque definite that I ideate radical that I don’t cognize since the societal ellipse successful India is truthful immense that everybody knows everybody. Many stories successful the publication are astir mean lives,” helium said, underscoring his absorption connected mundane experiences.
Another league titled ‘Queering the Conversation’ brought unneurotic filmmaker Paromita Vohra and writer Kazim Ali, with Sneha Banerjee, a teacher astatine the University of Hyderabad, moderating the discussion. The sheet examined however questions of sex and sexuality inhabit a cardinal spot successful their respective works, and however lit and cinema tin unfastened up conversations astir identity.
During the luncheon hour, members of the Nations Rock Beat presented a creation show that drew festival attendees together. The radical performed to a premix of Tollywood and Bollywood songs, adding a lively interlude to the day’s literate discussions.
The festival besides featured the screening of a existent transgression documentary titled ‘Silent Screams: The Lost Girls of Telangana’, which carries a voice-over by actor-musician Shruti Haasan. The screening attracted a ample crowd, galore of whom had anticipated the actor’s presence. However, she did not attend, starring to immoderate disappointment among those who had gathered.
The three-day festival concluded with the Ajay Gandhi Memorial Valedictory, titled ‘The Undying Light: A Personal History of Independent India’. The league featured erstwhile West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi successful speech with writer Bakhtiar Dadabhoy.
The treatment turned to the aboriginal years of the Republic and cardinal figures specified arsenic C. Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru. Recalling 1950, erstwhile India became a republic and Rajagopalachari demitted bureau arsenic Governor-General, Mr. Gandhi referred to Rajagopalachari’s remarks connected the country’s leadership. He recounted that Rajagopalachari had said India was harmless due to the fact that it had successful Nehru a person who enjoyed cosmopolitan emotion and successful Sardar Patel, who commanded cosmopolitan confidence.
