A Photo Essay on Mumbai Lit Fest: Tata Lit Live 2022
As I turn the page, I love more.
My mind escapes the cage, And the empty heart and soul restore.
As moments pass by, the better I engage, And a greater understanding I store.
The feelings I carefully gauge, The world, as well, I explore.
For as much I fancy a snapshot of the stage, Every leaf of the book I adore.
Keeps me young as I age, While I read idly by the shore.
Prologue
A surprise call made my day! Calls from unknown numbers during busy mornings are annoying; but this was pure joy; I was shortlisted for the prestigious and much acclaimed Photography Fellowship of Tata Lit Live 2022. An unbelievable moment which was a consequence of my colleagues’ encouragement and their faith in my knack; I entered the event at eleventh hour. Almost immediately, so to speak, I had forgotten about my entry as work kept me engrossed and stationed at my table till wee hours. The ‘out of the blue call’ was a ‘long lost dream’ come true, like a fairy tale to my ears.Shortly, after the exciting news sunk in, I found myself completely devoted to enlightening myself concerning the event, and I did the immediate best – Googled to gather every single detail. I became aware that Tata Literature Live! is Mumbai’s most renowned international literary festival. The event boasted of being an intellectually stimulating event for young and old, and features authors, poets, and thought leaders. The range of sessions included book launches, panel discussions, straight talks, debates, performances and workshops. Being an avid reader and being shortlisted for my passion for photography, I could foretell that I would witness the best of both worlds.
Under the supervision of director Anil Dharker, Tata Literature Live! was launched in 2010. Gerson da Cunha, Sheilu Srinivasan, and Padmini Mirchandani, three prominent Mumbai residents, went to Mr. Dharker and proposed that the city should host its own literary festival, which they suggested, to be curated by him, and from there on there was no looking back. What made the event even more exciting was that, after two years break and being on the virtual mode due to COVID 19 outbreak, the Fest was returning to its traditional venue at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point.The festival was being held in a Hybrid Mode from 09 November to 13 November, with first two days being on the virtual mode and the rest at the NCPA with few feature sessions at St Paul’s Institute of Communication Education (SPICE) and Title Waves bookstore in Bandra. 135 authors graced the Fest, and which actually categorised the event as ‘grand’ and the theme “Let’s Turn The Page” was most apt as it was actually turning a new page in everyone’s life, after two years break. What an opportunity it was for an amateur like me!
The gala event was hosted at NCPA, and as per the information available on the Centre’s site it is South Asia’s first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre which was inaugurated in 1969. The NCPA is dedicated to preserving and promoting India’s vibrant and rich artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and photography, as well as showcasing fresh and avant-garde work by local and foreign artists working in a variety of genres, such as drama, contemporary dance, orchestral concerts, opera, jazz, and chamber music. Today, the NCPA is India’s largest and most comprehensive performing arts centre, hosting more than 700 events annually.NCPA complex occupies an area of about 32,000 square metres at Nariman Point, on land reclaimed from the sea. It has five theatres in its premise, each catering to a unique genre of performing arts. The open areas are wide with manicured lawns and landscaped garden beds. The cool breeze during a picture perfect sunset from the Arabian Sea coming through the shores of Marine Drive, is a perfect setting which breeds creativity in the minds of intellectuals, thinkers and artists alike.
The Ambience, Aura & Contrasts
Late evening on 11 November, as I stepped out of the taxi at the gates of NCPA, I was greeted with positive vibes. Beaming with pleasure, the volunteers, fired with enthusiasm, guided me to the main venue – The Tata Theatre. As I enter the main gate after a thorough security check, I found myself in a totally different world altogether. Although my profession takes me to all nooks and corners of this beautiful country, and I had my fair share of foreign travels, but this was an ‘out of the world’ for me. I was awestruck with the breath-taking ambience of the place, and I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.As I entered the venue, I was greeted by a beaming volunteer, ready to help and guide. All my initial inhibitions faded and as I moved towards the entrance of the Tata Theatre, I saw more of these volunteers, busy with helping the visitors in registration, security check, guiding them to the seats in the hall and occasionally even helping in clicking the selfies. Over the period of next three days, I saw so many people who were working behind the scenes to make sure that the event runs like a well-oiled machine. I feel they contributed equally, if no less, than the stars – the authors, the poets and the thinkers.
The event ran with a clock work precision due to numerous volunteers, planners and technicians who were ably guided by the management. This force was omnipresent and was seen working with total dedication, enthusiasm and a pleasant smile. Wherever one went, the volunteers, which comprised mainly of the students were observed guiding and assisting the literature lovers. Their amiable presence in black Lit Fest outfit was the backbone of the whole affair. This invisible force, which was away from the spotlight, always silently toiling in the shadows, deserves accolades for the efforts they have put in and proves that “many a little makes a mickle”.
On the other hand, world-class authors, philosophers, and writers who had received the highest professional, national, and worldwide honours and who were authorities in the fields of art, health, population, defence, media, data management, economy, business, and cuisine graced the Lit Fest. They came from Australia, the UK, the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Mumbai, among other places in India. These were the people who were always in the spotlight, gaining all attention and applause.
Overall, these two contrasting elements, one in the spotlight represented by the authors, thinkers and the artists and the other in the shadows, consisting of volunteers, planners, technicians and workers, so different, still complimenting each other- representing the Yin-Yang, a concept originated in ancient Chinese philosophy that describes how obviously opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. The essay will endeavour to chronicle these Yin-Yang of the Lit Fest and their contribution in their own unique manner.
In the Spotlights
The Cultured Confabulation
135 authors from 15 different countries flocked the Lit Fest, which was a true confluence of ideas and intellect and endeavoured to have the best of author-audience engagement and interactions. For five days they discussed and debated on wide ranging topics, both in online and offline mode and enthralled and enlightened the audience with their wit, humour and intellect.
War of Words
One of the most awaited events of the Fest was the debate on the topic “Social Media Strengthens Democracy”. The star-studded contest was chaired by Raghav Bahl, Anirudh Suri and Shashi Tharoor spoke for the motion and the opposing motion was represented by Sanjay Jha and Antoinette Lattouf. The poll using green and purple placards before and after the debate indicated the influence on perception of the audience which was brought about by the speakers of opposing sides of the house.
The Book Rush
The Fest hosted record nine book launches cutting across all genres and attracted thousands of bibliophiles, who flocked the event to get a signed copy of the launched works from their favourite authors. The excited crowds and the beaming authors in the hallowed portals of the venues created the positive airs which made the event worth cherishing for life.
Celebration of Artistry
In addition to literature related events during the fest, ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’, a stage play by Tom Stoppard with music by André Previn, first presented in 1977, was also staged in Jamshed Bhabha Theatre of NCPA. The play was an NCPA Production in collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of India. The play criticises the Soviet practice of treating political dissidence as a form of mental illness. The cast comprising of Deepika Deshpande Amin, Sohrab Ardeshir, Neil Bhoopalam, Mihaail Karachiwala & Denzil Smith left the audience spell bound with their outstanding performance full of wit and dark humour.The Italian artists enthralled the audience in Experimental Theatre with their excellent performances in Visioni Pasoliniane: Fuochi Segreti – A Contemporary Dance Performance and and Made in Ilva – Based on Real Life Testimonies of Steel Workers. Usha Uthup, too made the audience dance to her tune during a hearty discussion ‘Rambha Ho – A Life of Hitting the High Notes’. ‘Desdemona Roopakam – Missing Voices of Women from Our Epics’, an Indian Chamber Opera, performed by Bindhumalini and MD Pallavi in Experimental Theatre and ‘Listen to the Music’, the recitation by four renowned Gujrati poets, namely Kamal Vora, Prabodh Parikh, Pratishtha Pandya and Udayan Thakker were other cultural performances during the Fest.
In the Shadows
The Force Behind the Scenes
The volunteers, technicians, engineers, workers and there were so many other invisible faces who, away from spotlight, in the shadows, burning mid night oil, toiled hard to make the Fest a grand success. These unknown, unrecognized faces will never be celebrated, no one will come to get their autographs, rarely anyone will request them for a selfie, and they will fade away into oblivion. They contributed in equal measure to make the Fest memorable for every literature lover and they deserve praises for their silent service.
Trivia
Epilogue
Seeing the beautiful interplay of Yin-Yang trying to achieve the perfect harmony to make the event a grand success was an experience beyond words. The actors of both Yin and Yang, with their roles, so different, yet complimentary, played them to near perfection and ensured that the literature lovers have the best of the experience. With a heavy heart, on 14 November, I finally said goodbye to the City of Dreams. The whole experience looks like pleasant reverie. Before leaving, I visited the famous landmark of Mumbai – The Gateway of India. With majestic Taj Hotel at its background, which bears testimony of sacrifice of numerous Bravehearts who ‘fought hard and fought well’ to save the guests trapped in a deadly terrorist attack in November 2008, the scene was both lively and sombre. I also visited the Chowpatty Beach in the early morning and enjoyed the solitude of the dawn. The vibes of the city actually made me fall in love with the place. My shortlisting for the Photography Fellowship provided me with a lifetime opportunity to attend such a grand event organised with a clockwork precision. The workshops, the talks, the close interactions, the music, the dance made the event invigorating and exciting and in addition to freezing the moments with my camera, I was enlightened by the intellectual discourse. It still looks a dream from which I came back with tons of experience, knowledge and of course, photographs. The city actually is a City of Dreams with friendly and loving people and is perfect to live a life, which is worth.
Musings of a Wanderer 