Speakers

Amol Palekar didn't just play the "common man" he redefined him. From timeless films like Gol Maal and Rajnigandha to his recent memoir Viewfinder, Palekar's journey is a masterclass in quiet rebellion, artistic courage, and creative longevity. At the festival, he reflects on cinema, art, authorship, and freedom of expression - with stories only a true insider can tell. This is legacy, memory, and meaning in conversation

A definitive voice in Indian cinema, Bhawana Somaaya has spent decades watching, questioning, and recording the stories behind the screen. Former editor of Screen magazine and author of 19+ influential books, she brings rare insider insight into Bollywood's stars, women, and evolving cultural power. At the festival, she speaks about cinema as history, criticism as storytelling, and why films matter far beyond the box office. Expect sharp observations, untold anecdotes, and a masterclass in seeing cinema through a writer's eye.

Shobhaa De is one of India's most provocative and prolific authors, social commentators and media personalities, known for her fearless voice and razor-sharp observations about society, culture and gender. Rising to fame with urban novels like Socialite Evenings and Starry Nights, she has continued to push boundaries with works spanning fiction, memoir and essays. Her recent book, Seventy and to Hell with It blends candid reflections with no-hold-barred wit. De's columns and public appearances make her a constant presence in cultural conversations on modern India, relationships, ambition and media - a writer who never stops asking hard questions.
Shobhaa De's bibliography includes iconic novels such as Socialite Evenings, Starry Nights and Small Betrayals, alongside memoir-style books like Selective Memory and Seventy and to Hell with It. Her essays and columns span decades of cultural critique, blending glamour and grit with incisive social commentary. De's fiction and non-fiction alike stir conversation, challenge stereotypes and offer candid glimpses into urban Indian life, relationships and ambition. Her voice remains unapologetically bold and utterly readable — the reason her work continues to resonate with diverse readers.

Daniel Hahn is a British author, editor and award-winning literary translator renowned for bringing global voices into English. Born in London in 1973, he's translated fiction from Portuguese, Spanish and French - including multiple works by Angolan novelist José Eduardo Agualusa - earning the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, the International Dublin Literary Award, and the Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature. Appointed OBE for services to literature in 2020, Hahn also champions translation communities, having founded the TA First Translation Prize and served on boards like English PEN. He's currently editing Brazilian short stories and writing a book on Shakespeare in translation.
Daniel Hahn's body of work spans translation, non-fiction and editorial projects with global reach. His translation of A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa won the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award, while earlier The Book of Chameleons earned the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. He's edited landmark reference volumes such as The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature and The Ultimate Book Guide (Blue Peter Book Award). His own books include The Tower Menagerie, children’s titles (Happiness Is a Watermelon on Your Head), and brief biographies of Shelley and Coleridge. Hahn's forthcoming works include If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation.

Dr Rakhshanda Jalil is an award-winning Indian author, translator, critic and literary historian whose work champions Hindi-Urdu literature and culture with rare scholarship and flair. Born in Delhi in 1963, she has published 25+ books, edited numerous anthologies, and written over 50 academic essays and papers blending literary history with social insight. Her bestselling Invisible City reveals India's forgotten architectural tapestry, while Love in the Time of Hate (2024) uses Urdu poetry to probe identity, pluralism, and communal harmony in modern India. Jalil also runs Hindustani Awaaz, a dynamic platform promoting cross-cultural literary exchange.
Jalil's oeuvre spans history, translation, fiction and criticism. Invisible City: The Hidden Monuments of Delhi explores the capital's overlooked architectural heritage, blending travel, cultural history and personal reflection. Her academic Liking Progress, Loving Change traces the Progressive Writers' Movement in Urdu. Jalil's biographies — like A Rebel and Her Cause on Rashid Jahan — spotlight forgotten feminist voices. As a translator she's brought Urdu classics (The Sea Lies Ahead, Ghaddar) and Premchand/Phanishwar Nath Renu stories to English readers. Love in the Time of Hate (2024) is a lyrical, deeply humane collection of essays that uses poetry to confront hatred, identity and belonging in contemporary India.

Gagan Gill is a leading contemporary Hindi poet, essayist and translator whose voice has shaped Indian poetry for over three decades. Born in Delhi in 1959, she chose poetic practice over journalism after working as a literary editor with The Times of India and Sunday Observer, and went on to become a full-time writer known for her deep emotional lyricism and cultural resonance. Gill's work has been taught in universities across the U.S., U.K. and Germany, and she continues to influence new generations of writers through workshops and translations. In 2024 she won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her poetry collection Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar, cementing her place in India's literary canon.
Gagan Gill's body of work blends lyrical intensity with philosophical depth, marked by a keen ear for language and imagery. Her poetry collections include Ek Din Lautegi Ladki, Andhere Me Buddha, Yah Aakanksha Samay Nahin, Thapak Thapak Dil Thapak Thapak and the award-winning Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar, a profound exploration of longing and introspection that earned her the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2024. She's also published prose like Dilli Mein Uninde and the memoir Ityadi, and has translated volumes of international poets into Hindi. Gill's work remains a staple in contemporary Hindi literature, celebrated for its emotional resonance and international reach through translation and teaching.

Jatindra Kumar Nayak is an Indian translator, literary critic, editor, columnist and academic widely credited with bringing Odia literature to a global English-speaking audience. A former Professor of English at Utkal University and Oxford graduate, he has won the Hutch Crossword Book Award and the Katha Translation Award for his skillful English translations of Odia classics. Nayak's authoritative translations include Astride the Wheel (Chandrasekhar Rath's Yantrarudha), Six Acres and a Third (Fakir Mohan Senapati) and A Time Elsewhere (J P Das). He also edited Critical Discourse in Odia, a landmark anthology of literary criticism, and heads Rupantar, promoting Indian regional literature in translation.
Nayak's career bridges scholarly depth and literary empathy. Astride the Wheel won top acclaim for its vivid rendering of Chandrasekhar Rath's Odia novel into eloquent English, while Six Acres and a Third introduced Fakir Mohan Senapati's seminal work to a global audience. His translation of A Time Elsewhere expanded access to J P Das's modernist Odia fiction. Nayak's editorial work on Critical Discourse in Odia explores a century of Odia literary thought, positioning regional tradition within broader South Asian criticism. Through Rupantar, he champions translation as cultural dialogue, making major Odia writings accessible and celebrated beyond linguistic borders.

Dr. Krishna Udayasankar is a Singapore–based Indian author and academic whose mytho-historical fiction and genre-bending narratives have won global attention. With a PhD in Strategic Management and a background in law and business academia, she seamlessly blends scholarship with storytelling. Udayasankar first gained acclaim with The Aryavarta Chronicles - Govinda, Kaurava, and Kurukshetra - modern reinventions of Mahabharata set amid political intrigue and human complexity. She’s also written 3 (on Singapore’s founding legend), Immortal (time-spanning thriller), Beast (urban fantasy) and Objects of Affection (prose-poems). Penguin Random House now publishes her full backlist, signaling her international literary rise.
Udayasankar's oeuvre spans mythological reimagining, historical fiction and speculative narrative. The Aryavarta Chronicles trilogy (Govinda, Kaurava, Kurukshetra) humanises epic archetypes with political depth and psychological nuance. In 3, she retells Singapore's founding in a richly imagined saga; Immortal blends mythology with thriller pacing. Beast ventures into urban fantasy with mythic creatures and contemporary stakes, while Objects of Affection showcases her lyricism with prose-poems exploring love, loss and identity. She co-authored Farside (2021), a contemporary thriller with Jaishankar Krishnamurthy, and continues to expand her impact through novels that defy genre boundaries and draw global readers to South Asian mythic imagination.

Mamta Kalia is one of contemporary Hindi literature's most astute chroniclers of middle-class life, identity and women's inner worlds. Born in Vrindavan in 1940, she earned an MA in English from Delhi University and spent decades shaping minds as a lecturer and principal before fully devoting herself to writing. Kalia's work spans novels, short stories, poetry and plays, blending emotional depth with sharp social observation. She won the prestigious Vyas Samman for her novel Dukkham Sukkham, and continues to resonate with readers for her nuanced portrayals of relationships, resilience and everyday struggles in Indian society.
Mamta Kalia's prolific output reflects her range across genres and her commitment to authenticity. Her acclaimed novels include Beghar (Homeless), Narak-dar-Narak (Hell to Hell), Prem Kahani (A Love Story), Ladkiyan (Girls) and Dukkham Sukkham (Sadness and Happiness), the latter earning her the 2017 Vyas Samman for its rich portrayal of generational shifts and emotional continuity. She also writes short stories, plays, and poetry - collections such as Khanti Gharelu Aurat and Tribute to Papa reveal her lyrical voice and feminist insight. Kalia's work has been part of university syllabi and inspires discussions on gender, agency and modern Indian life.

Manoj Kumar Pandey is a celebrated Hindi short-story writer, editor and critic known for his evocative narratives rooted in everyday life and social change. Born in a village near Allahabad and a postgraduate in Hindi literature from Allahabad University, Pandey has published multiple acclaimed collections - Shahtoot (The Mulberries), Paani (Water), Khajana (Treasure) and Badalta Hua Desh (A Changing Country) - that blur the line between personal memory and collective experience. Many of his stories have been adapted for theatre and film, and his works are translated into Urdu, Punjabi, Nepali, Marathi, Oriya, Gujarati, Malayalam and English, expanding his reach across Indian literatures. Pandey's writing blends lyrical depth with sharp social observation, marking him as a vital voice in contemporary Hindi fiction.

Dr. Neerja Madhav is a prolific Indian author and social thinker whose writing blends literary craft with cultural activism. Born in Uttar Pradesh, she has published over 50 books — including celebrated novels Yamdeep, Geshe Jampa and Tebhyah Swadha — that spotlight gender rights, refugees, partition, nationalism and overlooked histories. Madhav's Yamdeep helped spark national dialogue on third-gender recognition, and Geshe Jampa appears in university syllabi for its portrayal of Tibetan refugees. Her essays and cultural histories, like Bharat Ka Sanskritik Swabhav, reinforce her reputation as a writer who expands Hindi literature's social and intellectual terrain. She's a 2021 Nari Shakti Puraskar awardee.

Rahul Bhatia is a rising voice in global investigative journalism and narrative nonfiction, deeply engaged in unpacking the forces shaping modern India. A former Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellow and award-winning journalist, his work has appeared in The Guardian Long Read, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Reuters and The Caravan. Bhatia's breakthrough book The New India: The Identity Project (Little, Brown UK; Public Affairs US, 2024) is a meticulously researched narrative reportage about democracy, identity politics, and authoritarian shifts - earning spots on NYT and NPR's 2024 best-of lists and Kerala Literature Festival's Non-fiction Book of the Year. His writing blends forensic history with human stories.
The New India: The Identity Project is Bhatia's acclaimed book of narrative reporting that examines the rise of nationalist ideology and the reshaping of India's democratic fabric. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, diary entries, police records, historical sources and firsthand observation, the book connects events as varied as the 2020 Delhi riots, the evolution of biometric identity systems like Aadhaar, and the long history of political movements that influenced contemporary discourse. Praised for its readable yet rigorous prose, The New India was selected as one of The New York Times' 100 notable books of 2024, shortlisted for major Indian literary awards, and recognized internationally as a major work of political journalism and social history.

Ratneshwar Singh (often credited as Ratneshwar K. Singh) is a prolific Indian author, journalist and motivational speaker known for writing across fiction, media studies and self-development. Hailing from Bihar, his work spans more than 20 books that explore environment, science, culture, spirituality and leadership. Singh made headlines when his philosophical volume Main was showcased at the 2025 Patna Book Fair as one of the world's most expensive books, sparking discussion about its spiritual themes and exclusivity. His other notable works include novels like Ek Ladki Pani Pani, the Mahayug trilogy (32000 Years Ago, Him Yug Mein Prem, Pehla Sanatan Hindu), and journalism texts such as Media Live.

Ami Ganatra is a contemporary author and thinker re-introducing India's ancient knowledge systems to modern readers with clarity and intellectual honesty. Known for Mahabharata Unravelled and Ramayana Unravelled, she moves beyond mythology to examine original Sanskrit sources, ethical dilemmas, and lived dharma. Her latest book, Why Are We This Way: A Guide to Hindu Shastras, offers a lucid entry into the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Shastras—asking not what to believe, but why ideas shaped civilisation. At the festival, Ganatra invites audiences into thoughtful conversations on identity, philosophy, and relevance of Indic wisdom today.

Sanjaya Baru is a renowned Indian political commentator, policy analyst, columnist and author whose insider perspective on power, governance and geopolitics has influenced readers and policymakers alike. A former media advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a veteran editor of major Indian newspapers, he brings rare clarity to complex political narratives. His bestselling books — The Accidental Prime Minister, 1991: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Made History and India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class and a Cultural Revolution - deconstruct India's political economy and elite structures. Baru's recent work Secession of the Successful continues his critical examination of India’s socio-economic landscape

Satya Vyas is a bestselling Indian author who has redefined modern Hindi fiction with his fresh narrative voice - often dubbed "Nai wali Hindi." Born in Bokaro, Jharkhand, and a law graduate from Banaras Hindu University, Vyas writes stories that resonate deeply with young readers and culture lovers alike. His breakout novel Banaras Talkies brings BHU campus life vividly to life, while follow-ups like Dilli Darbar, Chaurasi/84 and Baghi Ballia blend humour, heart and social context. His books remain fixtures on Hindi bestseller lists, and several are in development for screen adaptation, cementing his place in contemporary Indian literature.

Swadesh Deepak is a towering figure in Hindi literature - a novelist, short-story writer and playwright whose work has challenged social norms with raw psychological force since the 1960s. Born in Ravalpindi in 1942, he taught English for decades while producing vibrant collections like Ashwarohi, Maatam, Tamasha and novels such as Number 57 Squadron and Mayapot. Deepak's most celebrated play, Court Martial (1991), dissecting caste and power, has been staged thousands of times and translated widely. His memoir Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha was recently translated into English, reigniting interest in his unflinching voice. He won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004.

Sushobhit Saktawat is a contemporary Indian author known for thought-provoking books that delve into spirituality, biography and cultural enquiry. Based in India, he writes in Hindi and has carved a niche exploring complex personalities and philosophical ideas with clarity and curiosity. His most notable work Mere Priya Aatman: Rajneesh Ke Jeevan Par Ek Nayi Drishti (2023) re-examines the life, psyche and controversies around Osho Rajneesh, blending research, narrative insight and reflective interpretation that resonates with today's spiritually inquisitive readers. Saktawat's style sits between biography, critical exploration and accessible storytelling, drawing new audiences to deeper reflection on modern spiritual figures.
Mere Priya Aatman is Saktawat's compelling Hindi biography-analysis of Rajneesh (later known as Osho), packaged as Rajneesh Ke Jeevan Par Ek Nayi Drishti. It goes beyond surface chronicles to ask provocative questions about why Rajneesh travelled to America, the enigmatic figures around him, and his claims of spiritual identity - including why he adopted and later renounced the title of "Bhagwan." The book explores internal power dynamics, his philosophical shifts, views on wealth, sexuality and spiritual practice, and the enduring mystery that surrounds his legacy. Presented with critical balance and narrative curiosity, Mere Priya Aatman invites readers to reconsider a deeply controversial life.

Ajay Brahmatmaj is a veteran Indian film critic, author and journalist known for shaping Hindi-language film discourse with clarity and depth. With decades in cinema journalism - including key editorial roles at Dainik Jagran - he's evolved into one of Bollywood's most thoughtful commentators. Now a Film Critics Guild member, Brahmatmaj hosts the popular YouTube channel CineMahaul, where his reviews mix analytical insight with cultural context and honest opinion. He's also a prolific author of film books in Hindi, dives into cinema history, and frequently speaks at seminars, webinars and panels on film criticism and media trends.
Brahmatmaj's bibliography reflects his commitment to cinema as culture. He has written deeply researched books such as Irrfan… Aur Kuchh Panne Kore Rah Gaye and its follow-up Irrfaniyat, exploring the life, craft and legacy of actor Irrfan Khan. Other notable titles include Apne Apne Amitabh, Amitabh Bachchan - Har Pal Roshan, Baatein Cinema Ki - Saal 2019 and Aitihasik Filmon ka Kal aur Aaj, blending interviews, historical insight and critique. His work often bridges mainstream Bollywood and its socio-cultural impact, making his writing essential for readers who want thoughtful, contextual perspectives on Indian film and its evolution.

Deepti Mishra is an Indian author and poet whose literary voice blends lyrical introspection with cultural depth. Best known for her poetry collection Hai To Hai (2005), Mishra writes in Hindi and Urdu-inflected verse that explores love, loss, identity and the quietly charged moments of everyday life. Her works appear on platforms like Rekhta, where her ghazals and nazms resonate with readers of contemporary Indian poetry. Mishra's poems unfold with simplicity and emotional honesty, weaving language and feeling in ways that feel both timeless and deeply personal - making her a quietly influential voice in modern Indian letters.

Dr Kavita A. Sharma is a distinguished Indian scholar, educator and author whose writing bridges history, culture and lived experience. Former President of South Asian University and the first woman principal of Hindu College (Delhi University), she brings deep academic insight to public audiences. Her acclaimed books on education and Indian thought have made her a respected voice in both academia and literary circles. In Echoes of Nalanda (2024), Sharma journeys into the ancient seat of learning, blending history, travelogue and reflection to revive Nalanda's legacy as a crossroads of wisdom, pilgrimage and intellectual exchange across Asia.
Echoes of Nalanda is Kavita A. Sharma's evocative exploration of South Asia's intellectual and spiritual heritage. Written after India's decision to revive Nalanda University, the book centres on what makes this ancient institution enduringly magnetic - from the footprints of Gao-zuang and I-Ching to the voices of forgotten scholars. Part travelogue, part historical meditation, Sharma walks with her granddaughter through Bihar's historic landscapes, weaving personal observations with cultural history. Rich primary sources, reflective essays and philosophical insights elevate the narrative, offering readers not just facts, but emotional resonance and a deeper sense of India's role in shaping Asia's intellectual DNA.

Anu Lall is a dynamic writer, lawyer and thinker whose work bridges law, ecology and cultural wisdom. In Bishnois and the Blackbuck: Can Dharma Save the Environment? (2026), she blends deep historical insight with urgent environmental thought, tracing the Bishnoi community's centuries-long faith-based conservation practices from the 1730 Khejarli massacre to modern wildlife protection debates. By weaving dharma, legal struggles, ecology and indigenous resilience into a compelling narrative, Lall challenges conventional Western conservation models and highlights ancient Indian approaches to sustainability. Her writing sparks fresh conversations on ecology, tradition and climate action in a world grappling with environmental crisis.

Lipika Bhushan is an Indian author, literary marketer and podcast host whose voice has rapidly become essential in today's book ecosystem. Founder of MarketMyBook, a leading publicity and digital-marketing agency for writers and publishers, she has championed bestselling authors and emerging voices alike across genres and geographies. Bhushan's own creative output spans poetry (published in NavBharat Times and Amar Ujala), essays included in international anthologies, and her first short story in the children's anthology When Mommy Was a Little Girl (2022). Since June 2024 she's hosted TheIndicPen - a podcast unpacking Indian literature, history and myth from fresh angles. Her work blends marketing savvy with literary curiosity, making her a key contemporary voice in Indian letters.

Kshama Kaul is a Kashmiri born Hindi novelist, poet, translator and intellectual whose writing confronts displacement, identity and the lived realities of exile with unflinching honesty. Born in Srinagar in 1956, she holds an M.Phil. and a Ph.D. in Hindi literature and has been a compelling voice on Kashmir's trauma, culture and human rights since the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. Kaul-s acclaimed books - including Dardpur, Murti-Bhanjan, Bandhak, No Earth Under Our Feet and the 2025 Kashmir: Bharat-Mukutmani - blend personal memory with socio-political critique. Her work resonates with readers hungry for authentic narratives of loss, resilience and reclamation

Arun Krishnan is an Indian historical fiction author and amateur historian whose beautifully researched sagas bring ancient India's forgotten eras vividly to life. Based in Bengaluru and fluent in multiple languages, he blends scholarly curiosity with gripping storytelling. Krishnan's The Battle of Vathapi trilogy — Nandi's Charge (2023), Varaha's Vengeance (2024) and Simha's Roar (2024) - has earned attention for immersive world-building and rich character arcs rooted in 7th-century Pallava and Chalukya history. His 2025 novel Daughter of Two Rivers expands his repertoire into mythic adventure, showcasing his narrative range and passion for history.

Bhasha Sumbli is an acclaimed Indian theatre artist, actor and writer of original plays and research whose work bridges traditional performance and contemporary storytelling. A National School of Drama alumna, she began writing plays in her teens and has published research on ancient and popular theatre forms in esteemed journals such as Rang Prasang. Awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for theatre direction, she's directed and staged major productions, including the revived opera Vitasta at cultural festivals across India. Widely recognised for her haunting performance as Sharda Pandit in The Kashmir Files, Sumbli continues to shape modern Indian theatre and performance literature through her writing and scholarship.

Anuja Chandramouli is a bestselling Indian mythology, historical fiction and fantasy author celebrated for reimagining ancient tales with contemporary nuance and emotional depth. Her breakout debut, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, was one of Amazon India's top five Indian writing bestselling titles and launched her reputation as a New Age classicist. Since then she's penned acclaimed works - Kamadeva: The God of Desire, Shakti: The Divine Feminine, Mohini: The Enchantress (AutHer Popular Choice Award 2021), Muhammad Bin Tughlaq: Tale of a Tyrant, Prithviraj Chauhan and Abhimanyu: Son of Arjuna. Chandramouli also writes columns and hosts storytelling workshops, bringing myths, heroes and forgotten voices to life for modern readers.

Ajay Kumar Singh is a seasoned Indian journalist and non-fiction author whose career spans major newsrooms and the highest corridors of state communication. With over 35 years in print and broadcast journalism - including stints at The Times of India, Economic Times, The Telegraph, Business Standard, Star News, NewsX, Governance Now and Firstpost — Singh has chronicled India’s political evolution from the grassroots to national leadership. In 2019 he was appointed Press Secretary to the President of India, a role extended through 2025, offering him a rare vantage into contemporary governance. His acclaimed book The Architect of the New BJP: How Narendra Modi Transformed the Party uses deep reporting and firsthand insight to map the BJP's rise and organisational revolution, making it essential reading in Indian political literature.

Senior Advocate Vikas Singh is a towering figure in India's legal world with over 35 years of practice at the Supreme Court of India and a reputation for sharp constitutional, administrative and public law advocacy. He has served as Additional Solicitor General of India and currently holds his fourth term as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for 2025-26, underlining his deep influence within the legal fraternity. In 2025 he launched an official YouTube channel to mentor young lawyers and demystify legal insights. Singh's career blends courtroom victories, bar leadership and legal education.

Om Thanvi is a veteran Hindi journalist, author, editor and critic whose voice has shaped Indian media and literary discourse for decades. Born in Phalodi, Rajasthan in 1957, he spent nearly three decades with Jansatta (Indian Express Group), rising from reporter to editor and earning acclaim for fearless commentary and intellectual depth. Thanvi is the founding Vice Chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, and a sought-after speaker on media ethics and cultural critique. His notable books include Muanjodaro, a richly researched travelogue on ancient civilization (Bihari Puraskar winner), and Apne Apne Agyeya, a nuanced engagement with the influential Hindi writer Agyeya.

Guru Prakash Paswan is a leading Indian academic, writer and public intellectual whose work brings Dalit history, social justice and constitutional thought to the centre of national conversation. A law professor at Patna University and National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he bridges rigorous scholarship with public engagement. His widely discussed book Makers of Modern Dalit History (Penguin Random House India), co-authored with Sudarshan Ramabadran, reclaims the legacies of B.R. Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Gurram Jashuva and Soyarabai. At the festival, Paswan explores history, identity, policy and equality with clarity, conviction and contemporary relevance.

Mrityunjay Sharma is an Indian author, political analyst and social commentator whose work brings deep, fact-driven inquiry to regional history and politics. Born and educated in Jharkhand (engineering from BIT Mesra; MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur), he transitioned from corporate leadership to grassroots public life and political engagement. His 2024 non-fiction book Broken Promises: Caste, Crime and Politics in Bihar offers a compelling examination of Bihar's tumultuous socio-political history in the 1990s, blending archival research, narrative insight and structural analysis. Sharma also writes political commentary and appears regularly in public forums, podcasts and media.

Bestselling author Kavita Kane has redefined Indian mythological fiction by retelling the great epics through the silenced voices of women. Known for powerful novels like Karna's Wife, Sita's Sister and Ahalya's Awakening, she blends mythology, feminism and literary depth with striking emotional clarity. A former journalist turned full-time writer, Kané brings scholarly insight and modern sensibility to ancient narratives, making them resonate with today's readers. At the festival, she explores mythology, gender, power and storytelling - revealing why epic retellings still shape contemporary Indian literature and cultural identity.

Shantanu Gupta is an Indian author, political analyst, TEDx speaker and public intellectual whose writing blends deep research with wide cultural reach. Known for The Monk Who Became Chief Minister - a bestselling biography of Yogi Adityanath - and its sequel The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh, Gupta explores leadership, policy, and contemporary India with clarity and narrative flair. In 2023 he expanded his range with the graphic novel Ajay to Yogi Adityanath, launched in schools across Uttar Pradesh, setting an Asia Book of Records for simultaneous multi-site publication. He’s also published BJP – Past, Present & Future, used widely in academic and political discussions

IPS Vikas Vaibhav is a 2003 batch officer of the Bihar cadre who seamlessly blends frontline policing with history, writing, and youth engagement. An IIT Kanpur alumnus, he has led critical counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency investigations with the National Investigation Agency and is a recipient of the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award for integrity. Beyond the uniform, he is a passionate history enthusiast, author of the Silent Pages blog, and a compelling public speaker. He also founded Let's Inspire Bihar, a grassroots movement focused on nurturing entrepreneurship, education, and civic confidence among Bihar's youth.

Shefali Vaidya is a Pune-based author, columnist and cultural commentator known for her multi-lingual writing across English, Marathi, Konkani and Spanish. With a Master's in Mass Communications and diplomas in Spanish and Indology, she has penned articles and essays on temple architecture, Indian textiles, history, travel, culture and politics for leading platforms including Swarajya Magazine, IndiaFacts and Tarun Bharat. Vaidya has also curated heritage trails and spoken at literary festivals, bringing nuanced perspectives on art, tradition and modern society. Her body of work reflects deep engagement with Indian traditions and contemporary discourse.

Baldeo Purushartha is a distinguished Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer (2002 batch, Punjab cadre) and author of influential policy guides on infrastructure and public-private partnerships (PPP). Currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, he also represents India as Government Nominee Director on boards including HUDCO and the Central Bank of India. Purushartha has contributed to key reference guides, including the Reference Guide for PPP Project Appraisal, the Guide for Setting Up State PPP Units, and frameworks for infrastructure project implementation, combining administrative insight with field-tested expertise. His articles on infrastructure and PPP regularly appear in professional publications.

Nilotpal Mrinal is a defining voice of contemporary Hindi literature — an author, poet, folk singer and cultural catalyst whose words have become a movement. Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar winner for his breakout novel Dark Horse, Nilotpal writes with rare emotional honesty about youth, migration, identity and resistance. His bestselling books Aughad, Yaar Jadugar and Vishwaguru have sold lakhs of copies and sparked national conversations. A TEDx speaker, digital phenomenon and leader of the #GamchaAndolan, he bridges literature, social change and lived experience. This session promises fire, feeling and fearless storytelling rooted in the real India

Runjhun Sharma is a seasoned Indian journalist and editorial leader known for her incisive coverage of global geopolitics and South Asia. In late 2025 she was appointed Head of News at RT India, leading the newly launched India bureau as it expands media influence in one of the world's fastest-growing news markets. Previously Moscow based South Asia correspondent for the network, Sharma has reported from major summits, covered the Ukraine conflict and offered on-the-ground analysis from diplomatic frontlines. Her reporting is marked by calm authority and depth, blending geopolitics with human insight. She's also recognized for award-winning, gender-sensitive journalism.

Pawan Kumar, a sharp and fearless senior journalist, cuts through noise with facts, context, and chill-level clarity—turning every story into straight-up insight now.