Speaker: Prof. Klaus Vieweg, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena Germany and a foremost interpreter of Hegel in the world, covering his philosophy. He approaches Hegel’s idea of freedom in relation to our contemporary crisis of modernity

Discussant: Viren Murthy, Professor of transnational Asian History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and researches Chinese, Japanese and Indian intellectual history.

(Collaboration: BML Munjal University)

Researched, written, designed and narrated by Sohaila Kapur, under our biographical series 'Lives Lived'

Produced by Anuradha Dar of Katyayani and Three Arts Club Production.

Lights and projection by Burhan Qureshi.

Hind Transcreation of Script and Co-Narration by Nidhikant Pandey

Live Singing by Devanand Jha and Anjila Gugnani.

It is the story of the relationship between the legendary Anand brothers of Bollywood, Chetan, Dev and Vijay (Goldie). The narration, read with warmth and personal anecdotes, is delivered by Sohaila Kapur — their niece. Interwoven with clips from their films, the storytelling flows like a cinematic journey.

(Collaboration: Three Arts Club and Katyayani)

Curated by Uma Nair, Independent Curator, art critic and author

A rare confluence of three Indian modern masters, an ensemble of twelve sculptures explores the human form, lived experience, and everyday rituals.

Himmat Shah’s evocative heads, Krishen Khanna’s Bandwallahs, and Vaikuntam’s Dravidian bronzes together reveal lived experience, human form, and time’s imprint.

Inauguration of the exhibition on 11 December at 17:30

Duration : (83 min;2025; English with English subtitles)

Directed by  Lulu Men

The documentary delves into the complexities and often upheaval of immigration through the lens of a small community in the U.S. and Canada. This community shares a profound bond: they are survivors of the Deoli Internment Camp in Rajasthan, where they were imprisoned for up to five years following the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962. Their experience highlights the vulnerabilities of displaced communities caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflict.

Dilip D’Souza co-author of the Deoliwallahs will join the audience for a post-screening conversation

Aainakhana

Translated by Gauri Shankar Raina

Discussants: Dr. Roop Krishen Bhat, Eminent Short Story writer, Linguist, former Professor, CIL and former Director, ADULT Education, Ministry of HRD; Prof. Pankaj Bhan, Editor & Translator, Former Professor of English, DU, Shri Deepak Budki, Former Director General, Postal Services of India, Critic & Short Stories Writer; Dr. Gaurishankar Raina, Eminent writer and translator, former Advisory Board Member, Sahitya Akademi & Translator of the Group

Moderator: Prof. Payal Nagpal, Department of English, Janki Devi Memorial College, DU

Odissi Recital

By Prapti Gupta from Ghaziabad, disciple of Guru Aruna Mohanty & Guru Alpana Nayak

At 18.30

Bharatanatyam Recital

By Sowmya Laxmi Narayanan from Delhi, disciple of Guru Geeta Chandran

Sitar Recital

By Saptarshi Hazra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Netai Basu, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta and Pratyush Banerjee.

Accompanist: Pt. Ashis Sengupta

At 18.30

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Priyanka Mitra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar & Guru Anjan Majumdar

The Nalanda Literature Festival is a unique celebration of India’s cultural and literary heritage, with a special focus on Bihar and north eastern states’ rich linguistic traditions — Angika, Bhojpuri, Bajjika, Magahi, Maithili, Surjapuri, Bodo, Mizo, Assammese and many more. 

Through thought-provoking sessions, heritage, creative exchanges, the Festival seeks to revive and promote our regional languages, inspire younger generations, and position Bihar and north eastern states’ literary culture on the national and global stage.

(Collaboration: Dhanu Bihar Trust)

Bharata before the British and other essays: Towards a new Indology

By Shonaleeka Kaul (Vitasta, 2024)

Introductory Remarks: K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Discussants: Prof. Meenakshi Jain, Hon’ble. Member of Rajya Sabha, Author, Historian; Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Former Chairman, University Grants Commission, Professor (formerly Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi), educationist and columnist; Prof. Shonaleeka Kaul, Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Former Malathy Singh Distinguished Lecturer, Yale University; Jan Gonda Fellow, Leiden University; Visiting Professor, Heidelberg University. Sanskritist and author of the book.

The talk explores how institutions of higher education in Asia, the US, and Europe have shaped the development of Asian Studies and enabled cross-cultural understanding during periods of geopolitical tension. Highlighting influential centres such as the Royal Asiatic Society, EFEO, and the Harvard-Yenching Institute. The session will also consider current challenges, including shrinking international funding and how the future of Asian Studies can be re-imagined.

By Prof. James Robson is the James C. Kralik and Yunli Lou Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University and Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, he has conducted extensive research across China, Taiwan, and Japan, and is the award-winning author of The Power of Place.

Chair: Sabaree Mitra, Professor Centre for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, JNU, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.

(Collaboration: Institute of Chinese Studies)