(90 minutes;2022; English Subtitles)

Directors: Phil Grabsky & Shoaib Sharifi

Winners of Best Documentary at the BAFTA Television Awards, Best Documentary at the Tiburon Film Festival (Golden Reel); Best International Documentary at the DC Independent Film Festival 2022; and Best Feature Documentary at the Titan International Film Festival and Bali International Film Festival 2022

Spanning two decades in the life of one boy—growing up in a cave beside the Bamyan Buddhas—this film journeys through war, hope, and transformation in Afghanistan. My Childhood, My Country is an intimate, soul-stirring portrait of resilience that invites us to reflect on innocence, loss, and the enduring human spirit. A must-see.

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

The Present Colonises our Past : the Future Forsaken

Speaker: Romila Thapar, a pre-eminent historian and Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Opening Remarks: Suhas Borker, Convener, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Closing Remarks: Dr. Aditya Malik, Member, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Chair: Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC (tbc*)

(Collaboration: Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee)

Democracy’s Heartland: Inside the Battle for Power in South Asia

By S Y Quraishi (Juggernaut, 2025)

Discussants: Amb. Shiv Shankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary (Guest of Honour) ; Prof. Kavita Sharma, Educationist, Former Director IIC, Former President, South Asia University; and Dr S. Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India and Author of the Book

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Moderator: Prof. Pushpesh Pant, Academic, Historian and Food Critic

Exploring the cultural exchange between India and France, these talks examine how comics and cinema reflect and influence societies across borders. From Astérix to Amar Chitra Katha, and the Lumière brothers to Bollywood, both mediums reveal deep mutual impact – shaping narratives, styles and artistic dialogues across time and geography.

Speakers: Krithika S. and Anuj Sharma, teachers at Alliance Française de Delhi.

Moderator: Rohini Rangachari Karnik, teacher at Alliance Française de Delhi.

(Collaboration: The Alliance Française de Delhi)

Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts of Nepal: Continuity of Ancient Indian Textual Traditions in the Himalayas

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Shanker Thapa, Professor of History (retired), Tribhuvan University.

Chair: Shri Shyam Sharan, President, IIC

The Buddhist manuscripts of Nepal are the only surviving original literary heritage of Mahayana Buddhism, preserved for over 1,500 years. The lecture will highlight their historical context, their links with Indian Buddhist traditions, and their role in preserving ancient wisdom. It will also cover medieval Buddhist scholarship, Newar manuscript culture, Nepal’s contributions to manuscript preservation, indigenous literature, repositories, and digital databases.

Prof Shanker Thapa is the first Dean of Lumbini Buddhist University, has taught for 40 years and held fellowships in Seoul and Tokyo. Since 2010, he has been digitizing endangered Sanskrit manuscripts and has authored 18 books, 26 chapters, and over 100 research articles on Buddhism worldwide

Fifteenth in a series of lectures organized by IIC-International Research Division with the support of Ministry of External Affairs

The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day

By Daneesh Majid (Harper Collins, 2025)

Discussants: Dr. Mujibur Rehman, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University) ; Sh. Dinesh C. Sharma, Journalist ; Sh. P. Niroop Reddy, Advocate, Supreme Court ; Mr. Daneesh Majid, Author of the book

Moderator: Shri Ruben Banerjee, Journalist

Rajendra Dhodapkar, Devyani Bharadwaj (Delhi); Parwati Tirkey (Gumla-Jharkhand) and Parag Pawan (Varanasi) will read their original works in Hindi.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

Discussants: Amb. Harsh V. Shringla, Member of Parliament, Former Foreign Secretary and High Commissioner of Dhaka; Sreeradha Dutta, Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University; and Dr Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute

Chair: Shri Jawhar Sircar, Public intellectual and Former Secretary Culture and CEO, Prasar Bharti

Director: Sangeeta Gupta

(2024, Hindi, 78 minutes)

A documentary film directed by Sangeeta Gupta on acclaimed Hindi writer Mridula Garg.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

Carnatic Percussion Solo Recital

By Satish Krishnamurthy from Mumbai, disciple of Kalaimamani Shri K V Prasad

Accompanist: Delhi R Sridhar (Violin)

At 19:00

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Radhika Joshi from Pune, disciple of Guru Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar

Accompanist: Dr. Mausam (Harmonium), Chaitanya Sahni (Tabla)