Qawwali: The Call of Hearts In Love
 by Manjari Chaturvedi (Om Books International, 2025)

Discussants:  Saba Naqvi, Senior Journalist & Writer; Yousuf Saeed, Scholar and Filmmaker; Salil Mishra, Professor,Department of History, BML Munjal University; Dinesh Khanna, Photographer ;  Manjari Chaturvedi, Classical Dancer and Author of the book

Chair : Muzaffar Ali, Filmmaker and Director Jahan-e-Khusrau World Sufi Festival

Moderator : Pragya Tiwari, Writer and Cultural Consultant 

 

Swarantar: A Journey Through Indian Classical Music

The concert will feature two prominent artistes: Pt Abhay Rustam Sopori, an accomplished santoor maestro and composer, cultural ambassador of Kashmir, torchbearer of Sopori musical lineage of Kashmir and Pt Ojesh Pratap Singh, an eminent Hindustani classical vocalist, known for his mastery in Khayal.

(Collaboration: AntarHriday Connect)

Art Matters
 

AE Krishna Sobti, An evening on Krishna Sobti writings.

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

The Last Shaman( 2016;80 min;English)

Director: Raz Degan

How far would you go to save your own life?
Disillusioned with his all-American life, a young man is confronted by thoughts of suicide. To save his life, he embarks on a journey into the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where stories of Shamans and Ayahuasca ceremonies promise psychic redemption. His experiences with tribal medicines are life-changing—but he is also forced to confront the parts of himself he has long struggled to understand.

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

Mudras. Tejiendo hilos invisibles
 

A dance performance by Mónica de la Fuente and Nazaré de la Fuente—mother and daughter, and Spanish professional contemporary dancers trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, combining both Spanish and Indian cultural heritage.

Followed by a documentary screening of the same name, Mudras. Tejiendo hilos invisibles (Mudras: Weaving Invisible Threads)
(90 min; Spanish with English subtitles)
Producers: Anna Saura
Co-producers and Directors: Bobby Bedi and María Salgado

The film marks the first co-production between Spanish and Indian filmmakers. It tells the story of a mother and a daughter that travel all the way to India to discover its art and culture.

(Collaboration: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi)
 

A Journey Towards Light
by Sushmindar Jeet Kaur (Penprints, 2025)

Discussants: Kavita Singhal , writer, poet, social worker & educationist; Satbir Chada, Author & Poet ;Seema Jain, Bilingual Poet, Translator and Editor; Mandira Ghosh, Poet, Author & Researcher; Sushmindar Jeet Kaur, Associate Professor and Head, PG Department of English, G. Gn. N. Khalsa College, Ludhiana & Author of the book

Chair : Dr. Sukrita Paul Kumar,  Indian poet, critic and academic

Iran: Recent Developments
 

Speaker: Amb D.P Srivastava, former Ambassador to Iran from 2011-15, served in Cairo, Riyadh, Washington Brussels and Prague and Dr. John Cherian, former Editor, Foreign Policy, the Frontline

Chair: Amb K P Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis, and World Peace University, Pune.

This talk examines the latest wave of protests in Iran, widely interpreted by sections of the international media as a potential tipping point for the regime. Analysing the external pressures shaping the situation, rhetorical threats from Trump without military intervention, and Israel’s advocacy of regime change—while assessing the broader regional implications. The discussion also foregrounds India’s significant strategic stakes in Iran’s stability and in the security of the wider region.
 

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Deepak Singh from Meerut, disciple of Pt. Madhup Mudgal
Accompanists: Shambhu Nath Bhattacharjee (Tabla); Chetan Nigam (Harmonium); Shashank & Arun (Tanpura)
 

Chandigarh – A World View
 

Speaker: Peter Sanders, an Australian architect, planner, and artist

Moderator: Rajesh Luthra, an architect and urban designer, Principal at Development Consortium, and Visiting Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Drawing on his first-hand experience of working in Chandigarh in the early 1960s, the talk examines the city’s global significance in modern architecture and urban planning, reflecting on Le Corbusier’s vision, Pierre Jeanneret’s role, and the broader implications of international architectural collaboration in post-Independence India.
 

Multilateralism and the future of AI
 

Speaker: Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies 
 

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

This talk examines how multilateral cooperation can shape the responsible governance of artificial intelligence, balancing innovation with ethics, equity, and global security. Drawing on international policy perspectives, it explores the role of global institutions in ensuring AI benefits humanity at large.