Book Discussion Group

History of A Tomorrow: The Knowledge Revolution

by Upendra Kachru (White Falcon Publishing, 2025)

Discussants: Prof. Yash Gupta, Plastic Surgeon from London and author of Science in Sanskrit literature; Prashast Kachru, Transdisciplinary Conceptual Interventionist; Dr. A K Merchant, General Secretary of Temple of Understanding India Foundation; Upendra Kachru, Author of the book

Moderator: Veena Baswani, Publishing consultant, Author, Editor

 

HIMALAYAN DIALOGUES 
A Book discussion on
Rising India and China: Strategic Rivalry in the Himalayas and the Indo-Pacific
By B R Deepak  (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025 )

Discussants:  Amb. Ashok K Kantha, Former Ambassador of India to China; Dr. Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, ORF, New Delhi; Shikha Aggarwal, Visiting Fellow, India Foundation

Moderator: Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, DU, Delhi
 

Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story
(55 minutes;2014; English)
Director: Robert H. Gardner

The film follows the life of Noor Inayat Khan, who became a fearless spy during World War II. Recruited into Britain’s Special Operations Executive, she served as a covert radio operator in Nazi-occupied Paris and became the only link to the French Resistance. Betrayed and captured by the Gestapo, she was later executed at Dachau, leaving behind a legacy of courage and sacrifice.

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

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 
 

Astanayika: The Romantic Heroines from Natyasastra to Modernity
by Manorama Choudhury and Jayakrushna (Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House, 2025)

Speakers: H G Gauranga Das, Author and Spiritual Leader; Guru Sharon Lowen, Renowned Odissi Dancer, Writer & Founder Manasa-Art Without Frontiers; Dr Seema Bhalla, Art Historian, Curator, Critic; Ms Manorama Choudhury, Author of the book ; Dr. Jayakrushna Choudhury, Author of the book

 

VOICES OF DEOLI 
(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 cross

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

Kriti-SAMHiTA: The Plurality of Indian Knowledge Systems

Recovering the Plays of Māyurāja

Conversation between Prof. Andrew Ollett, University of Chicago, and Prof. Naresh Keerthi, Ashoka University

Chair: Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, IIC-International Research Division

The speakers will share their experiences of editing and translating two plays composed by the eighth-century poet Māyurāja, Tāpasavatsarāja (“Udayana the Ascetic”) and Udāttarāghava (“Raghu’s Exalted Descendants”). They will refer to the challenges posed by the manuscripts, of which there is only one extant for Tāpasavatsarāja, and only one accessible to scholars of Udāttarāghava.

Prof. Andrew Ollett works on the literary and intellectual traditions of South Asia, including works composed in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, Kannada, and Chinese from the first millennium of the common era. He is the recipient of the Infosys Prize for 2025.

Prof. Naresh Keerthi is Head, Department of Sanskrit, Ashoka University and researched on the semantics of colour in Sanskrit, at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is interested in kāvya and nāṭya literature in Sanskrit and Prakrit, and their interactions with South India’s literary cultures. He studies topics at the intersection of the lexicon, grammar and poetics, and is investigating the development of poetic topoi in kāvya literature.

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

Power Within (45 min)
Intimate Theatre
Director: Dilip Shankar; Producer: Mrinalini Chawla; Lights: Mukesh Chaudhary; Actors: Gauri Saxena, Dilip Shankar 
A tentative woman shares her journey of realizing the power 'within her' through situations and relationships. She explores visualization as a way to navigate life! And practices her power of choice in her journey. Life triggering the 'power within' and the 'power within' translating into life.

(Collaboration: Centre for Creative Expressions)
 

Darshan: Gaze of Grace
(207 min;2024; English)
A film on Sri Ramana Maharshi
Directed by Japna Tulsi
 

A cinematic meditation on the silent presence of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi where stories, poetry, and song become the medium through which his luminous stillness is revealed.
 

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

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)

Duration: (68 minutes; English, Hindi, Marathi with Subtitles)

This unique film revisits the golden era of radio, before television, mobiles, and social media. It explores radio’s deep impact on passionate individuals, featuring a vintage radio museum in Bengaluru, the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing commentary, Ham Radio’s role in disasters like the Tsunami, and beloved programs like Binaca, Geetmala and cricket commentary. The film also highlights school radio keeping the tradition alive.

Awarded and screened at over 80 festivals in 36 countries, it’s recognized by UNESCO and featured on AIR.