Odisha literary festival

The event is set to take place on November 5 & 6, 2016 Mayfair Convention Centre, Bhubaneswar
Piyush Mishra (Photo: Shekhar Yadav)
Piyush Mishra (Photo: Shekhar Yadav)

Since its inception in 2012, the Odisha Literary Festival organised by The New Indian Express has chosen a unique path for itself. Unlike most festivals that promote largely writing in English, OLF celebrates all Indian languages. As a result, we have writers, poets, lyricists and film-makers working in different languages, coming to Bhubaneswar to speak to our audience about their work and passions.

Among the speakers who will be joining us this year are Piyush Mishra, film and theatre actor, music director, lyricist, singer and scriptwriter, and young Divya Prakash Dubey,poet, scriptwriter and storyteller par excellence. The 5th edition of OLF will be held at Mayfair Convention Centre inBhubaneswar on November 5 & 6, 2016. Both inspiration and entry are free. Come spend that weekend with us. Meanwhile, get more details about OLF on Facebook and eventxpress.com

Guftagoo with Piyush Mishra

On his feelings about nai wali Hindi.
Hindi has become influenced by the MTV culture. Language has become concise. It has been corrupted. Lekin badlav ko to bardasht karna hi padega.

On his plans to restore Hindi’s lost glory.
You can’t change or blame others. The only way to keep a language alive is to keep yourself pure. Aap bache rahe. I never write SMS in broken Hindi. Roman me type ki hui script ko mai wapas kar deta hu. Hindi me hi padhta hu.

On his favourite language.
I am loyal to Hindi and Urdu. I speak, read and live these two languages. Mujhe raato ko neend achhi aati hai kyunki iss baat ka sakoon hai ki maine apni bhasha ko bachaye rakha.

On transiting between acting and writing.
I feel comfortable switching between my actor’s side and my writer’s side. I can easily express through language, play a part and also create. Mai apne aapko dono kirdaaro me bata hua mehsoos nahi karta, lekin acting ke jyada kareeb hu.

On his favourite composition from films.
It has to be Cheel Cheel Chillake Kajari Sunaye from the film Half Ticket. I feel it’s the most skillful song ever sung in India. Tab filmo ke gaane ek hi take me record hote the. Kishore Kumar sung it in one go. It’s pure genius.

Divya prakash dubey’s storybaazi

If you ask me about Storybaazi in one sentence, I’ll say it’s a coming togetherness of short stories, poems and chitthi, peppered with light music,” says the author of Musafir Cafe and Masala Chai. His session at OLF, Storybaazi, is set to light up the evening of November 5. During the 45-minute-long session, Dubey plans to tell stories that evoke nostalgia but are modern enough for even young people to relate to. Storybaazi, in his own words, is standup comedy with a literary soul. “I call it standup kahani,” says DP, as his friends call him. It won’t be incorrect to say that the works of this young author, who not only writes in Hindi but also promotes it in a big way (through talks and programmes like Storybaazi), is a promise that vernacular language writing will not just never go away, but also shine.

Stories By The Storybaaz

Musafir Cafe is Dubey’s latest release. It is about the lists we draw up in life. It also talks of a stopover, a time when we try and slow ourselves down. It’s a story of two young people, Sudha and Chandar, their dreams, confusions and an unplanned live-in relationship. It’s the story of every Sudha and Chandar living inside us.

Masala Chai is part sensitive, part profound and utterly enchanting. Each story has the power to engage you with the simplicity of the plot, a disparate range of emotions and the brilliance of the narrative. And no matter what these stories bring out from within you, they ensure that you react to every situation, every plot as if it’s your own.

Terms and Conditions Apply was Dubey’s debut book. The stories might be steeped in reality but they also take flights of fancy, making the book a compelling read. It’s an assortment of 13 short stories and a true incident that deals with the highs and lows of a relationship, chaos and bedlam of school life. Call it a trip down memory lane.  

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