Jaipur Bytes

Rakesh K. Kaul, author of "Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir", in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta, recorded live at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2020 on Jan 25. 

Rakesh is an IIT gold medallist, migrated to the US in 1972. He was a founding contributor to the first Chair of India Studies at University of California, Berkeley, the Center for the Advanced Study of India at University of Pennsylvania and the Mattoo Center for India Studies at the State University of New York. He is the author of the bestseller The Last Queen of Kashmir. Kaul has had a distinguished business career as CEO and held leadership positions of publicly traded companies in the US. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Indo-American Arts Council.

Geeta Gopalakrishnan is the Founder and Managing Trustee of Ma Foundation. She has channeled years of advertising experience into fundraising for Sadhana School for Special Children and underprivileged children with cancer. All proceeds of her book My Grandmother’s Tweets go towards MA Foundation, which supports desperate mothers with children afflicted by cancer at Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata.

In this book, author Geeta Gopalakrishnan presents 109 sayings by the seventh-century saint Avvaiyar that have inspired women for centuries, and continue to inspire the new generation. Using multiple examples from Indian and Western mythology, as well as real life, she illustrates the veracity of these age-old aphorisms. Reminiscent of The Alchemist in the simplicity of the narration, this book will inspire readers while providing helpful life lessons that cut through eras and religions.

Harish Bhat, author of "An Extreme Love of Coffee", in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta, recorded live at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2020 on Jan 25. 

Harish Bhat is an author, columnist and marketer. He works with the Tata Group. His first book, the bestselling Tata Log continues to enthrall readers with stories from the modern history of Tata. His second book, The Curious Marketer, addresses the intriguing topic of curiosity. His latest work is his debut novel, An Extreme Love of Coffee. Bhat is the Brand Custodian at Tata Sons and serves as a director of several Tata companies.

A session that searches how to reconcile economic growth with systemic problems of social inequality and environmental unsustainability. Even as millions of young Indians enter the workforce and entrepreneurs strike out in new parts, policymakers face the challenges and responsibilities to create a web of trust that can sustain institutions and processes. A distinguished panel from government, industry and academics seeks answers and solutions on how to build an environment that nurtures a transformative vision of growth.

A woman’s work is never done. Indian women’s participation in the workforce is decreasing steadily, even as figures rise in the rest of the world. A deep discussion on women and work, with anecdotal insights and perspectives, to analyse current realities and ponder how to understand, respect and revive the role of women in the economic sphere. A panel of women from diverse backgrounds, including an iconic chef, an ex-marine, a social entrepreneur and a rural activist speak to journalist Namita Bhandare of the causes and consequences of the roadblocks that come in the way of women’s working lives.

Writer, politician and public intellectual Shashi Tharoor is the award-winning author of 19 books of fiction and non-fiction. A third-term Member of Parliament, representing Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Tharoor has served as Minister of State in the Government of India and also as Under-Secretary General of the United Nations. His unerring sense of humour lightens up the serious oeuvre of his work, which includes a powerful indictment of colonialism. His predilection for long words and telling phrases has created a sub-genre of #Tharoorisms, and his recent attempts at stand up comedy have won him a constituency of admirers. In conversation with Michael Dwyer, he speaks of the personal and the political, and the beliefs and ideas that have anchored him in his public life and literary career.

Lisa Ray, author of "Close to the Bone", in conversation with festival director Sanjoy K. Roy. Lisa Ray is one of India’s first supermodels, an actor, a mother of twins through surrogacy and a cancer-survivor. Her memoir is an unflinching and a deeply moving account of her nomadic existence, her mentors, friends, lovers, her healing and spiritual quest. In conversation with Jaipur Literature Festival producer Sanjoy K. Roy, she discusses her riveting life story.

In this podcast-exclusive, Host Lakshya Datta chats with Ján Tompkins about VRwandlung - an immersive experience, a virtual reality installation adapting Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis by the Goethe Institut. Recorded live at the #ZEEJaipurLitFest2020.

Actor and model Sonali Bendre Behl decided to rekindle her passion for reading by connecting with other like-minded readers. She established ‘Sonali’s Book Club’, an inspirational space to interact with book lovers from around the globe. Other bibliophiles and friends from the film industry joined in as she battled cancer in New York. An exciting and eclectic set of books come up for live-streamed readings and discussion, providing the community of readers and writers an online platform to interact. Bendre is also the author of The Modern Gurukul: My Experiments with Parenting. In conversation with Meru Gokhale, she speaks of her inspirational endeavour and what books and reading mean to her.

Ashwin Sanghi, author of The Vault of Vishu (part of the Bharat Series) in conversation with Jaipur Bytes host Lakshya Datta, recorded live at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2020 at the Diggi Palace on January 23. 

Ashwin Sanghi ranks among India’s highest selling English fiction authors. He has written the bestsellers, The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga and Keepers of the Kalachakra as well as two New York Times bestselling crime thrillers with James Patterson, Private India and Private Delhi. He has also co-authored several non-fiction titles in the 13 Steps series on Luck, Wealth, Marks, Health and Parenting.