The HrishiKay Sessions

What goes into creating a literary festival where poetry, music, sport, technology and the stories of a city all find a stage?

Reena Agarwal and Tina Nagpaul, Associate Directors of Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest, join Hrishi K for an inside look at the festival’s 2026 edition—and the ideas behind its conversations, performances and experiences.

From The Little Festival for young readers to workshops for aspiring writers, Reena and Tina discuss how the programme brings different generations into the world of books. They also explore the festival’s literary awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award honouring Irwin Allan Sealy, and the celebration of Gagan Gill as Poet Laureate.

Mumbai runs through the conversation: its Koli community and food traditions in ‘Eating Against the Tide’, Jehangir Sorabjee’s ‘Bombay: An Illustrated History’, Shanta Gokhale’s lifelong relationship with reading, and Adil Rustomjee’s exploration of India’s stock market history.

There’s poetry from Javed Akhtar, Gulzar and Miriam Reyes, alongside spoken word, music and performances that take literature beyond the printed page. Beyond the auditoriums, the discussion opens out to Poetry in the Park, library experiences, pop-ups, a wall of translation and a Pinocchio exhibition.

Hrishi, Reena and Tina also explore the questions shaping contemporary life: Big Tech and democracy, artificial intelligence and the economy, leadership, and the internet’s influence on identity and society.

Other highlights include the launch of Shefali Shah’s autobiography ‘The Audacity of Being’, cricket writing, and two sessions chaired by Hrishi K: ‘Grit and Glory’, on Indian parasport with Arati Patil and Boria Majumdar, and ‘Book in Focus’, an audience-participative discussion of Marjane Satrapi’s ‘Persepolis’.

For book lovers, curious minds and everyone who enjoys discovering an unexpected connection between stories and life—happy listening!

The Hrishi K Sessions is produced and presented by Hrishikesh Kannan, popularly known as Hrishi K.

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What happens when the life you have built as a wife and mother begins to unravel—and the stories you have told yourself no longer hold?

Booker Prize-shortlisted author Avni Doshi joins Hrishi K to discuss The First House, a novel that brings together marriage, divorce, astrology, art and Indian goddesses in a woman’s search for a self beyond her marriage.

From money as a quiet instrument of control to the things couples choose not to know about each other, Hrishi and Avni explore the unsettling emotional world beneath an American suburban family’s everyday life.

Can self-deception be a means of survival? And what does it take to recognise the limits of that bargain?

They unpack the novel’s extraordinary imagery: cicadas and their cycles, a statue of Diana, dreams, water and the fierce presence of Chinnamasta and other mythological figures.

Avni discusses the relationship between astrology and storytelling, her decision to leave the central family nameless, and the shifting boundary between realism and the uncanny.

The conversation also returns to her acclaimed debut, published as Girl in White Cotton in India and Burnt Sugar internationally, exploring its long journey through multiple drafts and the experience of reaching the Booker Prize shortlist.

Along the way, Avni reflects on her years as an art curator, the cities that have shaped her imagination, and her forthcoming novel, Likeness.

For readers drawn to literary fiction, complicated families and the space where myth meets everyday life—happy listening!

Please note: this conversation discusses significant plot details from ‘The First House’ but there are no spoilers whatsoever!

The Hrishi K Sessions is produced and presented by Hrishikesh Kannan, popularly known as Hrishi K.

Follow or subscribe to discover more conversations with people shaping culture, entertainment, sport, business and ideas.

Connect with Hrishi K:

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What does it take to bring a historic theatre back to life—and give a new generation a reason to walk through its doors?

Asad Lalljee, Curator of the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, and CEO of Avid Learning, joins Hrishi K to explore 110 years of one of Mumbai’s most remarkable cultural landmarks.

From its early years as a stage for legendary performers to its life as a cinema, its long silence and its spectacular restoration, this is a conversation about the stories a building holds—and the people who give it a future.

Hrishi and Asad explore the vision behind the Opera House’s revival, the restoration led by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, and the programming that has made this heritage venue a meeting place for music, theatre, dance, literature and ideas.

The conversation also travels beyond the stage: creating opportunities for emerging artists, bringing international performers to Mumbai, keeping audiences connected during the pandemic, and exploring how technology can open new possibilities for the performing arts.

Along the way, Asad reflects on Avid Learning, cultural exchange, the creative economy and what it will take to make the Opera House part of young Mumbai’s cultural life over the next decade.

For everyone who loves Mumbai, its history and the thrill of a live performance—happy listening!

The Hrishi K Sessions is produced and presented by Hrishikesh Kannan, popularly known as Hrishi K.

Follow or subscribe to discover more conversations with people shaping culture, entertainment, sport, business and ideas.

Connect with Hrishi K:

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Dheeraj Gupta started selling sweetmeats, then vada pav & samosas and finally settled on the vegetarian burger. ``JumboKing - the brand he has built with struggle, love & devotion is now bustling & successful. Laura Ries is the great & late Al Ries' daughter. he is considered the guru of focus and positioning of brands & Dheeraj says clearly that Als books have served as a mentorship school & guide for him. Now Laura & Dheeraj have put together a remarkable book called ``Loved by a Billion` -how singular focus builds iconic brands. Hrishi K takes over from here and asks them for live examples of failure and success that helped them build businesses. this is a must listen for all budding and established entrpreneurs to sharpen their outlook towards their core product offering! happy listening!

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

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Viraf Patell is unique in that he not only is an actor & writer but that he is trying to create a healthy ecosystem for all writers to pitch their ideas, scripts & screenplays to producers. In this conversation Hrishi spreads the message to all budding as well as established writers on how they can enter “Frame Your Idea” which is Viraf’s baby. The conversation also veers towards Patells acting parts in the superhit OTT series ‘Made in India - The Titan Story’ as well as the national award winning movie ‘Kutch Express’ in which he also has a co writer credit.

The K Man loves exploring life stories…so deep diving into the making of Viraf the man - leads them to chat about his beginnings in the merchant navy & then a victory at Mr India and finally a meeting with his mentor - actor & screen writing guru Boman Irani. Enjoy this unfiltered conversation

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

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This is an interview for the documentary "A Story That Refused to Die," directed by Ranjita Kaur about the making of the film "Pan Singh Tomar." The interview, conducted by Hrishi, explores the 14-year journey of creating the documentary, from initial filming in 2008-2009 through multiple challenges including ruined tapes and funding issues. Ranjita shared her experiences filming behind-the-scenes content on the set, particularly highlighting Irrfan Khan's dedication despite physical injuries, and described the special creative partnership between Irrfan and director Tigmanshu Dhulia. The discussion covered the technical challenges of preserving footage over decades, the emotional impact of the documentary on both the director and the subject's family, and the upcoming screening at NMACC on April 29th 2026, which will be followed by a conversation between film makers Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Bhardwaj.

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

If ur looking for Hrishi across media & social networking then here goes:

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Probal discussed the upcoming Max City VOW Literature Festival, explaining that its purpose is to celebrate diverse voices and ideas in Mumbai, which he described as India's gateway to the world. He outlined the festival's theme "One World, Many Words," which aims to provide a platform for different perspectives on global issues, including conflicts, gender, and environmental concerns. Probal emphasized the importance of engaging and embracing diverse opinions rather than shaping a single opinion. The festival will take place on March 28-29 at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai, with a schedule available on the Maxcity Lit Fest Instagram handle.

Lit Fest Structure and Planning

Probal explained the structure of the upcoming Lit Fest, highlighting two main sessions: a welcome session focused on contemporary issues and non-fiction works, and a panel discussion on the West Asia war, which has been rescheduled to day two due to rapidly changing circumstances. The West Asia panel will explore the direction of the conflict and its implications for India, featuring panelists Ambassador TCA Raghavan and Menaz Merchant. Hrishi announced that Homi Bhabha State University will also serve as a venue for the festival this year, and mentioned Probal's book "General Brass Tacks" which will be featured in a session titled "Five Assassinations and an Arms Deal."

General Sundarji's Life and History

Probal discussed his upcoming panel on General Sundarji's life and the 1980s, highlighting key events including political assassinations and an arms deal. He explained how he discovered that Sundarji's life parallelled India's post-independence history, revealing new details through research such as Sundarji's presence at Mahatma Gandhi's funeral and raising the tricolor in Pakistan on Independence Day 1947. Probal described the writing process as revealing more about Sundarji's life than initially expected, transforming the book from focusing solely on the 1980s to telling a broader story of India's history through Sundarji's perspective.

Operation Brass Stacks Military Exercise

Probal discussed his book "Operation Brass Stacks," which details a significant military exercise from the 1980s that was four times larger than NATO exercises and the biggest mobilization since World War II. He explained that the operation, led by General Sundarji, aimed to defend India's borders while launching strikes into Pakistani territory to target nuclear facilities. Probal noted that these important historical events are often overlooked in India due to military history not being widely popular outside military circles, and he sought to "de-jargonize" the story to make it more accessible to the general public.

General Sundarji Book Discussion

Probal Dasgupta discussed his book on General Sundarji, describing him as India's most important military strategist who influenced both military and political decisions in the 1980s. He explained how writing the book involved personal excavation of memories from growing up in the 1980s, including events like Operation Blue Star and the Sri Lankan campaign. Probal also promoted the upcoming Max City Lit Fest in Mumbai on March 28-29, highlighting various panels and speakers including Amish Tripathi and other notable authors.

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

If ur looking for Hrishi across media & social networking then here goes:

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the beautiful cynthia addai robinson plays the blind queen miriel and she tells me about vital tools she used as an actor to portray a blind character. the good humoured welsh actor trystan gravelle takes a trip down memory lane and recounts his audition for `the lord of the rings : the rings of power`, for us. charlotta brandstrom the swedish director has done such a splendid job taking over the directors reigns in season 2 and she tells me about filming this magnum opus ott series in scotland and england & her remarkable production design team who have worked so hard at establishing and maintaining this incredible look for the series.

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

If ur looking for Hrishi across media & social networking then here goes:

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hrishikay

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we all miss naz thats the gorgeous iranian actress nazanin boniadi - who excused herself from this second season of the lord of the rings : the rings of power. however, tyroe who plays `theo` her son and ismael who plays `arondir` her lover miss her like hell, of that there is no doubt. it is no surprise then that this conversation spends quality time talking about naz and her character `bronwyn`. tyroe has grown in height and maturity since i met him at the season one premiere in mumbai. the aussie lad and me had spoken a fair bit about cricket i remember but this time, in singapore at the season 2 red carpet and premiere it was all about him tackling a lot of darkness and heavy emotions as an actor at such a young age! 'arondir' ofcourse is an action laden role and wonderful that ismael would talk me through his career as a competitive swimmer and then all the capoeira & archery that he went through as prep for this role. we round up this thoroughly enjoyable chat waxing eloquent about their brand new director charlotte brandstrom. happy listening!

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

If ur looking for Hrishi across media & social networking then here goes:

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hrishikay

Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/hrishikay

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Youtube : https://youtube.com/c/hrishikeshkannan

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JD Payne has the widest smile in hollywood and hes always smiling! helps that hes cowritten `Star Trek Beyond`, `Godzilla vs Kong`, `Jungle Cruise` and now is Showrunner & Executive Producer on The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power seasons one and two. Markella Kavenaghs `nori` is easily the most loved character over two seasons of the amazon prime video series and stunning as she is off screen she messes herself up for the young adventurous harfoot girl quite nicely! Megan Richards has the unique distinction of having acted as well as sung in both seasons. i loved this interview - discussing songs, background score and harfoots as a clan with these three. and im sure you will too. happy listening!

“The HrishiKay Sessions” are produced & presented by Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K

Thanks for listening. Should you want to experience more……for starters hit “subscribe” / “follow” and check out more episodes & be notified when further sessions go up!

If ur looking for Hrishi across media & social networking then here goes:

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hrishikay

Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/hrishikay

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Youtube : https://youtube.com/c/hrishikeshkannan

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LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrishikay