Srinagar: Topnotch authors, filmmakers, and chefs from different parts of the country will be camping in Kashmir for two days to participate in Kumaon Literary Festival which kicks off at SKICC on Wednesday.
Considered to be India’s most ‘coveted and traveling literary festival’, the two-day event will see the participation of guests like India’s best-selling fiction author Ashwin Sanghi and other well-known writers and film personalities. The fest will also witness discussions on interesting topics like ‘Love in Kashmir’ and ‘Noir world of Hindi and Urdu pulp fiction’ among others.
Arhan Bagati, KYARI Founder and the host of the Kashmir Edition of the Kumaon Literary Festival, said they had received a great response so far and were hoping that the event will be successful.

“They (organizers) travel to different parts of the country to conduct the literary festival and this time they have chosen Srinagar as their destination and we are their local partners (in Kashmir). Holistically, KYARI aims to promote tourism, promote Kashmir in general. Authors, filmmakers, chefs, and experts in other fields from different parts of the country are coming and will talk about their works. The response is great and we are hoping that it will be a good and successful event,” he said.
While other authors like Kiran Manral, Yatindra Mishra, Jai Arjun, Anu Singh, and Mona Verma will also attend the festival, veteran film-maker Rahul Rawail will participate in the session on ‘Love in Kashmir’.
Sharing details of the session, a member of the organizing committee said: “Kashmir was the most popular outdoor location for Hindi films of the 60s through the 80s. Several popular movies were shot here. In this session, Shankar Iyer and Balaji will reignite the nostalgia of that love affair by revisiting some of those iconic songs and sharing anecdotes and experiences from the period. In this session, Shankar Iyer and Balaji will be in conversation with Rahul Rawail, Pavan Jha, and Tejas Vijay Deoskar.”
There will be book discussions too including the one that will see national award-winning actress Divya Dutta talking about her book: ‘The Stars in My Sky: Those Who Brightened My Film Journey’.
The Kumaon Literary Festival was founded in the year 2014 by Sumant Batraa lawyer of global repute, author, and cultural champion. It is one of the first traveling literary festivals in the country which brings together creative minds.