With a motive to promote the love of reading and writing, Udaipur Leap-Day Lit Fest (ULLF) was organized today by Potpourri, the Literary Club of IIM-Udaipur, at IIMU premises.

The program was attended by students and book lovers from different sections of the society who were excited and looking forward to meet the eminent authors, Rashmi Bansal, Ashwin Sanghi and Rajiv G Menon. The program started with lighting of lamp by the guest authors and the Director of IIM-U, Janak Shah.

After the inauguration ceremony, two interactive sessions were conducted. In the first session, Ashwin and Rajiv interacted with audience on the subject ‘Indian Mythology’. In a 45 minutes session, students asked various questions relating to the epic mythical history of India and on the writing styles of both the authors.

In the second session, Rashmi Bansal talked on social entrepreneurship and said that in the present scenario, it is necessary for a young individual to do business with new and original concepts. At the same time, passion for the work in the field of interest can help one find desired success.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation of all the three authors with the media.

Fiction writer on Theological and Mythological themes and the author of famous ‘Chanakya’s Chants’, Ashwin Sanghi said that there is a huge difference between our childhood and that of the current generation. We have lived and loved the old mythological stories, told to us by our grandmothers, which this generation is bereft of.

It is not that the kids and young readers do not want to listen to the mythological stories but the only point is that they do not find them realistic. If a story says that Ravan had 10 heads, it might sound unreal and impossible. “But if I explain that he had intelligence equivalent to 10 people or the science at that time was so advanced that he had 10 clones, then the readers find it interesting”, he said.

“I only tell a story with scientific, philosophical and historical explanation to make the mythology more realistic and interesting. Now, one might say that I am changing the whole story, but then one must acknowledge that the Mahabharat, as we know it, was written by Ved Vyasa and was called Jaya, which had only 8,800 verses. Jaya took shape of Bharata which had 24,000 verses and the final version,  Mahabharata has 1,00,000 verses. So we have already made some significant changes in our Mythology”, explained Ashwin.

Rashmi Bansal said, “It is not that people do not read books anymore, it is just that they read different kind of books and literature”.

Writer of inspirational stories and novels, Bansal said that today’s youngsters are confused about their career and want to make untraditional choices, as a student and as a professional as well, but at the same time they also want to attain quick success. “I write books on the stories of normal people who made untraditional choices and achieved success. My books inspire people to opt for what their heart says is right and make them learn that to achieve success, hard work and consistency, for a certain period of time, is a prerequisite”.

“Like the Indian film industry nowadays, new generation Indian authors are presenting serious topics in a commercial and entertaining way, which is working for them”, she added.

Ragiv G Menon said that we have an amazingly diverse culture, a huge history and great mythology from which there are many stories that are waiting to be told. About pursuing a career as a book writer, Rajiv smiled and said that it was a tough choice. “There was a time when my book was not published and I would introduce myself as a writer, then people used to ask me what else I did (for living)”, he laughed and added, “But it is changing now”.