The roundabout this fortnight begins with a poem. Hopefully, a very good way to start! Poetry is forever, but this fall, it was a seasonal poem that drew attention. It was written by Manmohan Singh Kohli, whom most know as the proprietor of the first hotel that came up in the early days of Chandigarh, though he also has a deep interest in the arts and is an active member of the Baithak, a cultural group started by Ranjit Pawar to share culture, art and tradition. It was on the online platform of the society that ‘Winter Trunk’ caught the eye.
A session worth recalling at the KSLF was by author Jerry Pinto as he released his latest book, titled A Good Life: The Power of Palliative Healing. The well-loved poet, writer and translator was at the festival with his latest book, which delves deeply into the necessity of palliative care for patients, sharing intimate stories of patients, families and caregivers. He also stressed that doctors often just suggest medicine, but it is the mind and lifestyle of the ailing that also need to be healed. This is a subject he has not only read about, but also practiced in his long care of his mother during her mental illness.
Pinto is the author of his famous autobiographical novel “Em and the Big Hoom (2012)”, which brought him The Hindu Literary Prize and the Sahitya Akademi award.
Our city, too, has evolved its vibrant cultural season like other metropolises, and one has the choice of going here or there, which can be summed up in the line from a movie of yore named Palki, sung with passion: “Main idhar jaoon, ya udhar jaoon? Back home in Chandigarh, seniors like a professor of English who was noted as a prominent intellectual, and the inspiring poet of all poets, Kumar Vikal, left a mark. Photography fascinated Manna, and he chose the medium, but with a difference. Practicing both black-and-white and color photography, he did a memorable series of conceptual works that have been widely exhibited in well-known galleries abroad. As an art organiser in the city, he put together great shows and liberally distributed excellence awards to many. What makes one happy is that the award is not the end of a lifetime’s work, as he remains active in the field of art, bringing something new to the table each time. The fifteenth edition of the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival, on its final evening, brought one face-to-face with one of the rare Punjabi singers who has risen to great heights, penning his own verses and rendering them in his enchanting melodies — Satinder Sartaaj, of course. The grand finale of the last evening of this charming hill festival saw this melodious singer in a ‘Fireside Chat’ of poetry and music with film actor Sandhya Mridul, who is also a poet, and yours truly anchoring the show as the poet sang his beautiful melodies.
