The epic debate, stars line up at Mysuru Literature festival

Mysuru: Crowds thronged the Southern Star Hotel, bright and early on Saturday morning. No surprise, the morning's speaker was quite the crowd-puller. Devdutt Pattanaik, India's favourite mythologist, made the keynote address, titled Ramayana vs Mahabharata. The young, wildly popular historian, Manu Pillai, launched his latest book, The Courtesan, The Mahatma and the Italian – Tales from Indian History, in conversation with Preethi Maroli, at the Jyothi Hall. Another panel ran alongside, at Darbar Hall, featuring noted director T.S. Nagabharana, Suresha B and Vivek.

"Literature festivals retain the individuality of our literature, besides enlightening people," said Mr Nagabharana. They described their experiences in film in a panel titled Chalanachithra Prapanchadalli Nirdeshakara Kamala. "Cinema is like a book. It should be read. I believe cinema is an education. The adaptation of a novel can be justified only when the basic concept of the writer is kept intact," he said.

Things took a turn for the political soon after that, as the late-comers arrived in time for the glamour of Saturday evening at a Lit Fest. Journalists Sreenivasan Jain (NDTV), Shanth Kumar and Vikram Muthanna took the stage to discuss, "Is the Fourth Pillar of Democracy still strong?"

Rajamatha Ms Pramoda Devi inaugurated the two-day festival, saying hardwork and collective responsibility are the key inputs for the success of an organisation. She lauded the Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and the Mysuru Book Clubs, the founders of the festival, for ther efforts. "It nourishes the love for literature and provides a platform for thought-provoking discussions," she said.

Girisha Mandalada Sutha Ondu Suthu - a panel paying tribue to Jnanapeeta awardee Girish Karnad, who passed away recently, had director Chaithanya Karehalli, Venkatesh Prasad and Bhagirathi Bai Kadam (director of Rangayana) recalled their experiences with the playwright. "Karnad reinvented himself constantly," said Chaithanya.