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With hits and misses, Krithi Book Fair and Lit Fest makes its mark

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As the ten day long festival of book and literature comes to an end, here’s what the first ever international book fair and lit fest at Kochi looked like

Words by: Charishma Thankappan              Image Credits: Krithi Fest and FWD Media

Like a sparkling new book that one looks forward to with bated breath and itchy hands, the maiden edition of Krithi International Book Fair and International Festival of Books and Authors was awaited with much eagerness by books and literature enthusiasts from around the city. The image of the crow scrawled all over with Vylopilly’s poem Kaakka, the huge white posters with witty one-liners like ‘Kili varum’ only served to heighten the anticipation. And come March 1, the release day seemed to promise much, with it being a gala festival of more than just books and literature. But how did the story proceed? Read on to find out…

It has been a welcome festival much looked forward to by organisers and visitors alike. The Krithi International Book Fair and International Festival of Books and Authors has filled a space in the hollow absence of a quality literature festival and an arena that allowed book lovers to come together under the same roof.

The book fair, held at Marine Drive Ground, has seen over 100 stalls from various state, national, independent, and co-operative publication houses. It has attracted the young and old alike and seen the record footfalls of over 40,000 in one single day. The book fair also has amidst its stalls, two stages set up where book releases, poetry sessions, presentations, and allied activities have been taking place. Among prominent persons who have made their presence felt at the book fair were Shashi Tharoor, Kalamandalam Gopi Asan, and Mammootty.

Kumaran Asan’s biography by MK Sanu released by P Rajeev

The interesting chapters

Some of the highlights of the book fair venue include stalls that are dedicated to being knowledge providers beyond books. The Department of Archives, a stall on Muziris Heritage Project, and the Department of History from Calicut University have exhibited some of the historical secrets and findings unearthed in our own land.

Adjacent to the book stalls has been set up the huge Changampuzha stage, which has been the venue for the Krithi Arts Fest. Here is where the evenings were imbued with cultural hues as performances were held each evening, 6pm onwards, such as Kathakali, Nangiarkoothu, drama, violin concert, etc. The penultimate day of the book fest will see a performance of the band Agam on March 10, Saturday.

An equally important part of the book fair has been the Krithi Food Fest – a food court set up in the premises that serves to replenish the weary visitor with fresh refreshments in the form of hot meals, snacks, and beverages. With stalls from various organisations, notable among these have been the Jaxo Jackfruit Shop which specialises in numerous products that are made entirely with jackfruits, such as jackfruit chips, chilli jackfruit, jackfruit unniappam, jackfruit vada, etc. Another stall towards the end of the food court was a crowd puller, with two ladies preparing snacks such as rolls and cutlets made from kadachakka. They even elaborated upon the benefits of the fruit and how its versatility was unknown to the Malayalis.

The Krithi International Festival of Books and Authors that began on March 7, ran parallel to the book fair. A first of its kind in India, the book fair is the initiative of the Kerala government, which was held at Bolgatty Palace. Spanning five stages within the premises of Bolgatty Palace, the event saw the participation of several great minds who spoke on stirring subjects that spurred debates and discussions among the literary fraternity.  

Where the plot is killed

“The organisation of the fest has been quite abysmal; but hopefully things will improve the next time,” said Devyani, a writer from Delhi, who had come to visit the fest. The literary festival saw some engaging participation; however, was left wanting in footfalls. Most sessions showed a dismal performance of audience participation; while some sessions were a hearty sight, such as those of Perumal Murugan, Sachidanandan, NS Madhavan, Babu Thaliath, M Mukundan, Shashi Kumar, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, etc. The lack of footfall could be attributed to the choice of location of the literature fest, which was held in Bolgatty Palace, far from the heart of the city.

In some of the sessions, the topics given to the speakers left a lot to be desired in terms of depth. On the other hand, some of the speakers were a poor image of their fame when it came to in-depth analysis of subjects, with most of them missing the target completely and seemed to have forgotten what the topic was, and instead just talked what they wanted or knew.

Perhaps the dimmed spirit rubbed off on the audience as well, with audience interaction being minimal to nil in some of the sessions, while others asked questions that seemed to be for the sake of it. Yet, the Malayali audience seemed to be drawn towards politicisation of subjects regardless of their relevance to it. And not to mention, the audience behaviour also asked for a lot of discipline and courtesy, as several people walked off even in the middle of the sessions, which was a common sight in perhaps each of the sessions.

The Krithi Food Fest at Marine Drive was a sham as it was just a space with a few food stalls delivering the regular fare. It would have been better if there were more choices and number of stalls and cuisines to choose from.

The registration price of Rs 500 also came in for flak from several ends as the results that were delivered did not match up to the promises – securing front row seats in sessions that had hardly any participation, and providing of free lunch, which lacked choice and was restricted to a vegetarian meal of rice and a few curries.

Afterword

The book fair is at its fag end, and those who have not been able to experience it yet have a chance in these last two days, after which the book fair comes to an end on Sunday, March 11. In the end, it is a remarkable initiation by the government, in coordination with Sahithya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society (SPCS), and is something that needs our support as literature enthusiasts. More number of schools need to participate in the book fair by bringing in children, and a more convenient location of the literature fest needs to be considered next time. Till then, here’s to a great and promising start as we look forward to the sequel next year!

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Events

Celebrity Muses at Lakme Fashion Week 2024

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Celebrities from Bollywood create a lot of buzz every year when they appear in fashion shows as the faces of up-and-coming or established designers in the nation. Lakme Fashion Week is one such event where a large number of Bollywood designers participate. As anticipated, the LFW roster this year had a number of well-known names and was stylish as well. Numerous well-known figures, including Madhuri Dixit and Ananya Panday, sashayed down the ramp. Let’s examine a few of the most well-known figures seen this season on the ramp.

Ananya Pandey

Ananya Panday looked amazing on the catwalk as she paired an off-the-shoulder black petal dress with high-rise leather boots. Wearing a long ponytail and walking confidently, she looked stunning for designer Rahul Mishra.

Aditya Roy Kapur and Janhvi Kapoor

Walking for fashion brand Kalki, Janhvi Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur took the show on the road. Aditya Roy Kapur was spotted wearing a black sherwani with embellishments, while Janhvi Kapoor sported an off-the-shoulder silk shirt and a maroon mermaid skirt.

Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit wore a gorgeous black floral co-ord set with a stylish blazer that gave off business woman vibes for Ranna Gill. She accessorized with modest locks and maroon lips for a neutral makeup look. 

Shanaya Kapoor

On the other hand, Shanaya Kapoor was spotted walking the ramp for Anamika Khanna while sporting an oversized white shirt with embroidered details and high-rise boots.

Tripti Dimri

Tripti Dimri graced the ramp for Shantnu and Nikhil donning an exquisite floor-length silver skirt paired with a sleeveless black top, a chic belt, and a magnificent set of hand gloves. 

Tapsee Pannu

As she walked for Gauri & Nainika, Tapsee Pannu was also seen on the ramp wearing a gorgeous bodycon gown with a mermaid cut end.

Malaika Arora

Malaika Arora spun around in a gorgeous pastel lehenga adorned with golden flower embroidery while she walked the Lakme Fashion Week runway for Anushka Reddy.

Rakul Preet

Rakul Preet, the newest bride in town, was also spotted on the ramp, walking for Ritika Mirchandani while sporting a white crop top and a skirt with a high thigh slit.

Aditi Rao Hydari

In Nirmooha’s ‘Ekatra’ collection, Aditi Rao Hydari embodies royalty as she explores individualism with dark purple coordinated outfits embellished with geometric designs and a dash of shine. 

Divya Khosla

In Rajdeep Ranawat’s opulent ‘Nizam’ collection, which is made of silk and features vintage accents, Divya Khosla looks stunning. The collection is inspired by the grandeur of Lucknow and the royal jewels of Hyderabad.  

Sara Ali Khan

Varun Chakkilam’s ‘Lenora’ collection, which combines modern style with Hyderabadi cultural aspects in pearl grey embroidered lehengas, features Sara Ali Khan flashing burn marks.

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Events

Lakme Fashion Week Day 2 Highlights

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From March 13 to 17, Lakme Fashion Week was held at the famous Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, which is situated in the center of the Bandra Kurla Complex. Lakme Fashion Week 2024 covered every genre, with an insightful and diverse list of designers showcasing their work. Collections included haute couture, street style, country wear, gothic vampire inspired, 1800s cowboy tribes, Indian bridal, Venetian tea party, and Victorian gowns. It’s time to break down some of the major SS’24 fashion trends as fashion week just ended. Sustainable Fashion Day, held on Day 2 of Lakme Fashion Week in collaboration with FDCI, featured some incredibly stunning runway looks. 

Til, Yavi, and Inca’s Collection

With their current collection, Inca, Til, and Yavi showcased sustainable design with clothing that promised both unparalleled comfort and glamour. In her role as Inca India’s show stopper, actor Dia Mirza dominated the show. Wearing an opulent all-black suit from their “Love is a Verb” collection, Mirza strutted down the runway. The collection complemented the concept of the event and was influenced by traditional artisan skills and repurposed materials.

Gaurang Shah’s Designs in Pink Hues

Gaurang’s “Gulaal” Lakme Fashion Week Spring/Festive collection. Lehengas and sarees with long-forgotten embroidery, such as Mochi, Parsi Gada, Petite Point, Kasuti, Phulkari, Kutch, and Kashmiri, were featured in the collection in the adaptable color pink.

Tea Cultures of the World x Chola 

With a focus on inclusivity and authenticity, Chola by Sohaya Misra and Tea Culture of the World honoured the merging of fashion and tea culture, embodying confidence, individualism, and empowerment. The collection’s runway was lit up by actresses Neha Dhupia and Konkona Sensharma’s stunning walks in black and white costumes.

U’Core by Urvashi Kaur

In Urvashi Kaur’s U’Core, contrasting selvedges were prominently featured. Her mother, Anupama Singh, along with notable models like Ratna Pathak Shah, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Mallika Dua, Faraz Ansani, Shweta Tripathi, and Santanu Hazarika, showcased the collection’s artistry through stitch line details and hand block printing.

R|Elan X JJV Kapurthala

On Day 2 of Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakme Fashion Week, style and sustainability were guaranteed by the R|Elan X JJV Kapurthala collection. JJV incorporates ethical practices into its design philosophy in a seamless manner, improving garment performance and decreasing textile waste.

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Events

Sparkling Day 1 : Lakme Fashion Week

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With the much awaited Lakme Fashion Week held in the nation’s capital in association with the FDCI, fashion week is officially underway. Every year, people in the apparel business and fashion aficionados alike look forward to this event.

For almost 25 years, Lakme Fashion Week has been creating legendary displays, and there are no plans to stop. The first day of the five-day event featured a star-studded lineup at the runways, including Jim Sarbh, Hina Khan, and Alaya F in addition to Kalki Koechlin.

The Ramp Walk of Karishma Tanna

Karishma Tanna stunned on the catwalk with her stunning INIFD Launchpad ensemble. The “Scoop” actress turned heads with her gorgeous all-black Yashi Gada costume.

“A Periwinkle Wednesday” Collection by SWGT

The most intriguing collection from SWGT is undoubtedly “A Periwinkle Wednesday,” which takes its cues from the designer’s first iteration of love. The compilation honors love in all its tender, humorous, poetic, entrancing, and even frivolous forms.

Launch of a Magazine

The 2024–25 Fashion X Beauty Lakmē Fashion Week Trend Edition, designed by Peclers Paris, was also unveiled on the first day. The trend journal offered a preview of what to expect from the next fashion season via the eyes of multi-cultural trend forecasters.

The “Sun and Moon” Collection by Archana Rao

The “Sun and Moon” collection by Archana Rao was incredibly fascinating since it celebrates the natural harmony between the sun and moon while simultaneously emphasizing their striking contrasts.

The Most Recent Collection of Rajesh Pratap

The collection by La Martina X Rajesh Pratap Singh pays homage to the close relationship between Polo and Jaipur. The designs successfully highlighted the city’s rich cultural heritage and close connections to the game.

Samant Chauhan’s Collection of Ice Watches

Designer Samant Chauhan’s “Ice Watch” showcased superb craftsmanship and creative use of embroidery and shapes. Whites and blues, layers and ruffles, and a tonne of volume made up the mood board. Jim Sarbh, an actor, walked for Chauhan wearing all-white clothing.

A cocktail collection by Geisha Designs

Paras and Shalini, the designer team at Geisha Designs, served up cocktail and evening wear for men and women for the first time that day. Alaya F, a teenage actress who was observed wearing a lavishly embroidered pant and bustier combo, was chosen as their show stopper. 

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