Children take centre stage at prelude to Times litfest

BENGALURU: One of the roles Emraan Hashmi would enjoy playing is Batman. “That way I can finally tell my son that I am in fact his Batman,“ Hashmi said, discussing his book, Kiss of Life, with co-author Bilal Siddiqi at the prelude to the Times Litfest, presented by ACT Fibernet, on Saturday.The book details his six-year-old son's struggle with cancer.
“My son loves Batman.We made everything about Batman. That extended to the hospital when needles were jammed in his hand. He still doesn't know that I pretended to be Batman calling him,“ he said to the huge crowd that mobbed him after the talk.
The crowd at the prelude to the Times Litfest on Saturday.
Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield was abuzz all of Saturday as book lovers participated in the prelude to the Times Litfest. Seven authors, a theatre performance and a folkrock show gave the city a taste of what the main festival will bring next weekend.
Actor, author and activist Nandana Dev Sen led the crowd through an animated reading of her new bilingual book for children, Not Yet!, earlier in the day. “There's a lot of pressure on children to be good at everything. This makes it difficult for them to embrace who they truly are,“ she said.
Actor and writer Nandana Dev Sen led an interactive and enjoyable reading for children.
Mythology , history and fun came together with a reading of Arshia Sattar's Ramayana for Children. Young adults got their fill with inspirational novelist Savi Sharma, who said it took her four years to get published but that with patience and belief, nothing is impossible.
To mark 200 years of Jane Austen, Arundhati Raja, Jagadish Raja, Rebecca Spur geon and Ashvin Matthew of Jagriti Theatre read her letters and from Pride and Prejudice.
Author Dilip D'Souza kept children guessing with math tricks. “I loved the games,“ said Atharv Krishna, 8.
Going by the excitement at the prelude, it's time to mark next weekend on your calendar for an interesting, informative and fun Times Litfest.
The Times Litfest, presented by ACT Fibernet, will be held on February 11 and 12 at Jayamahal Palace, Bengaluru, from 10.30am.