Who’s who on the menu: Novelists to actors, columnists to nutrition expert

BENGALURU: The #SweetLitTreat best describes the upcoming edition of

Times Litfest

. The line-up of 110 speakers features individuals from diverse fields, all of whom will sit down to share stories, weave new tales and provoke thought. At the festival that is centred on Astitva: Our Collective Being, here are some of the people you will get to meet and interact with.

Nayantara Sahgal is a veteran journalist and novelist. A member of the Nehru family — she is the second daughter of

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru — Sahgal’s books are evocative of the life and times she grew up in. A graduate of Wellesley College, she wrote her first book, Prison and Chocolate Cake, an autobiographical memoir of life as a member of the Nehru family, in 1954. Sehgal has written close to 18 books, including A Time to be Happy, Indira Gandhi’s Emergence and Style, and Before Freedom: Nehru’s Letters to His Sister 1909-1947. Her 1985 novel Rich Like Us won her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986. Sehgal returned it on October 6, 2015, to protest “increasing intolerance and supporting right to dissent in the country’’.

Shabana Azmi is a film, television and theatre actor. A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Azmi made her film debut in 1974 with Shyam Benegal’s critically acclaimed Ankur. She would go on to become one of the leading faces of India’s parallel cinema movement. The winner of five National Awards, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2012. Shabana is the daughter of eminent poet Kaifi Azmi and actor Shaukat Azmi, and is married to poet, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar.

Sanjay Khan is a film actor, producer and director. Debuting in Chetan Anand’s war film Haqeeqat, his popular movies include Ek Phool do Mali, Dhund and Upaasana. However, it was his magnum opus TV drama series, The Sword of Tipu Sultan, that made him a household name. Khan has recently been in the news for authoring his autobiography, The Best Mistakes of My Life. He is reportedly working on a second book.

Chetan Bhagat is the author of nine books, which include seven novels —

Five Point Someone

(2004), One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009), Revolution 2020 (2011), Half Girlfriend (2014), One Indian Girl (2016) and The Girl in Room 105 (2018) — and two non-fiction books, What Young India Wants (2012) and Making India Awesome (2015). Four of his five novels have been adapted into Bollywood films. Chetan writes columns for leading English and Hindi newspapers, focusing on youth and national development issues. He is also a motivational speaker and screenplay writer.

Shobhaa De is a noted columnist and novelist. Starting with Socialite Evenings in 1989, she has penned close to 18 books, including Sisters, Sultry Nights, Surviving Men and Shobha at Sixty. Seventy... and to Hell With It was her last published title. Given that her books take a close look at socialite lives, De is often referred to as Jackie Collins of India. She is known for her outspoken views and is a noted opinion-shaper. Her column in TOI, Politically Incorrect, is one of the most widely read.

Shashi Deshpande is a novelist and short-story writer with 11 novels, two crime novellas, a number of short-story collections, book of essays and four children’s books to her credit. Three of her novels have received awards, with her book That Long Silence winning the Sahitya Akademi award. Her works have been translated into various Indian and European languages. Her latest work is a book of memoirs, Listen to Me. She was awarded Padma Shri in 2008.

Rujuta Diwekar is one of India’s most-recognised and well-respected sports science and nutrition experts. A vocal champion of using common sense and uncomplicating the act of eating right, Diwekar has penned books that continue to define the discourse on food and exercise. Winner of the Nutrition Award from Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, she conforms to the adage, Eat Local, Think Global. Her books like Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight and Women and the Weightloss Tamasha, have sold more than 1 million copies in 7 languages.

Curated by festival director Vinita Dawra Nangia, get ready for #sweetlittreat on February 23 and 24 at Jayamahal Palace Grounds. Entry is free. For more details, visit timeslitfestbengaluru.com