Curtains fall on Vadodara Literature Festival 2017

Vadodara: The first edition of

Vadodara Literature Festival

(VLF) ended here on Sunday on a successful note amid great celebrations.

Popular Gujarati actor Malhar Thakar, actor Abhinay Banker, and noted documentary film-maker Dhiru Mistry talked about fusion of literature with cinema in their panel discussion.

“Gujarati actors and the industry has struggled due to lack of sufficient promotion and reach,” said Abhinay Banker, who starred in the 2012 hit, ‘Kevi Rite Jaish’.

Things are looking up, however. “Many youngsters are looking at new ways of directing and making films. The industry is hiring younger writers now who can relate to the times and write scripts and stories accordingly,” said Malhar Thakar, who has acted in Gujarati blockbusters such as ‘Chhello Divas’ (2015) and ‘Thai Jashe!’ (2016).

Former dean of Faculty of Performing Arts at MSU, Mahesh Champklal, who was a part of the panel, also praised the lit fest. “Literature and cinema are two big pillars of the arts. Their coming together in such a big way is a good thing,” he said.

Journalist turned author Kusum Chopra was in conversation with author Utkarsh Patel. They talked about women in literature and the cause of feminism in world literature.

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