Writers, intellectuals and students gather for ‘Conversation with the Arts’ at Heggodu in Shivamogga

Writers, intellectuals, critics and literature students from across Karnataka and beyond have gathered at Ninasam in Heggodu, Sagar taluk, for the ‘Kalegala Sangada Matukate’ (Conversation with the Arts). The five-day event, running from October 1 to 5, is a contemporary variant of the ‘Culture Course’ that Ninasam has hosted annually for several decades.

During the event, the quiet village takes on a lively, festive air. Local garment makers set up stalls, while participants — ranging from undergraduate students to senior professors and retired professionals — move freely across the Ninasam campus, continuing conversations that began indoors. Between sessions, they discuss the previous evening’s play, the performances by the Ninasam Tirugata artists, the music and the lectures. After each discussion, they break briefly for tea, coffee and snacks before returning to the seminar hall. During these interludes, Ninasam artists often enthral the gathering with theatre songs performed on campus grounds.

Arindam Chakrabarti, visiting professor of Philosophy at Ashoka University, inaugurated the event on Thursday. The guest list includes political scientist Gopal Guru, retired professor and scholar Krishnamurthy Hanur, Manu Devadevan of IIT Mandi, writers Vivek Shanbhag and Guruprasad Kaginele, filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, and critic M.S. Ashadevi. Alongside sessions on current trends in literature and translation, the programme features presentations and performances across several art forms, each followed by open discussion.

The evening programmes opened on October 1 with Ninasam’s production of Andhayuga, directed by M. Ganesh. On Friday, the Tirugata troupe staged Paduka Kireeti, directed by Manju Kodagu. On Saturday morning, participants reflected on the production, praising the performances and the nuanced portrayals of Rama, Kaikeyi and Manthara. Moved by the response, Mr. Kodagu said he felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Ninasam and direct the play for the troupe.

This was followed by a discussion on Kannada literature and culture and the challenges writers face today, moderated by young storyteller Padmanabh Bhat Shevkar, with Mr. Shanbhag and Mr. Kaginele. The conversation turned on what constitutes the “new” in writing — form, content, or both — and on how the past and experiences of migration continue to shape a writer’s vision.

Mr. Shanbhag expressed quiet optimism about the younger generation. He saw no reason for alarm over young people’s absorption in Instagram reels. “In fact, many youngsters read long-form texts. There has been an increase in demand for long-form writing. I am hopeful about the choices of the youth,” he said. Mr. Kaginele, who practises medicine in the United States, spoke of how his professional life feeds directly into his fiction.

The evening programmes are held in the recently renovated Shivarama Karanth Rangamandira, Ninasam’s dedicated theatre auditorium. On Sunday, Ank (Mumbai) will present Sita Banbas, directed by Atul Tiwari. The festival concludes on Monday with a Hindustani music concert by Siddhartha Belmannu.