Myth and Memory | Amish and Shashi Tharoor in conversation | JLF London 2023

Myth and Memory | Amish and Shashi Tharoor in conversation | JLF London 2023

Myth plays an important part as a mediator of memory. Indic culture has a mythopoeic imagination and the two foundational texts of the Ramayana and Mahabharata are interpreted anew time and again. The Director of The Nehru Centre in London and the fastest-selling author in Indian publishing history, Amish's latest addition to hi
s Ram Chandra series, War of Lanka, brings together the narratives of Ram, Sita and Raavan in an epic tale of rage, grief, honour, love and ultimately, the victory of light over darkness. Iconic writer, diplomat and politician Shashi Tharoor is the author of books like Inglorious Empire, The Battle of Belonging and a work of fiction, The Great Indian Novel, which recasts characters from the Mahabharata in a contemporary light. Together, they examine the significance and interplay between memory, myth and culture.

Amish is a diplomat and author. His books have sold 6.5 million copies and been translated into 20 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. His Ram Chandra Series (4 of 5 books released) is the second-fastest-selling. Amish was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, and won the 21st Century Icon Award in the UK in 2021. In his diplomatic role, Amish works as the Minister (Culture & Education) at the Indian High Commission to the UK and is the Director of The Nehru Centre in London.

Shashi Tharoor, a third-term Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, is the bestselling author of twenty-four books, both fiction and non-fiction, besides being a former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and a former Minister of State for Human Resource Development and for External Affairs in the Government of India. He has won numerous awards, including the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, Tharoor was also awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in the category of ‘English Non-Fiction’ for his book An Era of Darkness. He chairs Parliament’s Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers and has previously chaired the Standing Committee on External Affairs and the Committee on Information Technology.

#MythAndMemory #JLFLondon2023 #AmishTripathi #ShashiTharoor #RamChandraSeries #WarOfLanka #IndicCulture #Ramayana #Mahabharata #MemoryAndMyth

[jamilkhan]

Brilliant discussion. The essence of Mahabharat highlighted by the two giants is an eye opener for me.Essentially all religions are accommodative but the vested interests and politicians make it problematic.

[miku]

We were taught about Monsoon season in Maharastra state board.. not sure which school Amish attended.

[chrissingh]

Always a joy to listen to your discussion Shashi ji.
Rajiv Gandhi would have enhanced your thoughts with his thorough knowledge of the Upanishads as he is teaching the French!!

[sampoornamkannan]

The elephant head on a human body only means this: marriage of Purusha and Prakrithi, post creation of a body (part of Prakrithi) in order to make it complete. Lord Ganapathy who exists in the Muladhara, where Parasakthi (Prakrithi after separation from her beloved) had established him before becoming Kundalini and going to yoganidra only to be reawakened, by the sadhana of the Jivathma, and going up the sushumna recapturing all the principles and Devas at different Chakras, for reunion with Lord Shiva (purusha or consciousness) at Brahmarandhra.
Brahmarandhra represents older version of the LHC of modern science.

[johnsonsrigiri]

Hats off to Sashi and his commitment to objectivity and Amish wordy and tricky and no wonder he mixes up fact with fiction and so playful and decietful. The man who asked the first question nailed it.

[aavakaaya]

Amish seems to be surprised that people are aware of other versions of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

[angshukNag]

4:19 .. Shashi tharoor says his side is slow to take offense. Correct, but only when its on Hindus. When its on muslims they react even before the act happens.

[whomraja]

Watch how logical Shashi is with Sanatan Dharma. He never even once wants to combine logic with Islam or Christianity as that would mean probable dismissal from congress party and riots in INDIA

[sampoornamkannan]

The history that one would like to categorise as Real, is ultimately only a fiction of his own expectations . All things or concepts held by a mind is a mental projection only. Reality is ever beyond mind and one cannot Realise it unless one surrenders his mind together with one's ego.

[parthdeepsingh]

Amish Tripathi is one of the best thing that happened to Indian as well as world literature.

[ananda]

MY OPINION WHY DONT U INVITE RAM GOPAL VARMA INSTEAD OF THROUGH GENTELMEN SHASHI THAROOR:BECUZ INHERENT RASCALS REQUIRED FOR SUCH DESKTOP CONVERSATIONS/ANAND VAIDYA

[miku]

Honestly I am surprised too how Immortals of Meluha was not criticized by the right wing 😅 love the book btw

[korathmathew]

The angrez in the crowd is conspicuous due to their ignorance. They have to look beyond the Indian history written by the British to rule India.
Two patriots presenting the glorious India unpalatable for the angrezi.

[jeanmenezes]

Sashi Taroor, you went to Convent schools and colleges which taught you English

[Piku.thinks]

Liberalism without a sense of extremism* 🙌

[monojdas-gupta]

Nobody talked about caste system the bane of Hinduism.To condemn a person because of accident of birth chips away veneration from this otherwise great faith. What this Mr Triphati did is to publish a dumbing down version of a great work of literature and philosophy. A great disservice to our profound heritage, I would think.

[prernakanakia]

fantasy fiction should be read as fantasy fiction. Game of thrones breaks all rules of known history, Dr Tharoor did you question the author if he is propagating ignorance?

[alter_ep]

I think Islam’s philosophy of God is derived from Brahman not the way Mr Tharoor says! Islam is so new that it doesn’t even hold a chance! That’s why Buddhism Jainism Sikhism came into the dharmik fold!!

[colarunjoshi]

Amish please do not waste your time with this "colonial mind set" "Hindu Pakistan " exponent, who is totally cluless about Sanatan Dharma. He was stripped bare by J Sai Deepak & Rajiv Mahlotra

[sumedhamukherjee]

Mr Tripathi is extremely creative but information wise no match for Dr Tharoor. His Iimitations are exacerbated by the lame moments of his surprise that the audience has read other versions of the epic. Maybe he is accustomed to a different or younger type of audience only.