Latest news with #KhushwantSingh
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Khushwant Singh litfest makes Oxford debut with message of peace across borders
The Khushwant Singh Literary Festival (KSLF), now in its seventh London edition, made a stirring debut in Oxford with a strong message of building bridges in times of global unrest. Bringing alive many of Khushwant Singh's enduring passions — heritage and ecological preservation, cross-border ties between India and Pakistan, and the shared poetic legacy of South Asia — the Oxford edition was hosted in collaboration with the University of Oxford and the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, among other partners. This year's theme, 'Humanity Across Borders,' framed the entire discourse as a tribute to the prolific and iconoclastic author's values. The opening session featured novelist and literary agent Keshava Guha, who discussed his second book, The Tiger's Share, with Somerville College alumna and novelist Francesca Kay. The novel delves into the complexities of contemporary Delhi society, unspooling themes of ecological crisis and familial tensions. Another highlight was the discussion between science writer Matt Ridley and infectious disease epidemiologist Dr Sunetra Gupta on Ridley's latest book, Birds, Sex and Beauty. The two examined recent developments in evolutionary theory with wit and depth, before turning to a contentious debate on the origins of the Covid-19 virus. Ridley, grandson of British architect Edwin Lutyens, spoke of his family's links with Khushwant Singh's father, Sir Sobha Singh, while defending the lab-leak theory—a position Gupta firmly challenged. The Oxford edition also deepened the bond between India and Somerville College, whose historic connection includes early Indian women scholars like Princesses Catherine and Bamba Duleep Singh —daughters of Maharaja Duleep Singh and pioneers in the suffragette movement — as well as Indira Gandhi, who studied at Somerville before becoming India's first woman prime minister.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
India's first upcoming AI film gets global attention at Cannes
Clips from Maharaja in Denims, poised to be India's first full-length AI-generated feature film, have emerged as a striking proof of concept for the future of cinema at the ongoing Festival de Cannes. Based on Chandigarh-based author Khushwant Singh's novel of the same name, the movie has been generating buzz after Tony DeRosa-Grund, creator of The Conjuring universe, signed a five-movie slate with the tech start-up producing the film and announced the collaboration at the festival. The novel narrates the story of a privileged Chandigarh teenager who believes he is the reincarnation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a 1984 anti-Sikh riot victim. With its layered timelines and historical scale, the film would traditionally require a massive budget — yet it is now being produced through AI at one-tenth the cost. This pioneering foray into Hollywood places India at the forefront of storytelling through technological innovation. Earlier this May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit in Mumbai, aimed at positioning India as a leading global player in entertainment technology. Maharaja in Denims is being produced by Intelliflicks Studio, a Chandigarh-based company currently in the production stage of the film, which is expected to release in August-September. The studio was founded in 2023 following a chance conversation between author Khushwant Singh and Gurdeep Singh Pall, the former vice-president of incubations at Microsoft. 'Gurdeep wanted to test the viability of producing a full feature film using AI tools based on my novel, and that's how we set up Intelliflicks,' said Khushwant, who is also co-founder of the studio along with Gurdeep. 'AI is no longer a conceptual future—it's a present force that enables films to be made that studios once deemed impossible due to cost or scale,' Gurdeep said. 'I'm thrilled to see this journey unfold,' said DeRosa-Grund. 'The concept of proof laid out through the clips of Maharaja in Denims has passed the litmus test in filmmaking. However, given the role of technology, our approach will not be to replace artists through AI — but to unleash them. This new medium isn't a prediction of what's coming. It's a production of what's now.'
