Ooty Literary Festival 2025 Makes History

~40+ Eminent Speakers Explore Literature, Cinema, Politics and Mental Wellness at Historic Nilgiri Library Venue~

The 8th Ooty Literary Festival (OLF) 2025 concluded on March 15 at the historic Nilgiri Library, following two days of thought-provoking discussions, inspiring performances, and engaging storytelling. The theme of this year’s festival, ‘Stories That Kindle the Mind,’ gathered together over 40 distinguished speakers and an enthusiastic audience of 800–1,000 attendees, making it one of the most memorable OLF editions.

“We believe in the transformative power of stories. As Trustees, we are committed to ensuring the Ooty Literary Festival remains a haven for intellectual curiosity and artistic expression”, said Aroon Raman, Cyrus Bharucha, Geetha Srinivasan, Kalpana Kar and Titus Pinto – Trustees of Ooty Literary Festival. The festival began with a Badaga dance performance, a salute to the Nilgiris’ cultural heritage, setting the tone for the next two days of exchange of ideas. The ceremony started with a tree-planting ceremony led by Dr. Ganesh Devy, Lifetime Achievement Award winner, in appreciation of his efforts towards safeguarding India’s linguistic diversity followed by a keynote address, “Who Is an Indian? “, discussing how language, history, and culture construct India’s changing identity. The presence of District Collector Tmt. Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, who graced the key sessions and underscored the importance of the festival in promoting intellectual interaction, was complemented by the presence of N.S. Nisha, Superintendent of Police, Nilgiri District, whose reflections on literature and its role in shaping discourse added further depth to the discussions.

The different programmes of the festival ignited discussion on subjects ranging from literature to history, cinema, and contemporary socio-political concerns. The session ‘India’s Wars’ had Dr Srinath Raghavan, and Air Vice-Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (Retd) engage in a richly illuminating discussion over India’s defence strategies with Colonel Ajai Shukla (Retd) as the moderator.

The session ‘2024: The Elections That Surprised India’ had Rajdeep Sardesai and Sreenivasan Jain deconstructed the unexpected twists and turns on the Indian political terrain with profound reflections on voter sentiment and changing electoral dynamics.

A particularly electrifying session was Krish Srikkanth’s “Life’s Lessons from the 1983 World Cup,” where he shared personal experiences from India’s historic cricket victory. With humour, passion, and valuable reflections on perseverance and leadership, he kept the audience—especially students—highly engaged.

In the interview with Mani Ratnam, storytelling and cinema were discussed. The legendary director shared anecdotes from his life and how cinema impacts cultural narratives. A conversation with Sumantra Ghosal and Ustad Taufiq Qureshi made a fitting prelude to the screening of The Speaking Hand – a tribute to Zakir Hussain.

At the festival, special attention was given to Tamil folklore and literature. Dr. M.D. Muthukumaraswamy presented a thorough analysis of the oral tradition. It highlighted how the stories had built up the cultural identity of the people over a period of time. The discussion focused on how Tamils’ folklore has evolved in modern times, asserting its relevance.

Additionally Dr. Siddiq Wahid brought alive the forgotten saga of heroism and cosmic battles of Kesar of Ling, Tibet’s legendary warrior, vital to Tibetan heritage, emphasising the power of folklore and mythology in preserving shared history and memory.

The session “The Fullness of Life: Navigating Gender, Disability & Mental Wellness” brought together India’s leading clinical psychotherapists Sonali Gupta, Neha Bhat, Shreevatsa Nevatia, Debashis Paul, and moderator Smriti Rana, exploring personal anecdotes and social stories from their experiences on how gender, disability, and mental wellness shape our lived experiences and how identity, resilience is redefining wholeness in contemporary society.

Sonali Gupta expressed her gratitude towards the event, said, “Ooty Literary Festival 2025 was beautifully curated—it had warmth, intimacy, and moments to pause and ponder. A festival that can teach you attentive presence is rare and a privilege.”

Besides plenty of discussions, the participants had an experience of the art of storytelling. The workshop by Geeta Ramanujam brought stories alive. She explained how stories shape beliefs and shared folktales from across the globe, weaving universal magic through myths. At the same time, Rashmi and Jehangir Palkhivala’s Iyengar Yoga session focused on wellness and mindfulness, in an attempt to make yoga accessible to all.

The festival concluded with a stunning performance by TM Krishna, who presented the richness of Irula music in a unique collaboration with Irula tribal musicians. This fusion of classical and native traditions left people stunned at the richness of India’s musical heritage.

Attendees termed OLF 2025 as a journey beyond literature, a celebration of community, self-discovery, and conversation. One called it “a masterpiece of planning and execution—setting a new benchmark in Ooty.” Another, profoundly impacted by the mental wellness session, said, “This session made me realize that trauma never travels alone; it always has traveling companions. It was eye-opening to observe how intertwined our battles are.”

As the Ooty Literary Festival 2025 closed its chapter, a legacy of reflection and inspiration remained. With a still more exhilarating roster waiting in the wings, Ooty Literary Festival promises to build on the success with another event honoring literature, culture, and intellectual ferment. Keep track through our website and social media for news, speaker profiles, and announcements for the next instalment.