India major topic of conversation - tonight @DalrympleWill; tomorrow @CGIManchester @arora_sanam @manasamitraUK @AmritaTina and Assad Laljee @AvidLearning exploring cultural and education alliances - @UoYMumbai - join us yorkfestivalofideas.com/2026… @SanjoyRoyTWA @DalrympleWill

#LeenaJaisani I received the news late last night from a colleague of hers:Leena had passed away at 8.45 pm on Sunday after having a massive heart attack. For me,Leena was FICCI;FICCI was Leena. In her passing, FICCI, and indeed the media and entertainment industry,has lost one of their most hardworking, sincere & professional proponents. Leena had joined FICCI around the same time that I had joined GOI. We first met in 2012 when I was posted as Director Films in I&B Ministry. We hit it off immediately.The reason was our shared values.I realized rather late in life that we were both hardworking and under-appreciated women in the workforce.Both of us worked for the creative sector,not for any individual or boss.Whatever we did was for the promotion of cinema and culture.We never gave a thought to promoting ourselves. There were so many initiatives in the field of cinema I took up during my I&B stint where I leaned freely upon Leena. Whether it was the setting up of the national institute of animation and gaming, or the single window clearance for shooting of films,whenever I needed to engage with important stakeholders,I would ask Leena "Can you please help?" and her standard reply was, "Absolutely, Ma'am". Her sincerity and integrity were beyond doubt. We also shared a genuine respect for artists and valued their time. I was browsing through my old emails today when I found an example of our shared values,from one of the festivals where the organizers had mixed up the dates and expected two artists to just show up despite their own commitments. Leena and I spoke in one voice :it was unfair for us to expect busy professional actors to change their shooting schedules for us. We decided we would rather not have the panel,than to insist that the actors accommodate our requirements. Our finest collaboration happened at @Festival_Cannes 2014.During the previous two years,NFDC had run the show. In 2014 the Ministry decided to go big. With Leena's help I managed to book the largest and most prominent national pavilion at Cannes. Instead of one big India Party we arranged smaller B to B meetings with foreign delegations at Cannes. We really worked hard to set up these meetings. And for the first time ever we published an India Film Guide at Cannes. For getting the same off the ground, Leena arranged my meetings with different associations around the country including in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Then there were the exciting panel discussions we organized/collaborated in at different fora over the years-at @IFFIGoa,@filmbazaarindia, @FICCIFRAMES,Centenary Film festival @AvidLearning etc. Leena added so much value to my work. It was at Cannes 2014 that we got an opportunity to finally bond as women(I have found that tours are always a great way to bond with colleagues,especially women). It so happened that I took a code shared Air India-Air France flight from Delhi to Paris and Paris to Nice.I landed in Nice late evening only to be told that Air India couldn't find my bags. They said they will try to locate these at Paris and that it could take 1-2 days for the bags to reach me. After a wait of nearly two hours at Nice airport,they gave me a Tshirt and a toothbrush kit for the night. When I reached my Cannes hotel it was around 11pm. I suddenly realized that I had left my Thyroid pills in my suitcase which had gone missing. I had to take one first thing in the morning. Someone from the embassy was going to give me some local currency for spending the next morning. So here I was without any cash and no clue where to get medicines from. I realized that it would be impossible to source Thryornorm in Cannes,a touristy and bloody expensive town. Leena came to my rescue like an angel that night.She was carrying her thyroid medication and gave me some.Our third musketeer, @_apoorvasri,the then First Secretary in Embassy of Paris, joined us the next day and brought over a suitcase full of sarees for me(1/2) @asadlalljee @SanjoyRoyTWA

Was a really nice panel discussion organised in @TIFRScience with @AvidLearning on impact of AI on environment and how policies surrounding data centres are quite loose. Few takeaways:- 1) Data centres use ~150B Litres/year, but according to stakeholders -water risk is seen as low. Agriculture uses ~1200× more water. 2) Even though India produces 1/5th of the world's data, it does not have a solid grip on the data. This data should remain in India and should be used by the people of India. 3) Policy gaps: No national framework; regulations are loose; even Maharashtra (25% share of datacentres in India) lacks water-use policy. 4) Rapid expansion driven by incentives, but capital costs, environmental impact, and issues like noise pollution remain under-explored. 5)“Frugal AI” may help reduce energy demand. Local small LLMs could be the answer to increasing energy demands while also improving hardware built around AI. India is still at the infancy stage of AI adoption and development. Proper policies can their enforcement can help make it sustainable.

Attended an excellent Masterclass on "Creating Characters for Fiction" taken by National Award-winning film writer @satysingh(his latest work on OTT was #BlackWarrant) today .I even won a FiveStar chocolate for answering a question correctly :D Thank you, team @AvidLearning for curating such a wonderful learning experience for us. I'll be back (knees permitting :))

#Mumbai readers, join us for the launch of Jnanpith Award–winning author @GhoshAmitav’s latest work of fiction, Ghost-Eye, on 8 January, 6:30 PM onwards, at @MumbaiOpera. The author will be in conversation with journalist and author @rkarnad, discussing the novel’s themes, inspirations, and the craft behind this remarkable new work. RSVP here: avidlearning.in/event-detail… @AvidLearning @litlivemumbai #READWithHarperCollins

TIFR Art and Archives in collaboration with @AvidLearning @mumbai_ngma presents a panel discussion on "Living Seas: Towards a Sustainable Marine Future" on Wed Dec 10, 2025 at the Homi Bhabha Auditorium @TIFRScience - A vital conversation for our coastal Maximum City

We are at @AsiaticSocMum for the launch of Mumbai: A Million Islands by Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah), Founder Editor of The Wire. In conversation with Naresh Fernandes (@tajmahalfoxtrot), Editor of Scroll.in, Bhatia takes us through an urgent deep dive into India’s most dynamic metropolis and the struggles of those it leaves behind. @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

Glimpses from the Mumbai launch of author @SanjoyRoyTWA’s remarkable debut, There’s a Ghost in My Room, at @MumbaiOpera. In conversation with novelist and columnist @DeShobhaa, he reflected on the experiences that shaped this hauntingly memorable book. The evening also featured evocative readings by Artistic Director, Theatre Producer, and Actor Shernaz Patel, as well as a thrilling performance by a talented young band. @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

#Mumbai readers, join us in celebrating the launch of Mumbai: A Million Islands by author and Founder Editor, The Wire, Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah), on 2 December at 6:30 PM at Durbar Hall, @AsiaticSocMum. The author will be in conversation with Naresh Fernandes (@tajmahalfoxtrot), Editor, Scroll.in, about his piercing exploration of a city in the throes of relentless transformation. RSVP here: avidlearning.in/event-detail… @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

You have to know your audience and be humbled by them when you consider design and curation within the idea of a museum today. Nandini Sampat speaks with @asadlalljee at Cultural Continuum @ficci_india @AvidLearning

Lots of money is being spent on large-scale museum projects, whereas what's required is Museums in busses or within communities. @ratanbatliboi speaking at Cultural Continuum @ficci_india @AvidLearning @asadlalljee

Three icons define the landscape of Bombay - its libraries, cinema art, and historic gates. Join QoC's founder editor @smrutibombay, on 19th Nov. at @mumbai_ngma for an exciting session on the 'Icons of Bombay.' Register here: avidlearning.in/event-detail… @AvidLearning

An evening steeped in poetry and reflection at @MumbaiOpera celebrated the legendary #Gulzar. The eminent writer engaged in a soulful conversation with @prasoonjoshi_, sharing insights from his journey with his inimitable grace. Read the full feature in @mid_day: mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-ne… @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

Thank you for the overwhelming response to an evening celebrating the legendary #Gulzar. While in-person registrations are now closed, you can still join us via the live stream here: youtube.com/live/YkGXGtbu5NQ… @MumbaiOpera @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

We are delighted to invite you to an evening of poetic artistry and musical brilliance as we celebrate the legendary #Gulzar on 13th September, 6:30 PM onwards, at @MumbaiOpera. The evening will feature a keynote address by poet, lyricist, and screenwriter @prasoonjoshi_, followed by a conversation with Gulzar Saab. The celebration will conclude with a spellbinding performance by renowned musician #NehaKarode.  RSVP here: avidlearning.in/event-detail…  @AvidLearning #READWithHarperCollins

Looking forward to this panel discussion at Homi Bhabia Auditorium, Sept 11th, 6.30 pm. Admission is free - registration required. What a terrific chance to listen to experts discuss the impact of climate change on biodiversity and the impact on ecosystems @AvidLearning Please RT

Some more pics from the @AvidLearning event at @mumbai_ngma

My prized picture from yesterday's @AvidLearning event. With veterans @cricketwallah and Rafique Baghdadi

My professor is in this picture :).

Last evening at @mumbai_ngma moderated an interesting panel discussion hosted by @AvidLearning on the Icons of Bombay: Local Trains, Cricket Maidans & Forts. The conversation delved on each of these emblems that have seen transformation of Bombay to the Mumbai we all know today. Here’s the live to anyone wanting watch it: m.youtube.com/live/AclQLM5ya…