Exclusive report from the Jaipur ‘celebrity festival’

Cineswami decided to take a punt and brave the cold, not to mention the crowds of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, only to find that the literature has firmly taken a backseat to celebrity culture. Thanks to the festival being free to all, the crowds have ballooned, resulting in a free for all. Crowds are meat and drink to celebrities (however minor) who give two hoots for literature but will do anything to soak up the adulation of adoring audiences. Thus Kabir Bedi was present at the opening night along with his helpmeet Parveen. They disappeared from sight soon enough. Leading independent filmmaker Ketan Mehta was there with his consort Deepa Sahi, but since all the literary sessions were packed solid by the junta, they were wandering around on the sidelines. Vidhu Vinod Chopra was present with his talented author daughter and they were having a good time. Click here to read more