In this blogpost, we share the recent disruptions in India’s Literary and cultural circuits.
Recently, two separate literary and cultural events in India witnessed last-minute cancellations involving scheduled speakers and sessions. Though unrelated in nature, both incidents have drawn attention within literary and academic circles due to the circumstances under which the decisions were taken.
The cancellations occurred at Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and at a university-organised Urdu literary event, and were reported by multiple media outlets.
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival: Session on Incarceration Withdrawn Following Police Advisory
At the 2025 edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) in Mumbai, organisers cancelled a scheduled literary session focused on incarceration and prisons. According to media reports, the decision followed an advisory issued by the Mumbai Police.
Reports state that the police informed the festival organisers that if the session was not cancelled, the entire festival could be shut down. In addition, organisers were reportedly asked to remove promotional creatives related to the session from public and digital platforms.
The session was part of the festival’s literature programme and was expected to discuss incarceration from social and legal perspectives. Following the police advisory, the session was removed from the official schedule. No written order from the police was made public, and the advisory was reportedly communicated verbally.
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival organisers acknowledged the cancellation but did not issue a detailed public statement outlining the specifics of the police communication. The festival continued with the remainder of its scheduled programming.
The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is one of Mumbai’s largest annual cultural events, held in a public space and requiring multiple civic and law enforcement permissions.
The move sparked discussion within literary and academic circles, with several writers and scholars expressing concern about the narrowing space for discussions on structural and social issues. Others pointed out the logistical and regulatory pressures large public festivals face, particularly in metropolitan cities where permissions and security considerations play a significant role in programming decisions.
Jashn-e-Urdu at Mumbai University: Naseeruddin Shah Disinvited
In a separate incident, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah disclosed that he was disinvited from Jashn-e-Urdu, a literary event organised by the Urdu Department of Mumbai University, scheduled for February 1.
Shah shared the information in a newspaper column, stating that the disinvitation occurred at the last moment. In his column, he wrote that he had been looking forward to the event, particularly because it involved interacting with university students. (Read the whole column)
According to Shah’s account, no formal explanation was offered publicly at the time of the disinvitation. The organisers did not issue an official statement detailing the reasons behind the decision. As a result, the episode has largely been discussed through Shah’s own words and subsequent media coverage.
No official public statement detailing the reasons for the disinvitation was issued by the organisers at the time of reporting. There were no reports indicating that the cancellation followed a police advisory.
The event was organised within a university setting and was intended as an academic and cultural engagement centred on Urdu language and literature.
Unlike the Kala Ghoda incident, this was not reported to be linked to any police advisory. The decision appears to have been an internal one taken by the organisers or the institution hosting the event.
The incident prompted renewed debate around academic and literary spaces, especially within universities, which are traditionally viewed as environments for open discussion and engagement with diverse viewpoints. Shah’s emphasis on student interaction underscored the educational dimension of such events, beyond public performance or celebrity appearances.
A Broader Pattern of Caution
While the two incidents occurred in different contexts—one at a public arts festival and the other within a university setting—they point toward a broader pattern of caution shaping literary and cultural programming.
Event organisers today operate within intersecting pressures: administrative approvals, security considerations, public sentiment, institutional accountability, and reputational risk. Decisions to cancel or withdraw sessions are often framed as pragmatic rather than ideological, but they inevitably raise questions about the shrinking space for difficult or sensitive conversations.
Topics such as incarceration, dissent, or the inclusion of outspoken public figures increasingly appear to be treated as potential flashpoints rather than opportunities for dialogue.
What This Means for Literary and Academic Spaces
These developments have led to wider conversations across literary, publishing, and academic communities:
- How much autonomy do cultural and educational institutions have in curating programming?
- Are literary festivals and university events becoming more risk-averse?
- What does this mean for authors, thinkers, and students seeking engagement beyond the written word?
There are no straightforward answers. Festivals and universities are not insulated from the realities of governance and public scrutiny. At the same time, literature and cultural discourse have historically played a role in examining precisely those realities.
Whether this moment reflects a temporary phase of caution or signals a longer-term shift in how literary conversations are hosted remains an open question—one that writers, readers, and institutions will continue to grapple with.
Both incidents occurred within institutional and public-event frameworks that involve administrative oversight, permissions, and logistical coordination. Large-scale cultural festivals and university-hosted events in India operate within regulatory environments that may influence programming decisions.
As India’s literary ecosystem continues to evolve, these incidents serve as reminders that public platforms for discussion are shaped as much by institutional frameworks as by creative intent. While books continue to be written and read, the spaces that allow for live engagement around them are increasingly negotiated and carefully managed.
Leave a Reply