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In pics: Celebrity spotting at Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025 on inaugural day at Allen Park

Usha Uthup, Ila Arun & Milind Soman lend glam quotient to annual date of books, authors and invigorating sessions

My Kolkata Web Desk Published 10.01.25, 08:43 PM
(Clockwise from top left) Maina Bhagat, director, Oxford Bookstores and Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025, speaks at its inauguration at Allen Park on Park Street on Friday; chief guest Usha Uthup gives an impromptu performance and along with Ila Arun releases a book ‘Shyam Benegal: A film-maker of Real India’ by Arjun Sengupta
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(Clockwise from top left) Maina Bhagat, director, Oxford Bookstores and Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025, speaks at its inauguration at Allen Park on Park Street on Friday; chief guest Usha Uthup gives an impromptu performance and along with Ila Arun releases a book ‘Shyam Benegal: A film-maker of Real India’ by Arjun Sengupta

Photographs by Amit Datta and Soumyajit Dey
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(Top) Neeta Sreedharan a session ‘The Body Beautiful’ with fitness guru Milind Soman and Ankita Konwar at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025 at Allen Park on Park Street on Friday and (above) fans seek autographs from Soman at the venue
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(Top) Neeta Sreedharan a session ‘The Body Beautiful’ with fitness guru Milind Soman and Ankita Konwar at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2025 at Allen Park on Park Street on Friday and (above) fans seek autographs from Soman at the venue

Amita Prasad moderated a session ‘Photographs and Memories’ on the role of memory, personal histories and oral narratives with Brinda Crishna, Tapti Roy, Sarmistha Datta Gupta and Ramona Sen
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Amita Prasad moderated a session ‘Photographs and Memories’ on the role of memory, personal histories and oral narratives with Brinda Crishna, Tapti Roy, Sarmistha Datta Gupta and Ramona Sen

The attendees put their hands together during one of the sessions
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The attendees put their hands together during one of the sessions

Among the sip and bite stalls for the lit fest visitors at Allen Park was the Oxford Bookstores stall selling table coasters, mugs and other Kolkata-related souvenirs
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Among the sip and bite stalls for the lit fest visitors at Allen Park was the Oxford Bookstores stall selling table coasters, mugs and other Kolkata-related souvenirs

Bookworms attending the lit fest were spotted checking out the latest covers on display at the stalls
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Bookworms attending the lit fest were spotted checking out the latest covers on display at the stalls

As people began to trickle into the lit fest through the Allen Park gates, they were greeted rows of neatly stacked up titles at the Oxford Bookstores stall
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As people began to trickle into the lit fest through the Allen Park gates, they were greeted rows of neatly stacked up titles at the Oxford Bookstores stall

Towards late afternoon, Sujata Sen moderated a session ‘Wonder Women Trailblazers of 19th century Bengal’ with Madhurima Vidyarthi on Doctor Kadambini Ganguly and Saptarshi Mallick on the travelogue of Lady Abala Bose
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Towards late afternoon, Sujata Sen moderated a session ‘Wonder Women Trailblazers of 19th century Bengal’ with Madhurima Vidyarthi on Doctor Kadambini Ganguly and Saptarshi Mallick on the travelogue of Lady Abala Bose

As dusk fell and the evening sessions got underway, foreign spectators were spotted watching the discussions attentively
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As dusk fell and the evening sessions got underway, foreign spectators were spotted watching the discussions attentively

Ila Arun and Usha Uthup in attendance on Friday evening. Ila later hosted a session ‘Curtain Up! Parde ke Peechhey’ on her multi-faceted life in theatre, cinema and music, along with actor-director Vinay Sharma
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Ila Arun and Usha Uthup in attendance on Friday evening. Ila later hosted a session ‘Curtain Up! Parde ke Peechhey’ on her multi-faceted life in theatre, cinema and music, along with actor-director Vinay Sharma

British deputy high commissioner in Kolkata Andrew Fleming (extreme right) and Nusrat F Jafri were spotted amid the spectators enjoying the lit fest
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British deputy high commissioner in Kolkata Andrew Fleming (extreme right) and Nusrat F Jafri were spotted amid the spectators enjoying the lit fest

As darkness fell, book lovers could still be streaming into the venue in the hunt for interesting reads on the sidelines of the annual lit fest. The literary meet will continue till January 12, Sunday
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As darkness fell, book lovers could still be streaming into the venue in the hunt for interesting reads on the sidelines of the annual lit fest. The literary meet will continue till January 12, Sunday

RELATED TOPICS

Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) Authors Apeejay Surrendra Group Allen Park Park Street Books Winter Fairs Milind Soman Usha Uthup Ila Arun Andrew Fleming
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