The Khushwant Singh Lit Fest saw a mix of women from different fields and walks of life. In a conversation with journalist, columnist and author Madhu Jain, one initiates the conversation by quizzing her is about the women factor and their presence at the fest.
About which she says, “Women read more and are interested in literary writings than men. The questions asked here were also very interesting. I think Chandigarh is even an active hub.”
Jain who studied at Connecticut College in the United States, Masters in literature from Delhi University and French literature from Sorbonne in Paris. She started her career as a reporter for the Statesman. She was also the New Delhi correspondent with the French national daily, La Croix, for a decade before she joined India Today in 1986 to 2000. Since then she has written for several publications, including Outlook and the Hindu, on contemporary life, art and cinema.
Jain who is the author of ‘The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema is currently the editor of IQ, a quarterly magazine. If Manju has to describe IQ in few words, she says IQ is about ‘life’.
{{/usCountry}}Jain who is the author of ‘The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema is currently the editor of IQ, a quarterly magazine. If Manju has to describe IQ in few words, she says IQ is about ‘life’.
{{/usCountry}}“There are many people who want to write. Writers are usually looking for the right space. Also on TV everything is so fragmented. Even readers searches for good stuff. I think, it’s a great time for features also. Everyone is so curious to know everything. The credit for which undoubtedly goes to social networking sites. People write, recommend and suggest. This gives rise to hunger for knowing more.”
Talking about the readers of IQ which are mostly youngsters, she says, “I don’t know why the youth is taken for granted. Why are they considered the most non-serious people? Tell me which generation didn’t say things about their youth. Whereas I feel more comfortable talking to young people, as I believe I’m more confident with them in many situations.”
She has curated two art exhibitions—Kitsch Kitsch Hota Hai on kitsch and contemporary imagination and the other on the painter Viswanadhan.