Where Stories Found Their Voice: WIFF LIT Opens Conversations Between Literature and Cinema

The first monthly 2026 edition of WIFF Mumbai at SOCIAL Versova brought together authors, playwrights and screenwriters in conversations linking literature and cinema, marking the beginning of a new storytelling vertical at the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (Literature) Mumbai.

Two Days Of Conversations At The Intersection Of Literature And Cinema

The first edition of WIFF LIT, the literature vertical of the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai, unfolded over two vibrant days at SOCIAL Versova, bringing together writers, playwrights, journalists and storytellers for a series of thoughtful conversations about the written word that so often becomes cinema.

Supported by Tuli Research Centre for India Studies, Title Waves Book Store, and media partner Alt Bollywood, the gathering marked the beginning of what WIFF Mumbai envisions as an ongoing dialogue between literature and the moving image.

Across six carefully curated sessions, the programme explored the many ways in which stories travel—from memory to manuscript, from theatre to screen, and from lived experience to narrative imagination.

As Sathya Saran observed while reflecting on the two days of discussions: “From history to poetry, script writing to observing society the sessions covered a spectrum of subjects. Sheila Chaman’s flashback into DD’s early days, Javed Siddique’s memories of working for Ray’s film and Nadira Babbar’s segue from her own journey even as she described the themes of her stage plays… into a poem on her mother. Poignancy, humour, and glamour made up the content of the first day’s sessions.”

The opening day began with Sheila Chaman, who took the audience back to the pioneering years of Doordarshan, recalling the creative energy and experimentation that defined India’s early television landscape.

This was followed by a deeply engaging conversation with Javed Siddiqui, moderated by Sathya Saran, where the celebrated writer reflected on his creative journey, his memories of working with Satyajit Ray, and the process through which observation, experience and reflection eventually take shape as narrative.

The afternoon session saw Nadira Zaheer Babbar in conversation with Sathya Saran, where the veteran theatre practitioner spoke about her remarkable journey in theatre, the themes that run through her plays, and the emotional and political contexts that inform her writing. In a particularly moving moment, Babbar recited a poem she had written for her mother—bringing the session to a poignant close.

As Saran reflected: “Poignancy, humour, and glamour made up the content of the first day’s sessions.”

The second day of WIFF LIT opened with a conversation between Prema Govindan and Mihir Chitre, focusing on Chitre’s book Screenwriters Inc published by Om Books International., which documents conversations with thirty-three masters of screenwriting. The discussion offered rare insights into the inner world of screenwriters—the invisible architects behind cinema.

This was followed by a conversation between Vinta Nanda and Sathya Saran, where the focus shifted to Saran’s celebrated books on cultural icons including Gulzar, Guru Dutt, Jagjit Singh, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and S.D. Burman. The session moved fluidly between biography, memory and the writer’s own journey through journalism and publishing.

Reflecting on the spirit of the two days, Prema Govindan said: “WIFF Lit was conceived as a space where cinema and literature meet in conversation. Over two days, we heard remarkable stories—from Sheila Chaman’s memories of the pioneering days of Doordarshan and Nadira Babbar’s extraordinary journey in theatre, to Javed Siddiqui’s evocative reflections on Satyajit Ray, the craft of screenwriting, and the art of the khaaka. Sathya Saran’s engaging session offered thoughtful insights into the creative universe of Gulzar Sa’ab, alongside reflections on her own life as a writer and editor. My conversations with Mihir Chitre and Joy Bimal Roy were particularly special—one exploring the inner world of Indian screenwriters, and the other a nostalgic walk through Bandra and the Bombay of another era.”

The festival concluded with Govindan’s conversation with Joy Bimal Roy, whose book Ramblings of a Bandra Boy offered the audience a nostalgic journey through Bandra and the Bombay of another time—rich with personal memories, neighbourhood histories and reflections on the cultural life of the city.

Among those who joined the conversations were Barnali Ray Shukla, National Award Winning writer Varun Gautam, Preeti Gopalkrishnan, Dolly Ahuja, Nandita Puri, Sushma and Pramod Gaikwad, Avinash Kolhe, and Rajinder Singh Arora of Om Books International, along with editor Vishnu Pandey. Their presence added warmth and vitality to the gathering, and like many in the audience, they were deeply engaged in the lively and thought-provoking exchanges that animated the two days.

For Vinta Nanda, co-founder of WIFF Mumbai, the two days reaffirmed the festival’s larger vision: “WIFF Mumbai was planned as a space where stories are not just screened but discussed and contextualised. With WIFF LIT Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, Sathya Saran and Prema Govindan wanted to bring the written word into the centre of that conversation. The choice of speakers they curated reflected the many journeys a story can take—from television to theatre, biography to screenwriting—while the moderation helped open those journeys to audiences with depth and warmth. What we witnessed over these two days was exactly what we had hoped for: a community gathering around stories.”

Indeed, the thoughtful moderation by Gajra Kottary, Sathya Saran, Prema Govindan and Vinta Nanda ensured that each session moved beyond the format of a traditional book talk, evolving instead into lively exchanges that allowed audiences to glimpse the creative processes behind storytelling.

An attentive and curious audience added to the energy of the conversations, turning the gathering into what many described as an enriching and intimate cultural experience.

As Sathya Saran aptly summed up the spirit of the event: “An interested and attentive audience made it all the more enriching an experience. A great beginning that links two great arts, cinema and writing.”

About WIFF Mumbai

The Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai, founded by Vinta Nanda and Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, with Deepa Gahlot and Avneesh Mishra in 2025, is an independent cultural platform dedicated to cinema, storytelling and dialogue.

With the addition of Prema Govindan and Sathya Saran to lead the literature vertical with Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, WIFF Mumbai continues to expand its engagement with storytelling across mediums.

Through its monthly events until August 2026, where stories will meet moving images at every stage, the festival will culminate in its larger edition in October.

Filmmakers can submit their films to WIFF Mumbai via FilmFreeway, while audiences and creators can follow the festival’s upcoming programmes and announcements on the official website.

More details:

FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/WaterfrontIndieFilmFestival