Books

The Secret Master
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
involving The Secret Master:

Bangalore: 10 April 2026
TIME: 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
WHERE: Courtyard Koota, GoodEarth Tarana, Malhar Road.
WHAT: A presentation on the book followed by guided listening of a recital by khayal vocalist Mukul Kulkarni.
ENTRY: Tickets at Rs. 499, available at https://urbanaut.app/spot/thebeautyofkhayal.

Mumbai: 14 May 2026
TIME: 6 pm to 8 pm.
WHAT: An event organised by the Amateur Music Association, TIFR:
a. Book discussion. b. Talk by Arun Kashalkar. c. Khayal singing by Aasavari Gondhali, followed by Mandaar Valuskar.
WHERE: Foyer of the Homi Bhabha Auditorium, TIFR, Colaba.
ENTRY: Free.

Chennai: Details soon.

PREVIOUS LAUNCHES/DISCUSSIONS:

Mumbai: 29 March 2026
At Khaki Lab, Fort, a two-hour session in which I opened with a talk on the genesis, structure and genre of my book and then wove in historical narrative and aesthetic ideas about khayal into a recital by khayal vocalist Sugandha Laturkar.

Kolkata: 17 March 2026
At Jadunath Bhavan Museum and Resource Centre, a unit of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences. Introduction by historian Prachi Deshpande, followed by my presentation, then a conversation with khayal vocalist Ranjani Ramachandran, and finally, a Q&A.
>> Part 1: Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZud-lAb4EU.
>> Part 2: Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44lVhs4lmrU.
>> Part 3: Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3OjUKqscLo.
>> Part 4: Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNv6pljnSr4.

Guwahati: 26 February 2026
Talk at Lihaaz, followed by a recital by Hindustani vocalist Sabarni Dasgupta, the organisation's founder and guru.
>> Felicitation by the chief guest Nupur Burogohain. Video recording not available.

Dibrugarh: 21 February 2026
Session: At the Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival.
>> I will post the link to the video recording when it becomes available.

Hyderabad: 6 February 2026
Session: At the History Literature Festival, Hyderabad, at the Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet.
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOxTS_-C2k&t=15703s,
from the timestamps 3:05:00 to 4:35:30.

Pune: 24 January 2026
Launch: At the Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. Discussion with Chetan Sharma, followed by a recital by khayal vocalist Ravindra Parchure.
>> Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLqT1o-mhY&t=1s.
>> Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCt9gZCEtMw&feature=youtu.be.

Pune: 23 January 2026
Talk: At the Jaipur Gunijankhana, hosted by founder and khayal singer Radhika Joshi, followed by a recital by Samarth Nagarkar.
>> Radhika Joshi and me. Video recording not available.

Bangalore: 6 December 2025
Session: At the Bangalore Literature Festival. Here is the link to the session:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ7TBl-9U18&t=2093s.

Singapore: 23 November 2025
Soft launch: At the Temple of Fine Arts.
>> https://youtu.be/sKKcALEyllk.

Bangalore: 8 November 2025
Launch: At the Bangalore International Centre. Discussion with Tejaswini Niranjana, followed by a recital by khayal vocalist Mukul Kulkarni.
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dAmYhB4Slc&t=3543s

New Delhi: 29 October 2025
Launch: At the Alliance Française auditorium. Discussion with Mrinal Pande, followed by a recital by khayal vocalist Mukul Kulkarni.
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqqZOIv_RBw

Sonipat: Ashoka University: 28 October 2025
Discussion: With Vighnesh Hamampura.
>> Video recording not available.

Mumbai: 15 October 2025
Launch: At the G5A Centre for Contemporary Culture. Discussion with Namita Devidayal, preceded by a short khayal recital by teenage prodigy Swara Joshi.
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTg41WZy_mQ&t=1001s