Open Magazine — February 14, 2018

78 12 february 2018

ay six. Wake up

with sore throat. inevi-

table. This is the Jaipur

Literature Festival

(JLF), where beautiful

things are happening in

beautiful locations, but

everything is outdoors.

Cosying up to garden

heaters will only take

you so far.

Last night at

the Writer’s Ball in Jai Mahal Palace, sat at a table next to an

especially lovely garden heater. Overheard—male writer to

female writer: “Do they make cocktails at the whisky counter?”

answer: “No. The waiters don’t have the body language for

cocktails. safer to get a single malt on the rocks.” Meanwhile, on

the other side of the table, boondi dessert is deeply praised.

Final party always has something funereal about it. Many of

the writers have flown the coop. Only a few remain to bear wit-

ness. Central chat of the evening is about the festival’s closing

debate, ‘Hashtag Me Too: Do Men still Have it too easy?’ Most

agree with Bee Rowlatt. Debate could have been closed with

two golden words: ‘Uh, duh!’ side argument about fake male

feminists takes on whirlpool dimensions. Namita Gokhale,

co-director of JLF, says that her most memorable moment of

this year’s edition was to hear so many women ask questions

after the debate. Vani Tripathi Tikoo compares Namita Gokhale

to an orchestra conductor who makes sure every string is tuned

to perfection. Music is everywhere.

Conversation on gender politics flags and settles on Rupi

kaur. Up and Coming Bombay author says he spotted Rupi do-

ing Treadmill yoga at the Marriott. “Wait? Rupi was staying at

the Marriott? i thought she’d be somewhere posher?” i say. Up

and Coming Bombay author urges us to stay on point, which

is Treadmill yoga. He asks: “Do you know what Treadmill

yoga is?” i’m ashamed. Twenty years of yoga practice has not

brought me into the realm of Treadmill yoga. suffer fake yogini

moment. Up and Coming Bombay author stands on lawn

and demonstrates how Treadmill yoga works. “is that surya

Namaskar?” someone asks. “No, no, it’s warrior pose.” (Phew,

yogini status restored). “Did you ask her about it?” Up and Com-

ing Bombay author shakes his head. “she had the air of fame, so

i couldn’t talk to her.”

Parallel Rupi conversation, which may or may not have

happened at the same party because Rupi is nothing if not om-

nipresent. Lady asks poets Jeet Thayil and Melizarani T selva

what they think about Rupi. Jeet, the senior senator, swiftly

Tishani Doshi keeps an ear out at the world’s biggest literary carnival

books diary

Spotting

chatwin and

other delightS

in jaipur

d

portraits by Rohit Chawla