A Decade of Stories: 10ᵗʰ AILF Bridges the Worlds of Books and Films
Stars, Stories, and Screens Unite as AILF 2025 Celebrates ‘Literature & Cinema’ in Ahmedabad
10th Ahmedabad International Literature Festival (AILF) Celebrates a Decade of Literary Brilliance with the Theme ‘Literature & Cinema’
Bilkul Online
Ahmedabad | 09 Oct 2025
The landmark 10ᵗʰ edition of the Ahmedabad International Literature Festival (AILF) is set to enchant audiences on October 11–12, 2025, delving into the dynamic interplay between the written word and the cinematic screen under the engaging theme “Literature & Cinema.”
Founder Director Umashanker Yadav briefed the media about the festival’s ten glorious years of journey—from its inception in 2016 to becoming one of India’s most inclusive and influential celebrations of art, literature, and culture. He highlighted how AILF has touched thousands of lives worldwide, blending fresh youth perspectives with the wisdom of experience, while retaining its unique values and programming philosophy.
At the press briefing, distinguished personalities including Manoj Aggarwal, IAS (Retd.), Former Additional Chief Secretary (Health); Dr. Rajesh Chandwani, National Award-winning Filmmaker and Faculty at IIM Ahmedabad; Vision Raval, Founder of Sahitya Manch, Vision Incorp., Media Hives and AI Expert; and Umashanker Yadav, Filmmaker, Writer, Entrepreneur, and Founder of AILF, shared detailed insights about the festival’s upcoming milestone edition.
A Stellar Line-up of Guests and Speakers:
The 10ᵗʰ AILF will feature a galaxy of literary and cinematic luminaries, including:
- Raghuveer Chaudhary, legendary litterateur and Gyanpeeth Awardee
- Jamnadas “JD” Majethia, acclaimed Producer, Director and Actor
- Mushtaq Khan, veteran Hindi film actor
- Pia Benegal, Producer and Celebrity Costume Designer, daughter of legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal
- Shobha Aksar, noted feminist voice, writer, and columnist from Delhi
- Abhishek Jain, celebrated filmmaker
- Hiten Kumar, Gujarati cinema superstar
- Jay Vasavada, popular speaker and writer
- Padmashri Tushar Shukla, poet
- Vinay Dave, lyricist and columnist
- Arvind Vegda, filmmaker, actor, and singer
- Snehal Chaudhary, screenwriter from Mumbai
- Aneri Savla, Mumbai-based film distributor
- Authors including Utkarsh Patel, Dr. Indira Nityanandam, Dr. Jai Tharur, Bhagwandas Patel, Kumud Verma, Manisha Khatate, and Maitridevi Sisodia
- Adding further intellectual depth will be the bureaucrats and professionals such as Manoj Aggarwal, Ajay Chaudhry (IPS), Special Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police; Dr. Heera Lal, IAS and author from Lucknow; and Anantha Krishnan, CEO of Kalorex Group.
- Dr. Rajesh Chandwani, National Award-winning filmmaker and IIMA faculty member, will also share his academic and cinematic experiences with audiences.
Cinematic Highlight: Trailer Launch of Hindi Feature ‘Drop Out’
A major attraction on October 11 at 11:30 a.m. will be the trailer launch of a new Hindi feature film produced by SERENE FILMS, symbolically bridging cinema and literature.
The film, titled Drop Out, is produced by Umashanker Yadav—who also features as an actor—along with director Omkar Pethkar, and lead actors Tanushka Sharma, Uday Singh, and senior actor Mushtaq Khan. The creative team also includes Sandeep Yadav, Pradeep Sarang, lyricist Dr. Sagar, singer Soumee Sailsh, editor Rahul Rajput, and music director Prajval Pandya. The entire cast and crew will participate in the launch during the festival.
Sessions, Dialogues, and Performances
Over 12 curated sessions will explore literature, film, adaptation, translation, graphic narrative, and creative storytelling, featuring regional, national, and international voices.
The festival will host 60 participants from diverse linguistic, social, and creative backgrounds, including 7 international speakers from Afghanistan, Brazil, Uganda, Azerbaijan, Malawi, Madagascar, and Myanmar.
Alongside thought-provoking discussions, AILF 2025 will also present children’s book reading sessions and thematic performances that creatively bridge poetry, theatre, music, and multimedia art.
Supported by Leading Partners
- An initiative of the charitable trust Ikon Education Foundation, the festival is supported by:
- Gujarat Tourism as Patron
- GMDC as Silver Sponsor
- Hotel Renaissance by Marriott as Hospitality Partner
- Kalorex Group as School Partner
- ICCR as Cultural Partner
- Sahitya Manch as Literary Partner
- Serene Publishers as Publishing Partner
- SERENE FILMS as Cinema Partner
- Ikon Barcode Solutions Pvt. Ltd. as Power Partner
As AILF celebrates its 10ᵗʰ milestone, it reaffirms its commitment to celebrating the convergence of words, ideas, and visual storytelling—continuing to inspire generations of readers, thinkers, and creators in the heart of Ahmedabad.
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