Pakistan News & Features Services
The Karachi Literature Festival 2013, held at Hotel Beach Luxury from February 15 to 17, missed the famed Indian trio of Shobhaa De, Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj who were reported to have changed their mind at the eleventh hour.
While the famous poet Gulzar and film director Vishal Bhardwaj didn’t come to Karachi, even after having landed in Lahore, the versatile author Shobhaa De cancelled her visit to Pakistan altogether, stating that her visa was issued too late.
The Mumbai-born novelist had tweeted from her own account that the delay in her visa was the main cause for her decision. Though, she gave into some conspiracy talk speculating whether the visa was deliberately delayed.
“Pakistani visa was too late! Gulzar had his reasons for not attending the KLF. I was so looking forward to it. Someone didn’t want me there?” she added.
Shobhaa De, it may be recalled, had attended the Karachi Literature Festival last year and was deemed as one of the major attractions of the event. She was delighted to have a massive fan following in Pakistan too.
Her absence plus those of Gulzar and Bharadwaj, which was not unexpected in view of the prevailing circumstances, did take some gloss away from the fourth edition of the Karachi Literature Festival.
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ReplyDeleteI went to the Karachi Literature Festival in 2013 for the first time and guess what? I loved being there and how can miss the Karachi Literature Festival 2019 which is going to be held on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of March. I'm really excited for it.
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