Karwaan - The Heritage Exploration Initiative

Baithak #6: Cinema as a way of Looking with Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan

When: Sunday, 21st June 2026, 11 AM onwards
Where: Arthshila, New Delhi

We are very excited and honoured to host Adoor Gopalakrishnan—one of India’s most important filmmakers, often counted among the country’s great auteurs.

From his early role in shaping the film society movement in Kerala to his pioneering contributions to Malayalam cinema, his work helped define a parallel language of cinema in India, often called the New Wave.

Beginning with Swayamvaram (1972), and through films such as Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, and Mathilukal, his cinema has consistently expanded what Indian film can be—radical in form, political in its gaze, and uncompromising in its vision. Across decades, his work has not only influenced generations of filmmakers but also shaped how we think about cinema itself.

At Karwaan, we see the Baithak not just as a space to celebrate cultural figures, but as a space to critically engage with them. Cinema, like all art, exists within larger conversations—sometimes marked by admiration, sometimes by disagreement. In a moment where conversations are increasingly replaced by conclusions, we believe it is more important than ever to create spaces where people can come together, listen, question, and engage with complexity rather than avoid it. This Baithak, the sixth in our series, is an invitation to do exactly that.

To join the waitlist, write to us at [email protected] with: Your name, Email ID, Number of people and Profession/Organisation

Priority access will be given to those on the waitlist.

Limited seats.

Karwaan Baithak #4 at Arthshila Delhi, with our favourite Manisha Pande (.pande ) took place successfully on 7th June 2026. It was such a fascinating conversation with one of the best journalists of our times. We are deeply grateful to our partners and collaborators , , and

What does it even mean to be “Gen Z” today? Are we politically active, or just aesthetically opinionated? Are we informed, or just… well-fed by the algorithm?

With Manisha, we unpacked the strange ecosystem we live in — where corporates shape narratives, satire becomes survival, and platforms like independent media try to cut through the noise. We spoke about attention spans that feel fractured, activism, and the uneasy feeling that we might be scrolling more than we’re thinking. Somewhere between satire, social media, and news, one question remained with us: Are we still thinking anymore, or just endlessly consuming?

A full house, sharp interventions, and a conversation that refused easy answers — this was exactly what Baithak is meant to be. This is just the beginning.

See you next Sunday, for a conversation with filmmaker and environmentalist, Pradip Krishen.

Are we thinking anymore, or just scrolling?

Last Sunday at Karwaan Baithak, we sat down with our favourite Anurag Minus Verma to confront the strange, exhausting reality of being online today. The baithak was moderated by Eshan.

What started as a conversation about the algorithm quickly spiralled into something more personal. The pressure to be visible. To produce. To react. To exist, constantly, on the feed. We spoke about doomscrolling and the kind of loneliness that hides in plain sight. About memory in the age of excess—when everything is recorded, archived, and yet somehow forgotten just as quickly. About how our emotional responses are changing, flattening, becoming fleeting.

And then came grief. What does it mean to grieve in the age of Instagram stories and trending hashtags? When loss is acknowledged, performed, and then quietly pushed aside by the next swipe. Are we still feeling deeply, or have we learned to move on too quickly?

From digital personas and satire to political engagement, the discussion kept returning to one unsettling question: are we shaping the internet, or is it shaping us?

It was an evening of sharp observations, uncomfortable truths, and moments of recognition that stayed with us long after.

If you missed this one, don’t worry—we’re just getting started. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, 7th June, at Arthshila Delhi for our fourth Karwaan Baithak. This time, we host noted journalist Manisha Pande of Newslaundry.

We are grateful to .i.p_adda for being a wonderful venue, for being our knowledge partner and for being our Bookstore Partners.

Chairs, as always, are limited. Link in bio.

The passing of Shereen Ratnagar marks the loss of an important voice in the study of ancient India. Born in 1944, she was among those scholars who helped shape archaeology in India with clarity and courage. Her work changed how many of us understood the Indus Valley Civilization, and her book Understanding Harappa was read closely by generations of students.

She studied at Deccan College in Pune and later trained in Mesopotamian archaeology at University College London. She went on to teach at the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she became a respected teacher and scholar. Many remember her writing for its clarity and simplicity. She had the rare ability to make complex ideas easy to understand. Her work focused on the Indus Valley Civilization, especially questions about its society, economy and decline. She explored themes such as trade, urban life, pastoralism and early technology.

Shereen Ratnagar’s work reminds us that history is not about simple pride or fixed answers. It is about asking questions and looking closely at evidence. She leaves behind a body of work that will continue to guide students, teachers and readers for years to come.