Literati and glitterati at Hyderabad Lit Fest

It was Hyderabadi tehzeeb and grace in full display at the inaugural of a literature festival in the city at an upscale hotel on Friday evening. As authors, poets, and culturatti rubbed shoulders, a dash of charisma was added when poet Javed Akhtar entered and began speaking. Javed began his story about pre-liberation India when a refrigerator was kept in the drawing room, and a phone being a status symbol, then he linked language to culture.Later, it was the turn of Telangana IT minister, KT Rama Rao, who quoted poet Makhdoom Mohiuddin, “Hayat le ke chalo, kainaat le ke chalo, chalo to saarey zamaney ko saath leke chalo…” the hall echoed with claps. Before the performance of Urdu story-telling began, Javed Akhtar and Tom Alter were mobbed for selfies.