Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 20 : Veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha announced the upcoming edition of the Nalanda Literature Festival (NLF) 2025 in Mumbai.
Sinha, who graced the event as a chief guest, was also joined by singer Kailash Kher and actor Akhilendra Mishra, among others. The Nalanda Literature Festival 2025 will be held from December 21-25, 2025, at the historic sites of Rajgir in Bihar, celebrating the confluence of legacy, language, and literature.
Speaking about the festival, Shatrughan Sinha described it as a "historic cultural renaissance" and a "grand confluence of India's literary, linguistic, and artistic brilliance."
"It will not only showcase the richness of our past and the vitality of our present but also pave the path for a celebrated future for Indian languages and culture. With luminaries from art, literature and cinema gracing the event, this festival will be marked as a cultural landmark in India's modern history," he said, as per a press release.
Festival director Ganga Kumar explained how the festival focuses on reconnecting with the civilizational values and intellectual spirit of Nalanda. "By hosting scholars, artists, and storytellers here, we want to inspire future generations to embrace both tradition and modernity in their pursuit of knowledge," he added.
During the event, Sinha, along with chairperson D. Aaliya, trustee Dhanu Bihar, Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) president Abhay Sinha, festival director Ganga Kumar and curator Pankaj Dubey, also introduced the Nalanda Literature Development Programme from September 15, 2025, to March 26, 2026.
Through this initiative, a series of events will be carried out to nurture dialogue, creativity, and cultural exchange in the run-up to the festival.
Many other prominent personalities also arrived at the event, including Pahlaj Nihalani, Vineet Kumar, Shahu Patole, Rumy Jaffrey, Faisal Malik, Pradaeep Sinha, Sushil Pandey and Leena Yadav.
Besides celebrating the world of literature, the Nalanda Literature Festival will also mark the launch of the NLF website. Many guests from more than 10 Indian diaspora countries will attend the festival, making it a global celebration of India's intellectual, cultural, and literary heritage.