‘Mehfil’ literally originated through coming together of people deeply affected by some or the other art form and here it is today in the form of a magazine of literature and arts.
We intend to make Mehfil a congregation of creative gems from as diverse art forms, geographies, languages, and cultures as possible. We have taken but a small step towards this seemingly impossible venture and with active participation of our contributors and loyalty of our readers, we hope to make it possible.
We publish monthly issues that include—
Poetry and prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) in three languages — English, Hindi, and Marathi,
Artwork across genres, and
Photography
Despite our best efforts of trying not to see Mehfil through the materialistic lens of success, the perpetually validation-hungry devil in us will not just see but claim it, hoist a flag with our logo on it, and announce through a loudspeaker to the world if people are convinced to write, paint, draw, sing, or pursue (because of us) any creative endeavour they like. This, at its best, is what Mehfil intends to do. And at its worst? Well, only time will tell!
An introduction of our team —
Editorial Team:
Rahul Singh : A poet still trying to find his voice in English and Hindustani. He believes that even a failed attempt at writing poetry makes one more conscious of his/her language and through Mehfil, he aims to convince people to make that effort. How he earns his daily bread and sustains his social life is a matter too boring to delve into as he has fallen prey to the Indian mainstream career path not once, but twice. Literature gives him a departure from the quotidian and helps him manage his self-esteem.
Amod Deshpande : Amod is a musician, an acoustical engineer (NOT sound engineer!) and a filmmaker. He plays multiple instruments and has a very philosophical approach towards his music and writing. His films are where he takes the liberty to completely express himself through experiments in the craft. He is a very easygoing guy in general except when stressed (not really a unique trait).
Divya : English is the main language of expression for Divya, who is a transportation engineer by day (a job that she adores!). A writer and singer, she frequently tries to express the beauty in the mundane, and often finds the greatest inspirations from people and their feelings. Her creative mediums include both prose and poetry, in which there is no limit to the height of fantasy or the edge of reality. Divya is ever armed with writing material to catch fleeting thoughts before they escape. When words fail to do her justice, she turns to music, because music transcends all barriers of expression.
Varada : Likes to write and read and often gets lost thinking about a piece of writing she is in awe with. From writing essays that fetched good marks and scripts that won debate competitions, she has come a long way in short time to believe that reading and writing are the privileges we should not take for granted. Varada is optimistic that for this world, writing a diary should not be about the day spent but about the day that is to come. This will help us to create an inclusive and sustainable world.
Design and social media team:
Nupur : someone (not calling herself a writer) who is still learning to weave her words…she is a hardcore bibliophile and believes that the power of imagination and endless creativity is something in which everyone should believe in. Might as well say a quirky wizard living in a Muggle world (haha). She also tries to express her emotions and thoughts through her paintings. Her photographs speaks of the way she sees the world…..in subtle illusions and with unseen hidden beauties. Her many creative personalities are yet to be discovered by her and sometimes she does forget to appreciate the ones that she has.
Abhiram : A designer still trying to sort out subjectivity of beauty and objectivity of utility. In his free time he reads, listens to podcasts and sings. Pursuit of empathy and clarity is his objective, when he sings, writes or plays music.
Sonali Jindal (@StoryofSonali) : is a dreamer, writer and a proponent of productive laziness. After spending her childhood being woken up by her parents humming ad jingles, she developed a love for marketing & PR, along with her passion for writing and music. She’s also an avid reader, and a big believer in magic and miracles. If you hear someone humming a song around you, follow it and you’ll probably find her nearby.
Photography:
Akshay : A civil engineer by profession who loves to read books and poetry. Hindustani is the language he speaks and loves to write poems in. His other interests include listening to music ranging from Iron Maiden to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, watching cricket matches, photography and engineering. His favourite quote and life goal is “And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
