India International Centre’s annual fest to focus on women’s voices

The India International Centre (IIC) on Saturday announced the 21st edition of its annual festival, ‘The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts’, being organised from October 10 to 14.

The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Sa-Vanita: Thus, She Speaks’, focusing on women’s voices, their multidimensional growth, and women-led initiatives across various fields. Through talks, discussions, exhibitions, films and cultural performances, the festival will highlight the evolving role and status of women in society.

IIC president Shyam Saran that one of the major highlights of the festival is an exhibition — ‘Shunya: The Power of Zero’ — showcasing India’s contribution to the field of mathematics. “There will be an exhibition of a collection of books, manuscripts, posters, and rare possessions of the libraries in Bihar’s Darbhanga and Nalanda districts,” he said.

Discussions examining different aspects of women’s strengths and achievements will also be held. One such session will be on the role of Women in Politics in India- Then and Now with Lok Sabha MPs Aparajita Sarangi; Bansuri Swaraj, Sudha Ramakrishnan, Iqra Hasan and Atishi Marlena, member of Delhi Legislative Assembly will also be held.

Known for its famous dinners, this year’s food festival, ‘Celebrating Women Chefs’, has been curated by Sourish Bhattacharyya and Pushpesh Pant. It will feature multiple cuisines, including ‘Spice Route: Coastal Food from Andhra’ by Chef Rekha Rigo; ‘Shonar Bangla Bhoj: A Bengali Culinary Tapestry’ by Chef SamitaHaldar ‘Begum-e-Dilli: The Flavours of Old Delhi’by Chef Gunjan Goela, ‘Baghar-e-Magadh: Culinary Tour of Flavourful Bihar’ by Chef Shacchi Anand among others.

The IIC Quarterly, Autumn 2025, will also be released during the festival. The volume features articles on the UN, Pakistan in Indian cinema, India’s freedom struggle, Hindi–Urdu origins, a travelogue on Arunachal, a selection from the IIC Library Collection, and a photo essay on Kochi, among others.

Films, exhibitions, food fest

IIC president Shyam Saran that one of the major highlights of the festival is an exhibition — ‘Shunya: The Power of Zero’ — showcasing India’s contribution to the field of mathematics. A film festival, ‘Women at the Centre’will feature women-centric films from Hollywood, World and Indian cinema. A special screening of Mike Pandey’s The Last Migration—Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja, winner

of the Green Oscar, will also be held, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker.