Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in collaboration with Penguin Random House presents - Penguin Dialogues

A one-of-a-kind series of literary events designed to spark engaging and relevant conversations between authors and readers.

A.R. Venkatachalapathy will be in conversation with Anirudh Kanisetti, exploring the riveting journey of India’s maritime past.

About the Author

A.R. Venkatachalapathy

A historian and Tamil writer, A.R. Venkatachalapathy is a professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. He taught at universities in Tirunelveli, Chennai, Singapore, and Chicago and has held research assignments in Paris, Cambridge, London, and Harvard. A recipient of multiple literary and academic awards, he has published extensively on the social, cultural, and intellectual history of colonial Tamil Nadu, with over thirty books to his name.

Anirudh Kanisetti

Currently an Editor at the Museum of Art & Photography, Bangalore, Anirudh Kanisetti is the author of Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas, which has received widespread acclaim. His work spans history, networked societies, and technology governance, with writings featured in Mint, The Print, The Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express, and Pragati. He has also hosted two podcasts—Echoes of India and YUDDHA: The Indian Military History Podcast—which have been featured in The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and Midday Mumbai.

Kanisetti’s work focuses on making critical scholarship on ancient and medieval India accessible to the public, emphasizing the complex and relatable lives of our ancestors.