New Delhi, August 8th, 2025:BML Munjal University (BMU), a Hero Group initiative, through its School of Liberal Studies (SoLS), hosted the 6th edition of its SoLS Conversations on August 7, 2025, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Titled ‘The Second Battle of Kalkaji: Imagination and Storytelling’, the event brought together Nobel Prize-winning economist and author Abhijit V. Banerjee, celebrated graphic novelist and filmmaker Sarnath Banerjee, and National Geographic Explorer and environmental chronicler Arati Kumar-Rao.
The evening featured the premiere of three evocative short films, ‘The Land of Good Intentions’, ‘The Eternal Swamp’ and ‘The Price of Water (Jwoler Dor)’. Blending personal memory with environmental reflection, the films offered powerful visual narratives on water, development, and the contested relationship between humans and nature.
Following the screenings, the panel engaged in an insightful conversation that traversed themes of ecology, memory, displacement, and the role of creative imagination in making sense of complex realities. The discussion was enriched by diverse perspectives ranging from economic policy and environmental degradation to visual storytelling and cultural anthropology.
Also Read:The Impact of Mobile-First Learning: Why EasyShiksha Works Seamlessly on Smartphones
Commenting on the event, Arindam Banerjee, Dean and Professor, School of Liberal Studies, BML Munjal University, said, “With SoLS Conversations, we aim to create spaces for thoughtful dialogue in an increasingly distracted world. This session brought together voices from across disciplines and practices to reflect not just on development and environmental questions, but on how stories shape our understanding of them.”
Abhijit V. Banerjee, Nobel Prize-winning Economist and Author, said “Economics is often presented in ways that feel distant and abstract. With these films, we wanted to explore a different way of communicating using imagination, humour, and memory to open up conversations that feel more accessible and human.”
Sarnath Banerjee, Graphic Novelist, Artist and Filmmaker, shared “Water has been always part of growing up sometimes scarce, sometimes ignored. These films build on that memory, on absurdity, on our changing relationship with the city, with development, and with each other.”
Arati Kumar Rao, National Geographic Explorer, Photographer and Author, remarked, “What struck me most about the films was how they crossed boundaries between disciplines, between facts and feelings. When we talk about water, we’re really talking about life. It touches everything health, cities, identity and it’s time we started listening.”
The event drew a thoughtful audience of academics, students, artists, and members of the wider public, reinforcing SoLS Conversations as an emerging intellectual platform that prioritises depth, reflection, and respectful exchange. It is part of BMU’s broader commitment to fostering interdisciplinary learning and engaging with the pressing cultural and ecological discourses of our time.
About BML Munjal University (BMU)
Named after the late Founder Chairman of the Hero Group, BML Munjal University (BMU) is a unique
not-for-profit initiative founded by the promoters of the Hero Group. BMU is engaged in creating,
preserving and imparting internationally benchmarked knowledge and skills. The University seeks to
transform higher education in India by creating a world-class innovative teaching, learning and research environment. It envisions becoming a nursery for the leaders of tomorrow and a repository of knowledge. The School of Management at BML Munjal University has been consistently ranked among the top 100 management institutions in India by NIRF for the past five years. BMU’s School of
Management has secured Rank 3 in Haryana and Rank 55 in India in the Careers360 B-School Rankings
2025. It has been ranked #5 in India and #1 in Haryana among the Top Private Engineering & Technology Universities in the Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2024–25. The University has received an esteemed A-grade accreditation from NAAC.
Whether you’re aiming for your first internship or prepping for placement season, EasyShiksha helps you walk in with proof—not just participation.
