Team VOI had a chance to conversate with Mehul Devkala, a poet from Gujarat who will perform at the Largest Indian International Literature festival named Unmesha. The Cultural Ministry and Sahitya Akademi have organized Unmensha in the light of the 75th year of Independence.
Mehul, talking about the lit-fest, told us, “The International festival shall entail artists from 15 countries in about 16 different languages. I am glad I will recite my Gujarati poems and their translations during the event. It shall be an exciting event with legends like Gulzar, Geetanjali Shree, and Vijay Seshadri. I am excited to participate in it.”
Mehul Devkala shared his journey with Team VOI and said, “I started writing early in school. They published my work in local magazines. But, later, I found exposure to Latin American literature, and the language of my work changed. Moreover, my exposure to different cultures and localities also started coming into my work. I wrote about the melancholy of urban life and societal atrocities.”
Poetry and filmmaking are Mehul Devkala’s passions. His inspirations include Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Pannalal Patel, Umashankar Joshi, and Rabindranath Tagore. He has also read literature in several languages.
Devkala: Truly A God’s Art
He revealed the intriguing story behind his name and said, “Devkala is my middle name. But, the fact is that Dev is my father’s name and Kala is my mother’s. I decided to honor both of them.” Mehul’s last name translates to God’s Art. However, his poems are honestly a work of God’s Art. Mehul Devkala, an award-winning filmmaker, has his poems translated into multiple languages. For him, poetry is a passion, not a means of life.
Watch our entire conversation with him and experience his poetry ‘Navma Diwas’ in the youtube video. Also, subscribe to Vibes of India’s Youtube Channel.
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