On World Book Day, Juggernaut Books and Hindustan Times present – One Story, One Nation

On World Book Day publisher Juggernaut Books and Hindustan Times are launching One Story, One Nation – a campaign that brings together some of the country’s most well-known faces for a truly unique lockdown reading of Rabindranath Tagore’s classic story Kabuliwala.

Over 9 days, 10 celebrities will be reading parts of Kabuliwala each day and doing call outs for people to join the readathon. On 3rd May, the last day of the lockdown, the final video will be launched. This will be a reading of the complete story using the videos collected through the 9 days.

Rabindranath Tagore is the only Indian to have got a Nobel Prize for literature. Kabuliwala is one of his best-known stories – a deeply moving story about a friendship between a 5-year-old girl and an Afghani dry fruit seller set in pre-independence India. It was made into a popular film in both Hindi and Bengali.

The celebrities participating are: Omar Abdullah, Chetan Bhagat, Rahul Dravid, Lt Gen Satish Dua, Barkha Dutt, Twinkle Khanna, Aditi Mittal, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Sabyasachi,  and Shashi Tharoor.

This translation of Kabuliwala is by acclaimed translator Arunava Sinha and is a part of ‘The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told’ published by Aleph Books.

“We wanted to create an inspiring campaign that brings people together, and which showcases the power of great storytelling. Tagore’s Kabuliwala emphasises that all people are the same no matter who they are. It seemed the perfect story for our times, as we remain isolated from one another, and anxious about our lives and the future.’ says Chiki Sarkar, publisher Juggernaut Books

“Kabuliwala is a timeless tale of love and friendship, but also of hope and a better future. It is just what we need at a time like this. HT is happy to use its network to make sure this bitter-sweet tale of positivity and kindness reaches more people.”, says Sukumar Ranganathan, Editor-In-Chief, Hindustan Times.