Sunak’s ‘namaste’ lesson, M K Raina’s walkout, Venki Ramakrishnan’s lost pen and Kailash Kher’s ‘pretty girls’: JLF’s unscripted moments

Rishi Sunak’s ‘namaste’ moment

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has had his fair share of lessons in global diplomacy, found himself getting a refresher course in Indian manners at the festival. Sitting alongside his father-in-law, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, and mother-in-law, Sudha Murty, Sunak was enjoying the literary ambiance when his aunt-in-law decided to play etiquette coach.

In a viral video, Sunak is seen getting a gentle nudge—both literally and figuratively—to greet the audience with a traditional namaste. Clearly, even world leaders aren’t exempt from family guidance. As the audience chuckled, Sunak obliged, proving that no matter how high one rises, in an Indian family, you’re never too important for a reminder about respect.

M K Raina’s theatrical exit

While Sunak found himself perfecting his namaste, veteran actor-director M K Raina made an entirely different kind of statement—by walking off the stage mid-session the previous day. It all began when renowned theatre personality Ila Arun spoke about her admiration for legendary playwright Henrik Ibsen and how she had adapted his classic Peer Gynt into her own play Peer Ghani, reimagining it against the tumultuous backdrop of Kashmir.

As Arun passionately enacted a scene from her adaptation, without a word, Raina stood up and exited the stage. His reason for doing so remained unclear, while some suggested he took issue with the depiction of Kashmir in films, others suggested that he felt sidelined during the discussion. Post his exit, the show, as they say, went on. Arun, never one to shy away from a moment of theatrical wit, quipped, “Albert Pinto ko gussa kyon aaya?”—a nod to the iconic Hindi film about an inexplicably angry protagonist.

A Nobel laureate’s pen hunt

During an interview, before launching into a discussion on ageing and immortality, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan found himself grappling with a more immediate loss—his pen.

“Oh, I lost my pen,” he announced, momentarily distracted from the weighty matters of science and philosophy. “It was a nice pen,” he sighed wistfully. As the interviewer (yours truly) offered a replacement, he politely declined, perhaps in a silent tribute to his lost writing companion. If nothing else, the moment served as a reminder that even Nobel laureates have their everyday struggles—misplaced stationery included.

Kailash Kher’s ‘pretty girls only’ performance

Adding to the festival’s unscripted moments, singer Kailash Kher sparked amusement—and some raised eyebrows—during his performance. As he invited the audience to join him on stage, he made a peculiar announcement: “Some pretty girls come on the stage.”

Not once, but twice, he reiterated his preference, adding, “Aunties and kids, fall back.” However, as if to ensure there was no misunderstanding, he quickly clarified: “No kids and no aunties as they fall on stage.” The remark drew a mix of laughter and murmurs from the crowd.