Bhubaneswar: Authors took part in a discussion on short stories in Odia literature and the never-ending joy it provides on the concluding day of the Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Literary Meet on Saturday.

The authors discussed various facets of Odia literature that formed the crux of discussions. When asked by Jatindra Nayak about his first short story, Odia author Gourahari Das reminisced about the time when his friends expressed disbelief while his teacher had faith in his flair for writing. "This is an incident that humbled and motivated me to write," he said.

Another Odia author Ramachandra Behera said he believed in penning down incidents that touched his soul and made him restless till he put pen to paper. The conversation moved to a discussion on hasya rasa (comedy) and if it was making a silent exit from Odia literature.

A conversation between actress-director Nandita Das and actress Rasika Dugal was another highlight of the event as the discussed their upcoming film, Manto, and gave a peek behind the curtain and teasers, sparking curiosity.

The audience's familiarity with Manto surprised them and they introduced the writer in brief for hearing about him for the first time. They also shared their opinion on mainstream films and censorship.

Tisca Chopra's debut production Chutney, where she plays a housewife trapped in self-preservation in the course of a long marriage with a charming businesses man, was screened during the afternoon session.

The three-day event saw several prominent writers such as Kiran Nagarkar, Pratibha Satpathy, and Paramita Satpathy speak.

English poet Nia Davies and Kannadiga poet Mamta Sagar recited their poems. One of the sessions provided a platform for Pratibha Satpathy and her daughter and writer, Paramita, to discuss the "inheritance of the writing gene".

The mother recollected episodes of her journey as a writer while the daughter narrated her experience of growing up as the daughter of an author and the inspiration she drew from her.

A large number of school and college students, writers, publishers along with professionals attended the meet.