True Fiction Project

Episode: Season 6 - Female Indian Artists Mashup
Host: Reenita Hora
Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

This special mashup episode, hosted by Reenita Hora, highlights stories and creative journeys of distinguished female Indian artists featured in Season 6. The episode weaves together personal narratives, intergenerational influences, explorations of the sacred, and creative transformation—from non-fiction interviews to original fictional audio storytelling. Reenita underscores the power of sharing women’s voices in the Indian arts and the unique perspectives shaped by tradition, resilience, and innovation.

Key Discussions & Insights

Introduction: The Power of Female Indian Artists

• Reenita extends a heartfelt introduction, emphasizing collective empowerment and representation in the arts as an Indian woman herself.
  • Quote:
    "For me, it’s not just about showcasing talent, it’s also about honoring our journeys, lifting each other up, and showing the world the strength and brilliance of Indian women in the arts."
    (Renita Hora, 01:20)
• She introduces the first guest, graphic artist Rachana Devi Dayal, illuminating the episode’s focus on personal journeys, artistic process, and cultural heritage.

Segment 1: Rachana Devi Dayal – The Sacred River and Artistic Flow

00:03:03 – 00:07:32

Topic: Exploring the Narmada River as Muse

• Artistic Inspiration: Rachana’s latest project is centered on the Narmada, India’s oldest and most sacred east-west river.
  • Quote:
    "People often, you know, think the Ganges is the sacredest, the most holiest river in the country, when actually they're mistaken. And this river is way older, way more sacred… with the Narmada, you have to merely look at it, and your sins get purified."
    (Rachana Devi Dayal, 03:15)
• Art as Ritual: She connects ritual and devotion to her visual art, describing projects inspired by religious ceremonies, daily priestly rituals, and the region’s vibrant kitsch.
  • A painting transitions from colorful nocturnal ceremonies to haunting monochromes, focusing on emotional impact over direct narrative.
  • Another work decodes a town’s daily ritual: floating a board of rice and clay mounds downstream, each mound symbolizing a prayer for a resident’s welfare.
  • In-progress piece celebrates the playful, colorful boats on the river blending pop art with spiritual context.
• Artistic Philosophy:
  • Quote:
    "It’s more important to say 'this is how I want the viewer to feel'... you have to kind of really tap into more than just straightforward communication, which is actually what I think graphic designed to be and actually evoke an emotion in the viewer."
    (Rachana Devi Dayal, 06:32)

Segment 2: Laila Khan – Family Legacy and Divine Muses

00:07:32 – 00:10:39

Topic: Creative Heritage and Mixed Media Art

• Cultural Context: Laila Khan, from the celebrated Firoz Khan family, reflects on artistic legacy and how her trajectory moved from roots in film to mixed media.
• Ganesh as Muse: Her visual works pull from widespread veneration for Ganesh, bridging cultures and styles.
• Personal Anecdote: Laila recounts how her father dedicated the song “Laila O Laila” from his film Qurbani to her.
  • Quote:
    "He said, 'I have a rough track of a song I’d like you to hear and it was Laila O Laila. He said this song is after you and it’s been inspired by my love for you. ...Mark my words, this song is going to be a hit.'"
    (Laila Khan, 08:20)
• Legacy: The enduring success and emotional resonance of the song after 44 years, with pride in its original rendition.

Segment 3: Vermilion Harvest – Storytelling as Remembrance & Catharsis

00:14:59 – 00:25:55

Topic: From Personal History to Historical Fiction

• Publishing Journey: Reenita introduces a retrospective on her historical novel Vermilion Harvest Playtime at the Bagh.
  • Tracy Defiorge interviews publishers Lynn Moon and Shannon Pearson about their work and the genesis of the novel.
  • Lynn Moon expresses her shock and emotional reaction to learning about the real historical tragedy the novel is based on—the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
    • Quote:
      "I called her, I said, Renita, is this true? What I’m reading? ...And she said, yes, Lynne, it’s totally true. It’s something we never was taught here in America... thousands and thousands of people were just butchered, it blew me away. I’m like, oh, my God, this is Hitler all over again."
      (Lynn Moon, 16:44)
• Fictional Excerpt:
  • Audio narrative drops listeners into the massacre, with vivid, harrowing imagery from the protagonist’s point of view.
  • Emotional intensity is amplified by contributions of all three women’s voices pleading for help, capturing collective trauma and helplessness.
    • Quote:
      "A volley of bullets sped into the heart of the crowd gathered near the platform... I was now standing on someone who was dead, feeling helpless and frustrated. A flood of panic soared. I screamed."
      (Renita Hora, 18:56 / 22:26)
    • Quote:
      "Help." (Rachana Devi Dayal, 23:28)
      "Help me." (Renita Hora, 23:31)
      "Help." (Laila Khan, 23:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Being able to feature episodes with fellow female Indian artists feels both powerful and inspiring." (Renita Hora, 01:23)
• "When I get into that thing of ideating on a particular concept for the river, it just comes. ... And in this piece, and probably across a lot of pieces, it’s…more important to say this is how I want the viewer to feel." (Rachana Devi Dayal, 04:31-06:32)
• "He said, 'Mark my words, this song is going to be a hit… Time will tell. And the film released in 1980 and so we are 44 years down that road and it plays today everywhere.'" (Laila Khan, 08:35)
• Powerfully performed fictional reading:
  • "Children cried, mothers screamed, fathers shouted desperately for help... My mind told me to run, but my body tensed. I crouched on the ground, counting the seconds, praying that the metal shower would stop."
    (Renita Hora, Fictional excerpt, 18:59-23:34)
• Emotional interjection that transcends individual narrative into collective voice:
  • "Help." (Rachana Devi Dayal, 23:28); "Help me." (Renita Hora, 23:31); "Help." (Laila Khan, 23:33)

Important Timestamps

• 01:20 – Host’s introduction and framing the importance of female Indian artists’ stories
• 03:03-07:32 – Interview with Rachana Devi Dayal: Ritual, art, and the Narmada river
• 08:20-10:39 – Laila Khan on her creative roots, father’s legacy, and “Laila O Laila”
• 15:56-18:52 – Publisher Lynn Moon reflects on discovering the history behind Vermilion Harvest
• 18:59-23:34 – Dramatic fictionalized retelling of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, performed by Reenita Hora, Rachana Devi Dayal, and Laila Khan

Conclusion

Reenita Hora’s curation in this mashup celebrates not just artistic achievement but the lived experiences, cultural ties, and emotional truths that inspire fiction. The episode brings together diverse forms of Indian female creativity—graphic art grounded in ritual, mixed media rooted in family legacy, and emotive storytelling that gives voice to forgotten histories. The result is a poignant, immersive tapestry that honors the resilience and brilliance of Indian women in the arts and the stories that connect us all.