Pint of View Lecture Over Drinks: The Origin Story of India's States

**About the Lecture**

15 August 1947. It is tempting to think of this as the singular date on which India was formed. But India did not come into being all at once. The process of its formation continued long after Independence, as regions were reorganised, boundaries redrawn, and new states created.

The stories of India’s states are, in many ways, the story of India itself.

States are more than administrative boundaries on a map. They are places where we grow up, build friendships, find work, and make memories. They shape our languages, cultures, identities and our sense of home. Every time a state is created or an existing one is altered, the country and its people are reshaped in the process.

In this lecture, we’ll go beyond memorising capitals and marking boundaries on a school atlas. Through stories, historical details and a quiz to get us thinking, we’ll explore the events, ideas and movements that shaped the states we know today.

Why was a particular state created? What did its borders look like before? How did language, politics, culture and history influence its formation? And what do these stories tell us about the country we call home?

Whether you grew up in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, or somewhere else entirely, there’s a story here that belongs to you.

After all, every Indian deserves to know the origin story of their state.

**About the Lecturer**

Venkataraghavan Srinivasan is a writer and actor whose work spans multiple mediums and genres.

In nonfiction, he wrote The Origin Story of India’s States and his forthcoming book, Lights! Camera! Democracy! The Cinematic Politics of Tamil Nadu.

He is also the author of the children’s book Brachio and was the first recipient of the Neev Fellowship for Children’s Book Creators. His short fiction has appeared in The Iowa Review and The Bombay Literary Magazine, among other publications, and has been included in anthologies and prize shortlists.

Alongside his writing, he works as a performer on stage and screen. Before pursuing these creative interests, he worked in brand strategy in advertising. He grew up in Bangalore and now lives in Chennai.

At Pint of View, he brings his work on the history of India’s states to the barroom classroom, helping us look at familiar places with a fresh perspective.

**About Pint of View**

Pint of View is India's Largest Lecture Community. We brought the lecture in bar format to India and are now expanding across the globe with chapters in 16 cities worldwide. Here, big ideas meet intimate spaces, and you walk in curious and walk out with a sharper lens on the world.

Book now and develop your own pint of view. 🍻