About Umesh Pant
Umesh Pant is an author, photographer, and filmmaker based in Delhi who is born and brought up in Gangolihat, Uttarakhand. Best known for his travel writing, he has also written radio stories, screenplays, news stories, and has worked on his first feature film as associate director.
Umesh is a postgraduate in mass communication from the Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.
Books
Umesh has written two travelogues – Innerline Pass and Door Durgum Durust and one Ghazal collection- Zehan Ka Pairahan. His debut book Innerline Pass, published by Hind Yugm, is an account of his journey through the Adi Kailash trek. Door Durgam Durust, published by Rajkamal Prakashan Samooh, is an award-winning account of his journeys through five states in northeast India. Travelogue received ‘Anttarrashtreey Katha Samman‘ in 2021 and got shortlisted for ‘Valley of words book awards’ in 2021.
Other Books / Literary Contributions
Some of his stories (translated from Hindi) also appeared in the English short story anthology ‘Storywallah’ edited by Neelesh Misra and published by Penguin India. He also contributed for other books like ‘Safar Hamare‘ (Travelogue), ‘Cinema Bas cinema’ (Cinema memoir), Sambhavna dot com (Poetry collection).
TV/ Radio / Audio Aps
After starting out as an associate screenplay writer at Balaji Telefilms in 2011, Umesh switched to radio and wrote over 40 stories for the radio shows Yaadon ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on Big 92.7 FM, The Neelesh Mishra Show on Red FM 93.5, and for Qisson ka Kona on Saavn app.
He has also written a long story titled ‘Yarsa Gumba’ for famous storytelling app ‘Storytel’.
In 2016, he wrote the script of a radio film featuring actress Swara Bhaskar that was aired on Mother’s Day on Big 92.7 FM. He was also the lyricist of a song played on the radio channel on the occasion of Women’s Day, sung by Abhijit Sawant.
Film
He worked as Associated Director in feature film Dear Latika which was officially selected for prestigious MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival in 2023. He also contributed as lyricist and creative producer in the film.
Print media / Photography
Apart from Innerline Pass, published by Hindi Yugm, Umesh’s editorials and features have been published in leading Hindi newspapers and websites such as Hindustan, Navbharat Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Jansatta, IBN Khabar, I-next etc. He was a regular columnist in ‘Dainik Bhaskar‘ and wrote travel articles.
He also worked as roving writer in the rural newspaper Gaon Connection and traveled across hinter lands of Uttar Pradesh. Along with news reports his hundreds of photographs also published in the newspaper. One of his photos from rural India was also featured in an exhibition held in five European countries for the EU-funded campaign Map your Meal. Photographs he took during his national and International trips also exhibited in Delhi university.
Websites
Umesh has also written articles on cinema, travel and other issues for web portals like The lallantop, News 18 HIndi and News laundry.
Umesh’s keen interest in traveling and exploring new places made him realise that all his nomadic experiences need to have a home. Hence he became founder and editor of a Hindi travel website yatrakaar, which is one of its own kind in Hindi travel writing in digital space.
Umesh has also his own YouTube channel named ‘Yatrakaar Umesh Pant’ where he documents his travels in video form.
He also conducts workshops on Travel writing for teachers, students and travel enthusiasts. His latest workshops include one with RLA College (Delhi University), Shaikshik Samvad Manch (Uttar Pradesh) and Chalat Musafir (Web portal). and
Media Presence
दूर दुर्गम दुरुत्त दरअसल पूर्वोत्तर भारत से जुड़ी यात्राओं का एक दस्तावेज़ है। इसे आप एक घुमक्कड़ की मन-कही भी कह सकते हैं जो अक्सर अनकही रह जाती है।
मुख्यधारा में पूर्वोत्तर की जितनी भी चर्चा होती है उसमें उस दुर्गम भूगोल की चीख-पुकार ही शामिल रहती है। यह किताब उनसे विलग उन आहटों को सुनने की कोशिश है जो कहीं दबकर रह जाती हैं।
इस किताब में मेघालय, असम, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, नागालैंड और मणिपुर के कुछ हिस्सों में की गई यात्राओं के वृतांत हैं। जगहों और लोगों की कहानियां हैं।
पूर्वोत्तर में भटकता एक यात्री मन, देखने और सुनने से एक कदम आगे बढ़कर महसूस करने की ललक में जो कुछ समेट सका है उसकी शाब्दिक यात्रा है यह किताब।
एक दुनिया जो हमारे इर्द-गिर्द होती है, जहाँ हम रहते हैं, हमारे कम्फ़र्ट ज़ोन की दुनिया और एक दुनिया उससे कहीं दूर- हमारे सपनों की दुनिया।
लेकिन उस दूसरी दुनिया तक पहुँचना इतना आसान नहीं होता। वहाँ पहुँचने के लिए कुछ सीमाएँ लाँघनी पड़ती हैं, पार करने होते हैं मुश्किलों के कुछ दरकते हुए पहाड़। कभी-कभी जान तक मुश्किल में डालनी पड़ती है। शायद इसलिए हममें से ज़्यादातर लोग वहाँ जाने से बचते हैं।
सुविधाओं की सीमारेखा के पार, मन के उन प्रतिबंधित इलाक़ों में पहुँचने के लिए हम सभी को पार करनी होती एक लाइन -इनरलाइन और खोजना होता है अपना-अपना ‘इनरलाइन पास’।
उमेश पंत का यात्रा-वृतांत ‘इनरलाइन पास’ एक ऐसी ही यात्रा की कहानी है जो बाहर की दुनिया के साथ-साथ मन के भीतर भी चलती है।
18 दिनों में पूरी हुई इस क़रीब 200 किलोमीटर की पैदल यात्रा के रोमांचक अनुभवों का एक गुलदस्ता है ‘इनरलाइन पास’ जो आपको ख़ूबसूरती और जोख़िमों के एकदम चरम तक लेकर जाता है।
‘ज़ेहन का पैरहन’ उमेश पंत की क़रीब डेढ़ सौ ग़ज़लों का संकलन हैं जो उन्होंने पिछ्ले एक दशक में लिखी। इन ग़ज़लों में प्यार मोहब्बत की बातें हैं, विछोह और वियोग की ध्वनियाँ हैं, मिलाप और अलगाव की भावनाएँ हैं। लेकिन मानवीय स्वभाव के रूमानी अहसासों से तर ग़ज़लों से इतर हमारे समय की विसंगतियों को स्वर देना भी उमेश नहीं भूलते। इस संकलन की ग़ज़लों में आपको राजनीति और समाज की विसंगतियों पर तल्ख़ और बेबाक़ ध्वनियाँ भी छंदबद्ध मिलेंगी। यहाँ समाज के एकाकीपन से उपजी उदासियाँ जगह पाती हैं तो वहीं मानवीय मन की स्वच्छंदता की चाह भी कुलाँचे भरती है।
कई कई जगह ये ग़ज़लें कल्पनाओं के बांध तोड़कर वक्त के परे भी निकल जाती हैं। यहाँ-वहाँ डोलते मन के अविरल बहाव को उमेश ने इन ग़ज़लों में स्वर दिया है।
Storywallah (Short story collection)
In 2011, the screenwriter, lyricist and journalist Neelesh Misra started mentoring a handpicked group of writers called the Mandali. These were men and women of all ages, backgrounds and dispositions. The Mandali soon started writing radio stories in Hindi, for Misra’s show Yaadon Ka Idiotbox-short, pithy, bittersweet narratives that immediately struck a chord with listeners across the country.
Translated for the first time in English, this collection represents the Mandali at the height of its powers. These stories are blessed with a keen sense of place, attuned to the rhythms of both small-town India and rapidly expanding mega-cities like Delhi or Mumbai.
Homesick yuppies reconnect with their hometowns, old lovers reconcile against all odds, and parents learn to get along with their grown-up children. A mother-in-law uses questionable tactics to bond with her distant daughter-in-law, a war widow learns to stand up to family, and a life-threatening mountain slope brings two strangers together. These are fresh, untamed voices aided and abetted by a master storyteller.
मीडिया में चर्चा
प्रेस कवरेज
यात्रा पर कॉलम
