About Umesh Pant

Author of the bestseller travelogue Innerline Pass, Umesh is a postgraduate in mass communication from MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. After starting out as an associate screenplay writer at Balaji Telefilms in 2011, he switched to radio and has written over 40 stories for the radio show Yaadon ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 Big FM, Kisson ka Kona on Saavn app and The Neelesh Mishra Show on Red FM 93.5.

His latest book is Door Durgam Durust published by Rajakamal Prakashan Samooh In January 2020. This is a travelogue of Different parts of Northeast India including parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. Travelogue recieved ‘Anttarrashtreey Katha Samman‘ in 2021 and got shortlisted for ‘Valley of words book awards’ in 2020.

Some of his stories (translated from Hindi) also appeared in English short story anthology ‘Storywallah’ edited by Neelesh Misra and published by Penguin India. He has also written a long story titled ‘Yarsa Gumba’ for famous storytelling app ‘Storytel’.

He also worked as roving writer in the rural newspaper Gaon Connection and traveled across hinter lands of Uttar Pradesh. 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. 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.

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, Jansatta, IBN Khabar, I-next etc. He is regular columnist in ‘Dainik Bhaskar‘ and writes travel articles. Currently he is based in New Delhi.

Umesh’s keen interest in traveling and exploring new places made him realize 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.

Media Presence

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किताबें

दूर दुर्गम दुरुस्त (यात्रा वृत्तांत)

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।

इनरलाइन पास (यात्रा वृत्तांत )

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।

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.