Pankaj Dubey

Pankaj Dubey
Indian author and filmmaker Pankaj Dubey
Pankaj Dubey in 2019
Born
Ranchi, Bihar, India
(now in Jharkhand, India)
EducationBachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, Masters
Alma materUniversity of Delhi
Coventry School of Art and Design
Writing career
LanguageEnglish, Hindi
Notable awardsYouth Icon Award for Social Entrepreneurship, Global Innoventure Award (2018)

Pankaj Dubey (born in Ranchi, Bihar, India) is a bilingual Indian novelist, screenwriter, cultural practitioner, and public intellectual whose work reflects the evolving voice of contemporary India across languages and mediums.[1]

Published by Penguin Random House India, his novels span both English and Hindi, engaging with themes of aspiration, identity, and modern relationships. His writing often situates personal narratives within broader socio-political contexts, making his work both accessible and reflective of societal change.[2][3]

Early life and education

Pankaj Dubey was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand) and grew up in Chaibasa. His father was a professor of English literature. Dubey completed a Bachelor of Arts in History (1999) and LLB (2002) from the University of Delhi. He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in Applied Communications at Coventry School of Art and Design, UK, in 2003.[2]

Career

Dubey began his media career in 2003 as a presenter and journalist with the BBC World Service in London.[4] He made his literary debut with the novel What a Loser! in 2013, which was simultaneously published in Hindi as Loser Kahin Ka! [5]

His second novel, Ishqiyapa: To Hell with Love, was published by Penguin Books India's mass-market imprint Penguin Metro Reads in 2015.[6] This was followed by Love Curry and Trending in Love, both contemporary romantic comedies. His fifth novel, One String Attached, is set in Ayodhya and explores themes of identity and conflict.[7]

Dubey has conducted masterclasses on popular fiction and curated the first ever Nalanda Literature Festival in December 2025,[8] focusing on emerging voices and contemporary storytelling.[9][10]

Literary and public engagements

Pankaj Dubey has conducted workshops and masterclasses on popular fiction, focusing on storytelling craft and contemporary narrative practices.[11]

He has also participated in literary festivals and curated cultural platforms, contributing to discussions around youth-oriented storytelling and bilingual literature in India.[12]

Writing style and themes

Dubey's work is characterised by the use of humour and colloquial language to explore themes of relationships, aspiration, and identity in contemporary India.[13]

He has described his bilingual writing process as "transcreation", in which narratives are adapted across Hindi and English rather than directly translated.[11]

International recognition

Dubey was selected for the Seoul Art Space Writers’ Residency in South Korea, where he participated in the Asian Literature Creative Workshop.[14]

He received the Global Innoventure Award for Literature and Storytelling at the House of Lords in London.[11]

Podcast

Pankaj hosts a Chat Show titled “Small Towns Big Stories” on his You Tube Channel by the same name where he interacts with the inspiring and entertaining achievers of small towns in India from across the domains. Some of his guests include Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Divyanka Tripathi, Faisal Malik, Vivek Dahiya, Anushka Kaushik, Swanand Kirkire, Tarun Khanna, Sumona Chakravarti and Sugandha Mishra to name a few.[15][16][17]

Old School Romance

Audible presents ‘Old School Romance’, an Audible Original created, written and hosted by Pankaj Dubey is an original audio series about love stories of pre-digital dating era, of twelve unheard anecdotes of celebrity couples from different walks of life whose love stories were never discussed before. He travelled to multiple cities, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi in India to document the oral romantic history of his guests.[18][19]

Film and production

Dubey served as a script supervisor on Ghanchakkar (2013)[20] and Chauranga (2014).[21] He has also produced short films including Geelee (Wet Dreams) and Naach Ganesh (Dance of Ganesha).

In 2021, Dubey directed the short film Maratha Mandir Cinema, starring Sarika and Swanand Kirkire.[22] The film focused on the cultural impact of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge on sex workers in Mumbai’s Kamathipura. It was crowdfunded and nominated for the Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards, and was also screened at the Cannes and Vancouver film festivals.[23]

Social initiatives

In 2002, Dubey founded SPRIHA (Society for the Promotion and Inculcation of Human Aspirations), a non-governmental organization focused on youth empowerment and cultural education. Under SPRIHA, he initiated the Sadak Chhap Film Festival.[24]

Awards and recognition

Bibliography (selected)

  • What A Loser! (English) 2013
  • Loser Kahin Ka! (Hindi) 2013
  • Ishqiyapa :To Hell With Love (English): :2015
  • Ishqiyapa (Hindi) (2015)
  • Love Curry (English): 2018
  • Love Curry (Hindi): 2018
  • Trending In Love (English):2020[29]
  • Trending In Love (Hindi):2020
  • One String Attached (English) 2021[30]
  • Ishq Baaki (Hindi) 2024

Filmography (selected)

  • Maratha Mandir Cinema (Director, 2021)[31]
  • Naach Ganesh (Producer)
  • Geelee (Producer)
  • Chauranga (Script Supervisor)
  • Ghanchakkar (Script Supervisor)

References

  1. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey". www.penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Author Pankaj Dubey: I want to make a blockbuster film on my book set in DU". Hindustan Times. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Pandey, Jaideep (25 July 2020). "'Trending in Love' book review: Of Desires, Dreams and Dangers". The New Indian Express.
  4. ↑ "Size Does Not Matter When It Comes To Entertainment - Inventiva". 19 December 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey/पंकज दुबे". Penguin Random House India. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey pens love story with Ayodhya setting". The Indian Express. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Malhotra, Chirdeep (28 May 2020). "Pankaj Dubey on "Trending In Love": 'Socio-political undercurrents of the present times add substantial layering to the book's narrative'". The Dispatch. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "First-ever Nalanda Literature Festival to take place in Bihar from December 21 to 25; here's all you need to know". Mid-day.
  9. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey's digital storytelling masterclass inspires Dubai's next-gen creators". TheBrewNews.com. 3 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "One String Attached: Love in the shadow of history". Qatar Tribune. 1 September 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 "A love story in Ayodhya". The New Indian Express. 3 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Rose, Ashya. "Pankaj Dubey on Small Town Stories Shaping India | EasternEye". www.easterneye.biz.
  13. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey pens love story with Ayodhya setting". The Indian Express. 22 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "Chaibasa writer in Seoul workshop". The Times of India. 30 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Kapil Sharma Show fame Sumona Chakraborty shares glimpses from her 37th birthday; writes 'Another year older and still full of hope'". The Times of India. 25 June 2025.
  16. ↑ "Sugandha Mishra's journey from Jalandhar to Mumbai". Thehansindia.com. 24 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Rose, Ashya. "Pankaj Dubey on Small Town Stories Shaping India | EasternEye". www.easterneye.biz.
  18. ↑ "Cyrus Broacha: 'Audio shows allow you to use your imagination'". Firstpost.
  19. ↑ Rose, Ashya. "Pankaj Dubey on Small Town Stories Shaping India | EasternEye". www.easterneye.biz.
  20. ↑ Ghanchakkar (2013) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 23 June 2025 – via www.imdb.com.
  21. ↑ Chauranga (2014) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 23 June 2025 – via www.imdb.com.
  22. ↑ "Swanand Kirkire: 13-minute film 'Maratha Mandir Cinema' an ode to 'DDLJ'". daijiworld.com. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  23. ↑ Dubey, Pankaj (13 March 2020), Maratha Mandir Cinema (Short, Drama), Swanand Kirkire, Sarika Thakur, Tanvi Ravindra Sanvai, retrieved 23 June 2025
  24. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey". Kalinga Literary Festival. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  25. ↑ Dubey, Pankaj (1 August 2021). One String Attached. ISBN 978-0143447955.
  26. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey". Kalinga Literary Festival. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  27. ↑ "Chaibasa writer in Seoul workshop". The Times of India. 30 April 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  28. ↑ "Pankaj Dubey". Penguin Random House India. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  29. ↑ Pandey, Jaideep (3 July 2020). "'Trending in Love' book review: Of Desires, Dreams and Dangers". The New Indian Express.
  30. ↑ "A love story in Ayodhya". The New Indian Express. 3 May 2021.
  31. ↑ Khatoon, F. (21 October 2021). "Short film Maratha Mandir Cinema pays tribute to DDLJ". Indulgexpress.
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