When Mahesh Bhatt handed over his private jottings to Sunita Pant Bansal, he did not give her a manuscript he entrusted her with the raw, unfiltered fragments of a life in turmoil.
Born from scattered diary entries written in moments of rage, doubt, tenderness and loss, The Ashes Are Warm is a record of survival rather than reflection.
At its heart stands UG not as a guru or saviour, but as a fierce fire that burned away Bhatt s certainties, identities and spiritual pretensions.
What emerges from those ashes is not enlightenment, but something rarer: a ruthless and unflinching honesty.
Here, the celebrated filmmaker appears not as a public icon but as a vulnerable seeker son, lover, sceptic scorched by experience yet unwilling to look away. This is not the story of success; it is the chronicle of an undoing, revealing what remains when every illusion has burned away.
About the Author
Sunita Pant Bansal is a renowned mythologist, storyteller and author whose career spans over four decades across publishing, journalism and spiritual literature. A former publishing head and founder of her own imprint, she has worked with global institutions including Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Pearson Education, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and the ABP Group. The bestselling author of Everyday Gita and writer of over 51 books, Sunita is widely known for interpreting Indian scriptures and mythology through a contemporary psychological and philosophical lens. Her notable works include Krishna: The Management Guru, Gita for Young Minds, Boons & Curses in Hindu Mythology, A Comprehensive Guide to Indian Scriptures, The Illusion of Illusions, and numerous acclaimed retellings of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other Indian classic literature. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and read worldwide. Her contributions to literature have been recognized with the AALEKH Women Achievers Award (2024) and the Vagishwari Samman (2025). She currently serves as Director of Almora Literature Festival. Having worked closely with UG Krishnamurti s writings for over a decade as publisher and curator, and as a longtime friend and interlocutor of Mahesh Bhatt, Sunita brings rare authority and discernment to The Ashes Are Warm, shaping his deeply personal jottings into a powerful spiritual arc.
+91 9818282497
