“Why should one read in a regional language or their mother tongue? It is because that is where the true compassion, the feelings, and the cultural bond exist. The roots are there and it is important to sometimes go back to the roots and understand your own language,” says Jitendra Bhatia, writer and co-founder of ‘Vasundhara Prakashan Ltd’ in Mumbai.

Despite its location in a commercial building of Powai’s posh Hiranandani gardens and closer to the famous Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Vasundhara is far from being a commercial entity. Rather, its sustenance is fuelled by the passion of its founders, Bhatia and Sudha Arora, who are celebrated Hindi writers and a couple. With only a specific group of frequent visitors, this compact and cozy space has been thriving in the city for 20 years now and continues to boast of a diverse collection of regional literature and translated works.