A drink on the table, a speaker at the front and a room full of people with questions: this is becoming a familiar scene at some of Hyderabad’s cafés and breweries. The topic could be cinema, mathematics, politics or poetry, but the idea is the same — bring people together to listen, question and discuss. These lecture series are less about sitting back and listening, and more about getting people to engage with an idea. Hyderabad Times finds out what is driving this trend, who is turning up and why these talks are finding an audience.
Pic credits: Pint of View Hyderabad
Curiosity finds a growing audienceThe numbers suggest that curiosity is translating into attendance. Pint of View, which began in Bengaluru in August 2025 and expanded to Hyderabad in October, started its first Hyderabad lecture with 50 sign-ups. Its lectures are now typically attended by 150-200 people, with a String Theory session drawing 300 attendees across two lectures. The series runs bimonthly, with each session comprising a roughly 50-minute lecture, a 30-minute Q&A and a mixer. Its audience ranges from people in their 20s to those in their 50s and 60s; attendees in their 70s and 80s have travelled from Secunderabad, while children have also attended with guardians for sessions on Black Holes and String Theory.
Pic credits: The Brain Bar Hyderabad
A format built for conversationThe Brain Bar, launched in Hyderabad in April 2026, began with 20-25 people at its first two lectures and now sells out quickly, though attendance is capped at about 50 per session. “Our audience includes students, professionals and people in their 50s. Lectures happen two or three times a month, with plans to move towards weekly sessions,” says co-founder Harsh Jain. “The whole event runs for around two to two-and-a-half hours, which includes the icebreaker session, the lecture, and the one-on-one networking session. The lecture itself is typically for around 45 minutes to one hour.” For attendee Gowtham R, the conversation is as important as the lecture: “It’s not just the lecture. You also get to know other perspectives… So, it’s a very well-rounded experience.”
Aditya Srinivasulu
Lectures like these give people who aren’t in academic or higher education circles a safe space to be interested in things without judgement
Aditya Srinivasulu, research affiliate and speaker
What people want to hearThe subjects are deliberately broad, with both series mixing humanities and science and prioritising topics relevant to the current moment. Audiences also have a say: The Brain Bar’s Game Theory lecture, for instance, was suggested by attendees, while Pint of View’s audience can propose topics and speakers, with its programming planned about three months ahead. “We want to cover as many different areas as we can. We want to bring something new to the table every month and make sure that the topic is related to the current context,” says Brain Bar co-founder Harsh Jain. For Pint of View curator Trisha Bhugra, the social setting is equally important: “We don’t want to just enjoy and drink but also learn new things at the same time.”
Dr NK Shinod
These kinds of lectures spread the knowledge we create inside academia at a level that is accessible to the larger public. People aren’t going to read research articles or these big books because they don’t have the time
Dr NK Shinod, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Hyderabad; speaker
We want to cover as many different areas as we can. We want to bring something new to the table every month and make sure that the topic is related to the current context
Harsh Jain, co-founder, The Brain Bar
How the lecture went informalTaking expert-led discussions outside academic institutions is not new. Café Scientifique, founded in Leeds in 1998, brought scientists and the public together in cafés and bars to discuss science and technology informally. Pint of Science was launched in 2013 in the UK, taking researchers into pubs and cafés across many cities. Lectures on Tap, founded in New York in 2024, broadened the format to include professors, experts and storytellers speaking on various subjects.
Pic credits: Amul Takkuri and Ronaldo Laishram, Pint of View Hyderabad
Pic credits: Amul Takkuri and Ronaldo Laishram, Pint of View Hyderabad