Well told saga of the Gulabi Gang

Well told saga of the 'Gulabi Gang'

Amana Fontella Khan's  Pink Revolution is a well told saga of the 'Gulabi Gang' and is a must read before the Madhuri Dikshit starrer flick on the Gang hits the theatres. Excerpts from an interview:

 
Q.  Much has been written about Gulabi gang in terms of news reports, blogs and feature articles. It has  been a subject for movies and documentaries as well. When and how did the idea of compiling a book  on it strike you?

A:  I first heard about the gang in 2010 and their story captured my attention immediately. It is rare that women in disadvantaged communities are portrayed as anything but victims, so the powerful and  victorious nature of the gang appealed to me.
      Their message, in essence, is that absolutely anyone, despite their poverty, illiteracy and oppression, can find ways to fight back and attain dignity and independence. This is relevant to people of all walks of  life who are concerned with political, social struggle.

Q. How difficult or easy it was to convince Sheelu for using her real name in the book?

A: It was not difficult at all. Sheelu has spoken to the local media on numerous occasions about what 
happened using her real name. She knows that it is the rapists, not their survivors, who should feel shame  and that breaking the veil of silence is central to attaining justice.

Q. What was the biggest challenge you faced in during the two years of this 'project'? Share any challenging experiences?

A. The main challenge I faced was that the gang is very busy and so finding time to conduct interviews was difficult. From around dawn to dusk, there is a flurry of activity around Sampat. People start coming to her house for help first thing in the morning, after which she spends the whole day out and about solving cases.    
          The last thing I wanted to do was interrupt her schedule with my interviews, so we tended to conduct   them early in the morning, when she was relatively free. Then I would often shadow her during the day and steal snatches of her time when she was on the road.
         It happened regularly with other gang members that I would travel for hours over battered, pot-holed roads to interview them just to find that they were not there or about to leave home. Much time was lost this way and so reporting on the gang required patience, time and flexibility.

Q.  How important do you think it is for an author to gel well with the protagonist?

A. I think that what is most important is for your interview subjects to trust you and be comfortable with opening up to you. It is not necessary to be friends with someone for that to happen, nor does personal compatibility really matter. At the end of the day, if someone has a story to tell they just want to make sure that the person recording it is trustworthy and will not distort their words.

Q. Why did you decide to stay with Sampat and her family. How differently do you think the book would have shaped up had you decided to bank upon the interviews and not exactly stayed in the same atmosphere?

A. I wanted to stay with Sampat in order for her to get to know me and, eventually, trust me. When you let a stranger into your home, you learn about them more quickly than you would in other situations. I also wanted to attain a full picture of Sampat's life and so having access to her domestic world, as well as her children--who are now all adults--was crucial.

Q. Did you face any insecurities while staying there?

A. Yes, that I didn't have a very good singing voice! Sampat's nieces and nephews loved for me to sing for them--everything from 'Happy Birthday' to the latest Justin Bieber songs that they had on their mobiles. Apart from that, which I found rather amusing, I had no insecurities whatsoever. I enjoyed my time with Sampat and her family thoroughly.

Q. Though the title aptly conveys the subject of the book, how did you come up this title and not choose 'gulabi gang' over it?

A. When I first started writing about the gang, few people knew about them in India. This was, after all, before Sampat joined 'Bigg Boss' and the Gulaab Gang film. Therefore, putting their name in the title would not have made much sense.

Q. You have mentioned that you scanned footage of news reports about the gang from Sahara Samay as part of you research. How aptly do you think Indian media covers such issues?

A. The local media in places like Banda cover the gang and the battles they fight very well. Indeed, they understand that the gang could not be successful without their coverage and so are happy to work together with the women. In urban parts of the country, media coverage of the Delhi gang-rape case and subsequent attacks has been instrumental in keeping women's empowerment and rights on the agenda, though much more could be done to highlight crimes against rural women, the lower-castes and the poor.

Q. You have really appreciated the role of your translators in shaping up the book. Did you face any problems with their transcripts while writing them in your own verse?

A. Though I am fortunate enough to have picked up a good knowledge of Hindi while writing the book, I still had to work closely with skilled, professional translators throughout my research period. Of course, there were occasions when I wondered whether some nuances were being lost in translation, and so I often consulted my Indian friends in either Mumbai or Delhi for a second opinion. One of my biggest challenges was that many woman spoke of sexual violence in very euphemistic, vague terms. What might sound like something minor at the outset would often turn out to be a horrific crime, so it was important to be alert and always peeling back the layers of what people were saying.

Q. Giving the kind of popularity the book has gained, what is next in store for your readers?
I would like to continue writing about women's issues in Europe, where I now live. The struggle for women's empowerment is ongoing in all parts of the globe and so I am looking forward to exploring the kind of themes that I did in Pink Sari Revolution in an entirely different setting.

Back with a 'BOOK'

Well, it has been a long break from books and from blogging though not a wasted one and I realise how much I miss being updated on books.
                Books-our true friends might sound a cliche whenever somebody mentions it but it stands holistically true to a larger extent.
                For somebody who reads books like reading newspaper as part of daily routine, it might come up a surprise when you listen from a friend, " Jhumpa Lahiri's book nominated for Booker is nice no?" and you answer back, " Jhumpa Lahiri got nominated for Booker? When? Really?".
                The same surprise stuck me and in the similar way and I realised that though I was up to productive things but I was absent from the 'book world' and from the blogosphere as well. So, with lots of updates to catch up, lots of books in the pending reading list, a lot more things to write about..I am back in the blogosphere...Back with a Book..!! BANG..!! Stay tuned.

I often find it difficult to watch my own films

: Mani Ratnam

When I am watching my own films, five minutes in, and I start seeing only mistakes, and I desperately wish that I can correct them somehow, says epic film maker Mani Ratnam in a book that has chronicled his eighteen films which will be cherished forever in the history of Indian Cinema.

" In conversations with Mani Ratnam" published by Penguin Books is an account of Mani Ratnam's journey as a film maker through detailed, candid and lively interviews with the author Baradwaj Rangan, a National Award winning film critic.

 With separate chapters dedicated to each of his film,in the interviews Ratnam has elaborated in a personal vein on his choice of themes, from the knottiness in urban relationship (Agni Natachatiram) to the rents in the national fabric (Bombay); his direction of children (Anjali); his artful use of songs; his innovative use of lighting as also his making of films in Hindi and other languages.

" There are two things that bother a film maker. One when he is offered a life time achievement award. The second is when he is asked to do a book on his films" says Ratnam in the book adding, " A book on his work gives the film maker a chance to intellectualize what was once an instinctive decision"

 However he believes that the process of writing the book was no less than a therapy. 

" Reliving all my films in this book, from the earliest to the most recent coming face to face with each one, back to back, was a bit like going to psychiatrist for therapy" he says.

Baradwaj Rangan, has begun the book by elaborating how the book took shape and his journey from the time he saw his first Mani Ratnam movie in 1985 to the day he met Ratnam at his office at Madras Talkies for a face to face conversation for the book.

" Ratnam is a flamboyant film-maker whose films, too often are accused of being nothing but strung together pretty pictures , or worse, extended ad films" says Baradwaj.

He writes, " At least on a screenplay level, these films are textbook-ready examples of how to marry what you want to do with what the audience may be willing to accept."

In the book there are fond recollections of Ratnam's collaborations with Stalwarts like Balu Mahendra, PC Sreeram, Thotta Tharrani and Gulzar among many others.  And delectable behind the scene stories-from the contrasting working styles of Illiyaraja and Rahman to the unexpected dimensions Kamal Hassan brought to the filming of Nayakan to what Raavan was like when originally conceived.

However the author claims that though Ratnam's movie 'Raavan' didn't do heartening business on box-office yet it was Raavan that made this book possible.

" Suddenly my publishers who have been talking to me for years, had a proposal I could not say no to. I wrote it as a man of faith in the filmmaker who is in a sense a dinosaur one of the last of a dying breed in India which is mainstream auteur," he says.

Writing about war of emotions is more challenging than reporting about war situations: Minty Tejpal

It is much more easier to do an investigative story or report about war situations than dealing with varied emotions while writing a book be it a fiction story or a real life account, says author and journalist, Minty Tejpal.
Minty whose video coverage of a historic encounter in a building at Lokhandwala gained popularity for being replicated in Bollywood blockbuster Shootout at Lokhandwalaa has come up with a book with a different style of his usual writing titled 'The Last Love Letter'.
" I have done investigative journalism, reporting on terrorism, advertising, direction of TV shows etc with all of them having different demands and challenges. But penning down this book was the most challenging. Probably its the toughest to write about emotions, " Minty told in an interview.
46-year-old, Minty Tejpal is a twice divorced man with two children, a tragic story which he believes is the motivation behind penning down this book.
" It will not be true if I say that its a completely true story. It obviously draws reference from incidents that have happened in my life but there are some fictitious elements too," he said adding, " But that applies to almost all of the fiction stories. There is some reference to a real character and real situation always".
Minty believes that its high time that the society revamps its thoughts, perceptions and expectations from the institution of marriage because according to him its on the verge of collapsing.
" Our fascination with marriage is hyped to such an extent that we generally start connecting and expecting it to be perfect, which is not possible for anything and anyone in this world. " said Minty.
He added, " The depiction of blue moon weddings, happy endings and mushy love sagas in  bollywood movies also needs to be given a second thought. Cinema is supposed to reflect our society and today this 'happily lived thereafter' plot has crashed.'
Minty believes that everyone in this world has a love story but not each one of them has the element to make it to the bookshelves and interest the readers. " Thats where the need of fiction creeps in. Broken love stories are nothing new for the readers but it is in the craft of writing which makes them cry each time they read a tragic love story"
Minty who has earlier worked on two books for children doesn't want to bring his passion for investigative journalism and sting operations as a driving force for writing books. " For books I want to stick to light and emotional stuff only and I don't want to set any deadlines. These issues also need to be addressed in the society because they also affect a large portion of our population like other burning issues." he said.

" I want to warn the readers about the threat to their social fabric once their marriage starts rotting. Its hard to accept that we talk about all the things related to wedding but not about divorce which is a hard core reality today and hence I chose to write this book." said Minty.

Thriller writing a hit among debut authors : Upendra Namburi

Debutant author Upendra Namburi, who took up his first summer job when he was 17 and has spent the last 16 years in the FMCG, banking and financial services, talks about how thriller writing has attracted debutant authors and about his further plans. 

Excerpts from an interview : 

Q. '31' being your debut book, any specific reason behind choosing a thriller story to make your debut in writing?
A. I was looking for a subject which had a contemporary setting. ‘31’ is the story of Ravi, a regional head in a multinational bank over the course of 31 days as a global crisis sweeps the bank resulting in a restructuring and layoff plan for the Indian operations, with a firing list set to be issued on 31st March. The story revolves around his colleagues at work, his wife and family. There are so many variables that come into play in a complex situation such as this and with the pressures of seeking to retain his job and respect by 31st March. The thriller was a natural format to suit the storyline and capture the essence of the pace and complexity of events that keep rapidly unfolding over those 31 days.

 Q.  Recently many thriller books have come in the market and that too by debut authors. Do you think that thriller as a genre interests the debut authors? Why or why not?
A. The subjects being written about have evolved significantly over the last few years and so have the tastes of the readers. This is also led by the explosion of content across media including television and movies. It also reflects the nature of lives that are led by us these days and our aspirations for ‘thrills’. This is a genre that is seeing increasing interest both amongst debut and established authors.

Q. What inspired you to write your first book?
A. I have been thinking of writing a book for several years now. I wanted to write a book in a format and storyline that I would like to read personally and believed there was a large audience out there with similar views. Indian fiction has evolved and there has been very little written on the aspects of work or corporate life where we spend so much time of our lives, and hence ’31’.

 Q. How much of the book is based on real life incidents?A. Corporate India has evolved significantly over the last two decades with the growth of large Indian firms and several multinationals now having significant business interests in India. The aspects of work life and its nuances including the politics and challenges that exist are now quite prevalent across sectors and industries. Though the story has been set in a bank, the incidents and sub plots can and have occurred in multiple industries. The challenge of restructuring and layoffs and its impact on millions of Indian families is now reality and a trend that would continue for years to come.

 Q.  Is there anything you found particularly challenging while writing this book?
A. Writing any book can be quite challenging for an author. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work and discipline to complete writing a book and then finally publishing it.  As I was in the journey of writing the book, I realized that there was a deep impact and effect of corporate life on the family and the relationships within the household.
      Originally I had taken a fairly linear approach on covering the incidents and challenges faced by the protagonist Ravi over the course of the 31 days in March and then realized that the other dimensions of his relationship with his wife Savitha and their two children were of equal significance. Encapsulating all these aspects and yet making it a crisp and fast paced read was a significant challenge.

Q. What is next in store for your readers? Any plans of turning a full time author?A. ‘31’ is the first in the Numbers triumvirate that I would be writing, with the subsequent titles being ‘60’ and ‘8’. The series of books would be in a thriller format with the subjects touching upon passions, love, manias and work. The underlying theme is time in all the books capturing the essence and significance of timelines in our lives.
         I haven’t contemplated the concept of being a full time author, as I equally enjoy my corporate role

Q.  How comfortable you will be with your work being captured on celluloid?
A. It would require a certain sensibility and treatment to be captured on celluloid. I’m quite sure that the Indian audience is ready for a subject and storyline as covered in ’31’

Q. 31 is a three-part series.  When are the other two expected? What are they about?
A. The subsequent books titled ‘60’ and ‘8’ capture the essence and magic of timelines in our lives and how quickly events and circumstances can change in a short period of time. It would also delve on the impact and pressure of timelines on human behavior. They would have a corporate background but lean more towards the emotional and personal lives of the characters vis a vis ‘31'. Am planning on the subsequent two books being out in the shelves over the next two years.

 Q. Any particular reason behind keeping numbers as titles of your books?
It just reflects the reality of contemporary urban lifestyles and how numbers are interwoven into every aspect of our lives. Time, timelines, deadlines, flights, trains, meetings, business plans, schedules, the stock market, the grocery budget…the list goes on. Numbers and time are all around us. It is an attempt at capturing the essence of lives as we lead them in urban India today

Q. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
A. ‘31’ captures the story of Ravi, a regional head in a multinational bank, as he traverses his way through 31 days in the month of March as the bank goes through a global restructuring and layoff plan. The politics, scams and all the manouveres by the bosses, peers, colleagues and even subordinates in these trying times can be demanding to say the least.
      This is a book that traces the story of one such working professional and his wife as they both struggle to balance the conflict between ambition and ethics and seek to identify what’s really important to them. It is also a period in which  they begin to understand and reflect on what is really important to them.
       ‘31’ is a story which has been written in a fast paced format and would allow the readers to relate to incidents, events and characters that they are quite likely to witness at their work place as well.



               

How about trotting India in 80 trains? 

The idea of trotting across India via train journeys full of excitement, interactions, activities and much more is an experience which cannot be felt in any of the railway networks across the world, says Monisha Rajesh who has penned down her 80 journeys in Indian trains.
'Around India in 80 Trains' published by Roli Books is based on an array of train journeys undertaken by Monisha Rajesh in the quest of exploring the diversities of India's lifeline-the railway network.
Monisha Rajesh, is an Indian origin London -based journalist whose family wanted to shift to India because of the emotional bonding and respect they had for the country but they had parted their ways with India on bad terms.
"In 1991, my family uprooted from Sheffield to Madras in the hope of making India our home. Two years later, fed up with soap eating rats, stolen human hearts and creepy colonel across the road,we returned to England with a  bitter taste in our mouths" Monisha told  in an interview during the just concluded Kovalam Literature Festival.

She added,"Though we decided not to settle there but with the kind of curiosity I had for the country it wasn't difficult for me to pack my bags and simply leave for crisscrossing the country in 2010 using the two-track transport line."
According to Monisha, travelling a distance equivalent to the circumference of the earth, she lifted the veil on a country that had become a stranger to her.
"As one of the largest civilian employers in the world-featuring luxury trains, toy trains, Mumbai's infamous commuter trains and even a hospital on wheels-Indian railways had more than a few stories to tell" said Monisha.
"Seeking inspiration from Jules Verne's classic tale, Around the world in 80 days I embarked on a 40,000 km adventure around India in 80 trains," says Monisha, however according to her the idea first struck her while she came across an article detailing how India's domestic airlines could now reach 80 cities.
          Narrating the beautiful experiences she had during the four month journey she said, "There is so much about Indian train journeys which makes them stand apart from train journeys across the world."
"People's willingness to interact with fellow passengers, playing cards, ready to be clicked by strangers, go on about the stories and experiences of their lives and much more" she said adding, "But I personally enjoyed travelling sitting on the train's doorstep the most. After watching the scenic beauty from there I realised how aesthetically beautiful India is"
"On trains, total strangers would ask about my brother’s salary," she recalled amusingly, “but back in London I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the visit cards, phone numbers and emails from the trip" said Monisha.
Quizzed about the planning she did before embarking on this journey she said, " I didn't plan much about the journey because I wanted everything to be spontaneous. I even travelled without reservation in some of the journeys."
"I preferred not to read too many travelogues before writing the book because its difficult to read and not to have an influence in writing" said Monisha.
Monisha believes that though many things have been written about Indian train journeys before yet the book will give the readers the excitement she felt during journey she undertook in one go.
"I travelled in variety of trains ranging from Rajdhani, Shatabdi to Mumbai local and toy trains to get the feel of each of them" she said.

Democracy, most unsatisfactory form of govt: Jaswant Singh

Have empty rituals become substitutes of principles on which our parliament and democratic system stands? Whom actually do our governments, any of them represent? Where did India stand in the comity of nations earlier and what is our role in international affairs now? These are few of the questions raised by former Union minister Jaswant Singh in his latest book .
"In each parliament session there is still a joint sitting, an address and a formal announcement of our government's programme but all sadly now not so inspiring. I am assailed by gnawing doubts about functioning of our parliament and about our democratic system," says veteran
leader in the book in an article titled 'Irrelevance of Parliament and its MPs'.
"The audacity of opinion-Reflections, journeys and musings," by Amaryllis publications is the compilation of essays written by Jaswant Singh over the years on a broad spectrum of issues which he says, India has been facing in the past and which continue to exist even today.
At the function where the book was launched, Jaswant Singh however evaded the question about the recent session of parliament been stalled by his own party.
"Parliament in our theory is the custodian of liberties, a watch dog body over misgovernance, a check over the executive, infact its no longer so. " he said adding, " The theoretical system of 'checks and balances' has lost nearly all its balance, the only check there is with the government, a check
of their own incompetence'.
Singh, who having served eight terms in Parliament has witnessed different phases of Indian politics during his career says, " There is a corresponding parliamentary myth that those of us who sit in the parliament as representatives of people, meaningfully influence the government's thinking."
         "If, as we all know, the ruling party is not able to do so, for reasons which are by now, obvious enough to the whole of the country, then how on earth is the Opposition expected to do that?" he asks.
Recalling the time when he penned down these articles, Singh says " I am greatly struck as to how these issues have remained constant over decades. Is it because we do not have the ability to change or we are comfortable with the disorder of the present."
According to Singh, "Democracy is the most unsatisfactory form of govt' until as Churchill as said 'You start examining others'".
"Unfortunately whenever we talk of a reform of the system, we rarely go further than suggesting, either alternative ways of counting these votes or of a different apportioning of the consequent seats in the legislature, or of actual system of governance, through which we wish to translate this people's will into executive action" he says.
The book includes essays on wide spectrum of issues touched by Singh in his writing over the years like Assam accord, terrorism in Punjab, the challenges of diplomacy, the politics of secularism, credibility stakes, PM's trip abroad and much more.
However the book is not just a compilation of serious and analytical pieces of writings by him but also pieces laced with wry humour like 'Sex and public life', 'Raid Raj', 'Bureaucrats and Bureaukrats', 'Rama-Ravan' elections, 'Brass tracks to Brass flaps' among others.
Singh who has authored twelve books including 'Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence' and 'A call to honour in service of emergent India says " In the very writing of all articles, is implicit arrogance. But there is yet another elemental quest, and not simply arrogance. The quest of
finding answers to the challenge of our times which continue to trouble us even today."