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."

                 Indian authors have imposed self censorship 
                         on their writings: Jeet Thayil

Most of the Indian authors have imposed self-censorship as they are worried about `their papajis, mamajis and uncles' believes author Jeet Thayil who has raised heckles with his blunt and sharp writing.
      " Indian writers are not encouraged to experiment or take risks. They prefer writing the cliché stuff which has already  been written" author of Narcopolis, which has been shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize, Jeet Thayil said during an interview.
      Thayil who is in the race for the prize along with heavyweights like Deborah Levy, Hilary Mantel, Alison Moore, Will Self and Tan Twan Eng asked, " What is the point who if you can't put words into your book that you hear daily?"
      " In India you will hear certain words 15 times in a day but  you will never read them in pages of a literary novel, " said Thayil whose novel Narcopolis was rejected by multiple Indian publishers.
      " There is no critical tradition in the field of Indian literature writing because both writers as well as publishers prefer the tried and tested subjects and methods," he said.  
       According to Thayil, his book which was published in London got better reviews in India among the readers because it could connect to the way the youth today thinks, the language they use but unfortunately only few or almost no such books are published here.
       “My parents knew how screwed up I was and never expected any surprise if I wrote things open. Many authors do not write what they want to. Authors should not worry about what others think. They should worry about the book only,’’  said Thayil who was here to participate in the Delhi Leg of fifth Kovalam Litertaure Festival (KLF).
       The debut novel from 53-year-old Kerala-born writer, who was so far known for his poems, is a dark tale about the opium and heroin dens of Mumbai and based on his own experiences.
       However, he thinks that reaching to the conclusion that his book might compel the readers to have drugs will be wrong.
    " It takes much more than a book to push someone to drugs and if that happens means you are an extremely literary person. The book always gives the message that it's never too late for quitting drugs" he said.
     Thayil asserted that the book does not only talk about the story of how an individual gets addicted to drugs but a tale of the transformation of desires and opinions from when addiction appears pleasurable to when it appears sheer waste of time.
    Downplaying the hype and growing expectation about his novel winning the Booker prize, he said he would give himself `an outside chance’ to win the coveted award.
    “I have an outside chance to win it. All others have inside chance. That is how I want to look at it,’’ said Thayil.
    While he is keeping his fingers crossed for the awards which  will be announced on October 16, he is already working on his next novel which he says will not be a sequel of 'Narcopolics' but there will be some connectivity in the characters of the two books.

It's an era of customised fitness books: Celebrity fitness trainers

Gone are the days when fitness books were synonymous with diet books or guide books carrying a huge list of do's and don'ts.
    The recent years have witnessed multiple experiments in the genre of fitness books with new avatars hitting the book shelves while the experts believe 'customised fitness books'  is the season's trend.
    "No wonder how well researched and well written a fitness book is it can not prove useful for everyone. The fitness needs vary with certain factors like age, sex, health and much more and hence the need of 'customised fitness books' for different categories ", says Abhishek, celebrity fitness trainer.
    Abhishek who has been training celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kappor, Kalki Koechlin, Sonam Kaoor, Salman Khan, Akshay Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Subroto Roy and Aditya Roy Kapoor  has recently added a new category to the customized list with his book 'Fitness on go -For busy people'.
    " Why should fitness books just fall into traditional categories. 'Busy people' is one such category which will involve majority of people. So, I chose to pen down this book for guiding anytime anywhere holistic workout for busy people" says Abhsihek.
    " People today are not interested in fads, short cuts or some new clever way of exercising which promise results without any effort. They want books which can play the same role a fitness trainer will play for them." says Abhishek.

 

  Another wellness expert Namita Jain who has written four fitness books for different age categories like Jaldi Fit (for adults), Jaldi fit kids (For kids), The four weeks countdown
diet and Figure it out (For teens) completed her series by penning down another book for old people titled 'sexy at sixty".
    " People's approach towards fitness has drastically changed over years. Today fitness is not just recognised as toned muscles or flat stomach." says Namita adding, " A fitness regime suggested for a 30-year-old woman will not be beneficial for a teenage girl who wishes to have an hour glass
figure. Hence they need to have options to pick up books customised to suit their needs"
        Namita who recently associated herself with ' Diet Mantra' for training dieticians in personalised fitness solutions says, " Apart from telling what is good for health of old people and what is not ' Sexy at sixty' also takes into account certain problems like Menopause,  prostate enlargement and osteoporosis which are common at this age. "
        " The readers don't just expect a checklist of things to be followed from the fitness books but also expect the book to have that kind of motivation that when they finish reading it the book does not only lie in their bookshelves but they also feel like following it regularly" says Abhishek.
        Other books like 'Confessions of a serial dieter' by Kalie Purie and bestsellers like 'Don't Loose your mind, Loose your weight' and ' Women and weight loss tamasha' by Rujeta Diwekar also fall into the category and deal with specific issues pertaining to fitness which an average reader would like to read and follow rather than them just appealing the health experts.

Wendell Rodricks allow an entry into his ' Green Room' via his autobiography 

Too many fashion weeks all year around not only localise the industry but also dilute its long celebrated essence as well as negatively impact business, says fashion designer Wendell Rodricks who has unveiled secrets of the glamorous industry in his newly released autobiography.
    "With so many fashion weeks being held every now and then the whole concept of 'green room' is being diluted and the business is being affected," says Rodricks, a veteran of the Indian fashion industry.
    "The Green Room" published by Rupa's Raintree Publications is Wendell's autobiographical account which he says is an entry into into his green room to which no outsider is allowed access.
    From the time he used to work as a cook in Oman to the day he established his own label, the book is a tell all tale of how he transformed his passion into reality  and how the industry has undergone a stage of metamorphosis in past 25 years.
    "I have neither chronicled my story nor is it a retrospective of fashion shows over the years but a culmination of both. In a way its a story of my evolution and Indian fashion's evolution" Wendell told PTI in an interview.
    However, the designer who hails from Goa believes he has become compassionate to past circumstances and penned down this book.
   

    "The most challenging thing to do was to remember all what I have been through. Recalling all the highs and lows I have developed a new perspective towards those circumstance which I didn't have at the time of their occurrence," he says.
 A green room says Wendell Rodricks is a very strange place to which only few people have access to though the activities and relationships there can not be defined in a set or predictable pattern.What happens in green room after all rarely stays there.
    "Designers showing a collection at a particular time slot colonise the green room for 'their hour'.  However close the friendship between them, the entry of others  into the green room during 'their hour' is frowned upon" he writes.
    The ace designer's dream is to have a green room that is plush and luxurious.
    "Instead of cramped make up area, shoddy racks, dirty floors and black curtain walls, we will have
flowers, champagne, white walls, space...." he says claiming that perhaps that dream will come true someday and perhaps it will change the very nature of the  fashion industry.
    Wendell who has earlier written a book on history of Goan costume 'Moda Goa', Wendell is presently working on a text book called ' Cutting in squares' which he  says will decode and decipher the art of cutting clothes through guidelines of Indian geometry.
    "It is time I believe we need to revamp and revise the current structure of fashion education in our
 country. There are so many fashion graduates every year and they end up being
no where".

"India grows at night...when the government sleeps" 

says a new book by Former CEO of Procter & Gamble

Though governance failure continues to pervade public life yet prosperity is spreading across the country and hence  the need for today is a strong liberal state, says well known author and commentator Gurucharan Das in his new book.
'India grows at night' published by Penguin books  explores the cause of hardships that effect India after twenty years of liberalization and suggests what ordinary citizens can do to make things better.
" India has always been a strong society but weak state. Hence the title 'India grows at night' while the full expression is ' India grows at night..when the government sleeps" says Gurucharan who was the former CEO of CEO of Proctor & Gamble India.
He believes that when despite being governed by a weak and ineffective state India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies, its time for India to grow during the day as well.
" To deal with the policy paralysis prevailing in the country we need a strong liberal state. India will also be able to grow during the day if public policy is supported by private enterprise" he says.
To explain the model of 'liberal state', Das has cited the examples of growth stories of two cities in Delhi NCR-Faridabad and Gurgaon which he believes triggered the title and his thought process for the book.
" In early 80s experts had estimated Faridabad to be symbol of India' success and hence spent capital and time in its growth. To every body's surprise Gurgaon proved to symbol of rising India three decades later while Faridabad continues to be an impoverished city" says Das.
According to Das, Gurgaon's  disadvantage of having no municipal government turned out to be its advantage as people there didn't have to face any interference in their process of development.
Chapters of the book like ' Middle-class Dignity' and 'Politics of Aspiration' talk about the prevalent situation of politics and governance in the country.
Another chapter, 'Confronting the corruption' also takes into account Anna Hazare's movement against corruption. However Das  believes there is a need for institutional reforms prior to any political reforms.
" To prevent corruption we should reform the institutions of governance, eradicate the ' license raj' and stop the populist policies that create opportunities fro corruption" he says adding, " So, good old-fashioned reforms of the 1991 variety would do far more than sending the hounds of Lokpal after every official who yielded to temptation."
Defining the ' Liberal state' that Das  suggests as the solution of the hour, he says , " We need a ' decisive liberal state' which has three basic qualities which include a government which is bound by the rule of law,  an executive that can act quickly, and civil servants who are accountable to the people."
Comparing the situations between India and China in the same context Das says, " While China has to fix its politics, India has to fix its governance. Whoever will do so first, will win the race".
" In order to win the race another revolution which is needed is Industrial revolution. Lets aim at a manufacturing society too rather than just aiming at institutional and political reforms" he says.

Ruskin Bond pens down the tale of 'indescribable' Maharani

After Handful of Nuts, Bond is back with his next novel for adults 'Maharani', a character which he says he was unable to decide an adjective for.
"I have known Maharani personally for years. She has an extravagant personality who loves to dominate any kind of proceedings. On one hand I found her difficult to handle and on the other hand I found it hard not to like her," Bond told PTI in an interview.
" After brainstorming over adjectives like 'wicked' and 'naughty' for her, I thought it was better to leave it to the readers to decide what actually she can be called. So I kept the title just 'Maharani'." he said.
Ruskin Bond, who is known for his sense of humour says that the novel is different form his previous bestsellers in its own way.

        " Now that I have grown old my writing has also witnessed that change. Unlike my previous novels which were more on a romantic and cynical side, in Maharani the humour has got a sharper edge to it. So I believe I have become a little mature!" said Bond.
Set in the hills, full of humour, a dash of supernatural elements, seductive maharanis and a different story of Jim Corbett, 'Maharani' published by Penguin Books is a tale of H.H. who is the spoilt, selfish, beautiful widow of the Maharajah of Mastipur.
She lives with her dogs and her caretaker, Hans, in an enormous old house in Mussorie, taking lovers and discarding them, drinking too much, and fending off her reckless sons who are waiting hungrily for their inheritance. The seasons come and go, hotels burns down, cinemas shut shop, and people leave the hill station never to return. But H.H. remains constant and indomitable.
Observing her antics, often with disapproval, is her old friend Ruskin, who can never quite cut himself off from her.
Bond says that the story of maharani involves him too. " As I have told the story of Maharani with me in the background. So its kind of my story too which unfolds as Maharani's story progresses over the years." he said.
However he refused to call it completely a true tale or a complete fabrication.
" For almost all the fictitious writers their characters are somewhat based on real life character only. But I combine two or three characters in my creative capacity to come up with one character and the same applies to Maharani too." he said.
The veteran storyteller believes that over the years his love has not changed for short stories.
" I am a story teller first and a writer thereafter. Though the era of telling stories has long gone yet I will continue to do so. Creating a character and building a scene with twists and turns is something I can't resist while writing" said Bond.
Bond who is presently working on two children books and a memoire likely to be published in another three months will also be awarded with Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his contribution to children's literature this November.

(This story of mine was carried by PTI and was picked up at other websites and newspapers. The statement is mentioned to avoid any perception of plagiarism)

Satyamev Jayate: A book written in Jail during emergency era

Emergency, the darkest era of Indian history which has been commemorated since 1975 in different forms be it television sagas or print publications, registered to its existing list, a novel describing the era using fictitious characters on the 37th anniversary of imposition of Emergency.
    Book 'Satyamev Jayate' by Gopal Vyas is first novel to have fictitious characters describing the pain and agony of the Indians during emergency.
    Gopalvyas, former engineer and MP wrote this book while he was in Raipur jail from 1975-77 during emergency. The publishing of the book has been attempted twice since then but failed  due to the misplacement of the diary which was written in jail.
    According to Gopal Vyas , " The youth today is untouched with the efforts made by leaders during the time of emergency and hence is unable to gauge certain informal forms of emergency that are existing in the country. It was the desire of many leaders of that time to have a book on this era and hence I gave shape to it."
    The 'blackest era' has been described in three sections in the book. The first section talks about the pre emergency era where the nation was struggling with certain developmental issues where as the second section describes the transition of the country into the dark phase and its implications.
    "How each one of the leaders struggled to deal with that controversial phase under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has been described in the book so that no injustice is done to anybody's efforts which contributed to the removal of state of emergency" Goplavyas told in an interview.
    The third section is dedicated to poems written by different poets of the era followed by transcription of different speeches by leaders like JP Narayan, LK Advani, Subramanian Swamy, Morarji Desai and others which were delivered during the struggle to remove emergency.
    Quizzed on the use of fictional characters in the book the author says, "During the time of emergency I used to write my thoughts and then current scenario in my diary. Due to the fear of forfeiture and seizure by the jail authorities I used to write it using fictious names. The characters even the name of the country is fictious. ".
    Gopal Vyas adds that at the time of editing it was discussed whether the fictious names should be replaced with real names or not and finally the committee settled on using the fictious characters to keep the feel intact. However the description of each character has been given in the end.
    The foreword of the book has been written by Janata Party President who played a crucial role during the emergency. "The problem with the youth then, Swamy said, was that they believed that struggling on such issues was an impossible task and the trend still continues. I believe this book will be able to develop understanding and awareness in the youth about the era and motivate them to take up further challenges in the country" said Swamy on the occasion of book release.
    The cover of the book for describing the 'black era' is indeed colourful with shades of tricolour on it. The cover endorses Mother India (Bharat Mata) with photographs of leaders like JP Narayan, Subramanian Swamy, Arun Jaitely, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morraji desai, Chandrashekhar Azaad and other important leaders of the era in the background.
    At the bottom of the cover there are pictures of Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi stretching across the tagline "  Imposition of emergency: Midnight 25 June, 1975".
    The paperback priced at Rs 299 has been published by Sanjeevni Publications and has been dedicated to all the people and families who had to face extreme mental, financial, and unusual physical harassment while struggling for removal of emergency.

          The day SUDHA MURTHY stopped drinking milk..!!!!

The spirit of social service rings true only when an individual feels he is doing it because he wants to do it not because the other person needs it, says Sudha Murthy, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation.
    Sudha has talked about the emotional challenges she faced while helping people at her Foundation in her fourth book "The day I stopped drinking milk," which is based on personal experiences.
    "There were instances when I felt cheated because my feeling of social service was neither acknowledged or reciprocated by the second party," Sudha told  in an interview.
    "It is with growing age and experience that I realised, I was doing it for myself and not for others. Hence, I found my happiness and satisfaction in it," she adds.
    Her recent book  published by Penguin books is a collection of personal experiences that the author describes as "Life stories from here and there".
    "There have been plenty of experiences that I wished to write about but found them to be somewhat similar to each other. Later I realised that though they are of similar nature but each of them has changed me in a different way," says Sudha.
    Though she claims that the book is not just a collection of her stories but also of people who confided their stories in her and few of them even encouraged her to tell their stories.
    "Most of the people I have written about requested me to change their names and use their problems as case studies" she says adding, "Some like Vishnu and Porado encouraged me to tell their stories so that others should not become like them."
    Sudha who has also penned down bestsellers like "Wise and Otherwise" and "The Old Man and his God, doesn't believe in planning books in advance.
    "Planning things is neither my cup of tea nor my choice. Same applies to books too. I write a book when I think I have got enough experiences to share," said Murthy.
    Asked about the choice of title for this book, Murthy said, "The day I stopped drinking milk is a very sensitive story telling the tale of how we forget what is 'normal' for us falls under the category of 'expensive' or 'unaffordable' for middle or poor class."
    Though the author has written books of multiple genres including technical computer science books, short stories, novels, children's books and books on her life experiences, yet she believes writing about personal experiences is the most challenging.

(This story of mine was also carried by PTI on Sep 10 and was picked  up at different websites and newspapers. The statement is mentioned to avoid any perception of plagiarism)

DECODING RAHUL GANDHI

Rahul Gandhi: An inconsistent and opportunistic BRAND of politics

 

Rahul Gandhi's philosophy is a form of corporate-politics where he plays the role of a management consultant representing himself as a 'brand' which has emerged as an inconsistent and opportunist brand over the years, says a new book.

'Decoding Rahul Gandhi ' by Aarthi Ramachandran chronicles his political path which is different from that pursued by his mother Sonia, father Rajiv and grandmother Indira.
" Rahul Gandhi's politics has conveyed a sense of opportunism as issues like the land acquisition bill taken up by him before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls appear to have been left for another election" says Aarthi who has tracked Rahul Gandhi's political career closely during her career as a political journalist with leading dailies.
Keeping in view the current political scenario in the country and 2014 elections approaching it's the right time to decode and analyse whether 'Brand' Rahul can save the congress and of course the country in longer run or not, believes the author.
In the process of writing the book Aarthi had tried two years to do his interview for the sane and follow him on election trails but failed to do so. " I had to always meet a strong silence and nothing emerged from behind those walls but still I chose to go ahead with this book because he is not a political figure we can wish away with, we like hi or not" says Aarthi.
She adds, " Despite having a huge asset of being from Nehru Family, I believe it has become more of a liability for Rahul. But if he hasn't disappeared from politics till now, he won't be going easily. Hence the need to decode him."
The book published by  Tranquebar Press evaluates  various questions like how did Rahul Gandhi's years abroad as a student and as a management consultant influence his politics? Why have his plans flopped so far? What was his much hyped revamp of the Indian Youth Congress ( IYC)  and NSUI all about and much more such frequently raised questions about his personality and political career.
Thought the author claims to have neutrally examined his role in each of the situations yet she accept that she has been favourable to him at some points in the book.
" With my observation so far, I think  his intentions were never wrong just that he hasn't been able to accomplish them through politics. he doesn't seem to have that sense" says Aarthi.
Talking about his  political career so far, Aarthi says " Rahul is one such personality who wants to have his cake and not eat it. He doesn't want to put much of himself out or may be he is uncomfortable with the existing models".
After all his efforts to prove his himself and his failures, humiliating defeat in UP assembly elections being the major one, Aarthi believes its time he realises that the next phase of his career is begun and he comes out and says that he is done with his learning and ready to take decisions.
" He has done 6-7 years of on job training and field research. It's time for him to present his thesis  and come up with a blue print of what he can do for India and where he wants to take the country" says Aarthi.

Shahnaz Hussain's daughter on her autobiography

No one else could have written Shahnaz Hussain's story like I have done: Nelofar Currimbhoy

Being a witness to well known beauty- expert Shahanaz Hussain's meteoric success and her personal setbacks, no other writer could have done justice to her story, says Hussain's daughter Nelofar Currimbhoy.

Nelofar who had recently penned down her mother's biography, "Flame: The story of mother Shahnaz Hussain" told in an interview, " Considering she had refused several notable authors to write her biography, it was perhaps the greatest honor and symbol of her and faith in me. So, 'Flame' is not just a biographical account but a promise kept."
           "Writing a book is a long experience and quite frankly I began to feel at some point that no one could tell her story like me even though the narrative may be brushed with a daughters affection." said Nelofar adding, " No doubt, there will be many books written on her in the future too but making the debut is a touching moment for me."
            Recalling the day she promised Hussain to pen down her biography Nelofar said, " She gifted me Gulzar’s biography written by his daughter Boski. When I opened the first page I found a note by her saying , "Promise me you will write a book on me someday."
             Nelofar who is the President of Shahnaz Ayurveda said that her passion for writing and establishing her identity as a writer is above all other priorities for her.
             "We all have our own parameters of success and fulfillment and for me it only means being a writer who leaves behind a body of work. The line on my epitaph ? ‘Nelofar Currimbhoy - Writer’"she said.
             Hussain who refused to read the draft of the book before it was published had immense faith in her daughter's writing since her childhood, said Nelofar.
             " She has my poems and scribbles framed on her walls and collected my letters to her which she says she would like to publish. Clearly she  was convinced of my writing abilities but I got convinced after I got the feedback from Hacchett Publications."
              Nelofar believes that writing the book was an effortless experience for her as compared to what she had expected. " It was as though I was spilling the life I saw  as a young girl , as a daughter and as an active participant in the story I was telling . It was her life, it was my life, it was our life. That’s how I viewed it. That's how I wrote it." she said.
               Quizzed about the choice of  title for the biography, Nelofar said, "The book describes my reason when I say 'This is the story of my mother who was born a flame; a Flame so bright that none of life’s storms could douse her intensely free spirit. Every time a wave splashed on her she rose again with an irrepressible energy- the energy of life and passion."
               Citing similar reasons for the choice of cover page she said, " I scanned through uncountable images stocked on the computer and nothing seemed to do justice .  Finally there was this picture that touched the senses immediately. It has a certain iconic quality, the clothes and jewelry convey her aristocratic background,  and somehow the eyes clearly have the look of determination that is the hallmark of her character. "
                Nelofar believes that she relived her childhood and her mother's struggle while writing the book. "There are some very intimate anecdotes in my writing that my mother had to go back in time to remember, ones that had stayed with me as precious moments as a young girl." she said adding, " I remember how we set up the first salon together as a family, I recollect the hours I spent labeling the first products with hand typed strips. "
                Quoting her mother's favourite lines from the book she said, "Let me take you through this place where history was made and dreams came true, while the paint still smelt fresh."

CHETAN BHAGAT ON HIS FIRST 'NON FICTION' BOOK

"Read, write, repeat. There are no other short cuts!!!"

Thats what the youth icon and one of  India's best-selling paperback writer, Chetan Bhagat  has to advice the new writers, though he confesses that he was nervous himself  while experimenting a move from his trademark fiction style to non fiction in his latest book, " What young India wants".

Excerpts form an interview with Gunjan Sharma

Q. How is this book different from your previous bestsellers? 

A. It is a non-fiction compilation of my columns, whereas the other books I have done are stories or  fiction. Hence, it is a new genre. Its an experiment, which now I feel is worth done.
 

Q. Your previous titles have been based on fiction where as the style that you have adopted in your columns in Times of India is more of  editorial style. You wished to experiment or you wanted to keep a difference between novel and column writing? 

A. I wanted to expand my range as a writer. Also I wanted my writing to not just entertain, but also bring about change. The book contains existing columns, but I have also done some new essays and structured the book around themes such as society, politics and youth.
 

Q.Don't you think the title, " What young India wants " is vague to some extent to sum up the desires and aspirations of today's  youth? Please tell about the reason for choosing this title?

A. I think youth are bulk of the population of this country, and we should take into account what they want. Somehow the voice of the youth is not heard. I am trying to change that. There is of course a different issue and hence different message in each column, but overall I want a prosperous India with good values in society.

Q. How much of the book is realistic and based on research of what the youth actually wants?

 
A. I am a motivation speaker too, and have visited over 75 cities in India and interacted with thousands of young people in each city. That became my research. The columns are based on what is happening in the country, particularly issues I feel affect many of us.

Q. How was your experience and what were the challenges you faced while writing a book different  from your trademark style?

A. It is unnerving to get out of your comfort zone. I was nervous how readers will accept me as a non-fiction writer, but the response to the book is good. I am relieved now. The next will be a fiction novel, and should be a love story out in 2013.
 

Q. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

A. I won't take names as there are too many, but Indian writing has seen wonderful new voices  come out recently. Indian writing has dramatically changed in the past few years, particularly in  English. We have more people reading, and that is good. However, regional literature needs a push.
 

Q. What would you like to advice to the newcomers in the field of writing?    

A. Read. Write. Repeat. There are no short cuts!. I want people to aim high in life, not underrate themselves and learn from mistakes. This goes a long way in life.

Striking off the to do CHECKLIST - Blogging Done..!!!!

One permanent thing that I have always witnessed about myself is a long checklist of the works to be done which no wonder how hard I try keeps on increasing irrespective of the things that I proudly keep striking off each time I accomplish any of those tasks.

In the urge of doing everything I always have a lengthy checklist and then doing each of the tasks on the checklist passionately is the obsession which reflects on the checklist permanently glued on my study table.

Making a checklist is one of the important things that I learn t at my first job where my boss made sure we penned down each task given to us to make sure that we don't forget any of them. I never knew ( for that sake even my boss didn't know) that this checklist habit will become an obsession with time and I will never be able to do without it.

So, as usual today also my checklist is as long as President's or that of any other celebrity. Its not that I don't make efforts to finish those tasks, of course I follow it diligently but its the matter of prioritizing things on the checklist I believe.

Blogging is also one of the tasks on my checklist (highlighted in red since long), something I have been passionate about,I’ve known about them, written about them, followed other’s blogs fervently but to take the plunge myself has taken me a while, or I should say a neighborhood aunt to open my eyes.

The other day while I was waiting for the driver outside my house to leave for office, a neighborhood aunt stopped buy and started a general conversation. From how my office is going to how my dress was looking, she suddenly threw a question which of course I couldn't handle.

With a mischievous smile she said, " Finished with studies, got a good job, so now enjoying surfing profiles on shaadi.com?" . Suddenly the driver honked and I took her leave but her statement kept on bothering me and on back of my mind my checklist of course!

I thought, " I haven't even reached LinkedIn yet and people are talking about Shaadi.com. Funny but true!"

And  with that I decided to revamp and revise my checklist and hence start blogging at least, something which I wanted to do way before the day I would register on any of the matrimonial sites.

Then the next question what to blog about, again went down my checklist and found myself bit confused, probably the same confusion which refrained me from blogging so far.

Yesterday when I saw a post that one of my colleagues had shared on her facebook wall which said, "I buy books like some women buy shoes". And that's where I striked my mind and my heart that books are my first love, something for which I am passionate the most and hence I am here with my BOOK RACK, a blog which talks about books, bookworms, authors and of course obsession with books. Keep Reading!!!