MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2012 BOOKS AND CINEMA: AN ENDURING RELATIONSHIP About a century ago, in 1912, play in a taut emotional Dadasaheb Phalke completed moment. In particular, visitors the first Indian feature film, to the pavilion can see the Raja Harischandra and languorous Meena Kumari released it in 1913. At the turn lying with her hair let loose of the year when it completes caught in an intense moment a hundred year journey, the of reading. Or Satyajit Ray Indian cinema with its wide sitting under a tree caught popular appeal would have in the act of reading, while left an indelible influence shooting for Teen Kanya. Or on our polity, culture and the ever popular Munna Bhai society. In the process it would at a library searching for the produce some of the finest real Gandhi. Besides, over 400 internationally acclaimed books on Indian Cinema in auteurs and films. long queue for ‘first day first show’ slot English and other Indian languages The 100 years of this spectacular greets the cinephile. Reminding you of tell you the story of Indian cinema journey is the focus of attention at the this typical scene outside cinema halls and about 300 select titles have been 20th New Delhi World Book Fair. In in India is a sculpture by Devabrata documented through an annotated an elegantly designed pavilion, the Chakrabarty, titled Cinema Q at the Rights Catalogue. story of Indian cinema unfurls itself entrance. The Pavilion also underlines the through books, panels, posters, movie The presentation arena is like a influence of cinema and literature on camera, phonogram and also a bioscope theatre of cinema with panels of stills each other. Cinema too is a language. - still a popular form of entertainment from films and posters of classic films, a Adaptation, thus, of any piece of literary in remote corners of India particularly movie camera and a phonogram. A mini work, is more or less like translation. in village fairs. theatre with a capacity to seat 50 forms In this respect, the filmmaker assumes As one enters through the gate of the main attraction at the centre. The the role of translator. As much as the the Pavilion, resembling clapboard, a overarching theme of the presentations viewer is the reader so is the filmmaker. filmmaking tool, to your right is the is the enduring relationship of cinema For a filmmaker, literary piece provides ticket counter and a small shop selling and literature. It tries to posit the him or her with the plot, character and popcorns. relevance of books and reading within theme. And he uses images and sounds The release of a new film the frame of cinematic expression. The to tell the story in a new grammar and particularly in India is a celebration of panels too have been carefully selected idiom. Many such adaptations have sorts. Crowds throng the theatre and a to show the role books and reading gone onto become classics of cinema. and Nandita Das in conversation. Besides many scholars and film critics will be part of many panel discussions on filming literature, cinematic imagination and literary sensibility, Many of these films are being screened style and technique of adaptation, acts at the Theme Pavilion everyday. of reading, and role of literature in During the days of the fair the Indian Cinema. A workshop on film pavilion will see many film personalities appreciation as well as special session including Sushma Seth, Javed Akhtar, on negotiating copyrights of books on Farooq Sheikh, Muzaffar Ali, Jabbar Indian Cinema will also be part of the Patel, Deepti Naval, Amol Palekar presentation. BLURRED IMAGES STAGE TO SCREEN An engaging panel discussion at the Wajahat, eminent playwright and “All students need to have some Theme Pavilion sought to decode the scriptwriter shared his perceptions on drama experience to acquire the kind representation of the marginalized the issue. Shri Mangalesh Dabral, of confidence every single student in Indian Cinema and Literature. eminent poet and critic, made a strives for and to master the art of Speaking on the occasion, noted reference to the misrepresentation or communication,” said Sushma Seth who media critic Vartika Nanda underlined stereotyping of characters belonging has played mother and grandmother to that women continued to be mis- to minorities like Christians, Muslims almost all the lead actors of Bollywood. represented on the silver screen and etc. Making a special mention of films The Hum Log fame theatre and film the same symptom had gripped the like Messey Sahib, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa personality was speaking at the Theme television also. S. Anand, Publisher Kyon Aaata Hai etc, he stated that Pavilion yesterday. She was reading and Dalit activist, emphasised how though such great experiments have excerpts from her critically acclaimed caste and class have all along defined also been done to present alternative book Stageplay: The Journey of an Actor. the characters and plots of Indian visions, these efforts, however, have In a free-wheeling conversation with Cinema. He illustrated this with been few and far between. Moderating young and not-so-young readers and film enthusiasts, Seth explained the examples from Hindi and Tamil films the session, Shri Asad Zaidi, noted intricacies of acting on stage and that as well as through a video clip from the poet and publisher, stated that even of in front of camera: “As an actor I feel film Love, Sex and Dhoka. Prof. Satish though Hindi Cinema has been sort of it is very important to keep your mind Kumar Verma, a critic from Punjab, ‘ruled’ by many starts from the Muslim and body agile, alert and expressive just underlined how a major character in communities, they have largely played as an instrument has to be tuned before a Punjabi film becomes a minor or safe and remained indifferent to social it can be played upon beautifully.” A laughable character in Hindi cinema realities. As a result, they have ended up respected name in Delhi theatre, Smt and highlighted the dynamics of caste promoting and projecting stereotyping Seth has acted in many memorable and and class in the representation of of the minorities. The discussion was popular films of Bollywood including different communities on the screen. followed by a lively interactive session Junoon, Prem Rog, Silsila, 1942: A Love Speaking on the occasion, Shri Asghar with the audience. Story, Insaf ki Awaz, Chandni, etc. 27 February 2012 Experience the World with Books Fair News MY LITTLE INDIA A two-day National Seminar on ‘My Sengupta, noted children’s writer was Little India: Communicating India to of the opinion that less text and more of Children’ was held at the Children’s children-friendly illustrations could do Pavilion on 25-26 February 2012. the trick. Dash Benhur, popular Odiya Inspired by the title of a book writer for children, advocated for more written by Prof. Manoj Das (My Little regional varieties with a human face India), published by the National Book having secular and scientific temper. Trust, India; the seminar divided into Dealing with the issues involving six sessions, dealt with the challenges illustrations, the fourth session was of communicating India in the right right manner. Ms Louise Barry-Taylor chaired by Subir Roy. Aabid Surti and perspective to our young generation from Thebe Exhibitions & Projects Viky Arya presented their views on the to help children respect and retain the Group from South Africa also spoke topic. core Indian values, ethos and traditional on the occasion. The fifth session discussed the knowledge. The second session ‘Discovering challenges faced by publishers in India in Our Books for Today’s children’ was chaired by Dr Madhu Pant, former Director, Bal Bhawan. The speakers included Dr Subodh Mahanti, Director, Vigyan Prasar and Shri Rajesh Khar from Pratham Books. While Dr Mahanti emphasized the importance of encouraging children to ask questions and inculcate scientific The seminar was inaugurated by temper in them, Shri Khar pointed out making books more appealing for the celebrated writer, Prof. Manoj Das. that fantasy is a strong tool to convey children. Manasi Subramanyam from The inaugural session was presided India to children through traditional Karadi Tales, Chennai and Sayoni over by Shri M.A. Sikandar, Director, Indian tales, fables and epics. Dr Basu ACK Media, Gurgaon presented NBT. Delivering the keynote address, Madhu Pant emphasised on the need their side of the story while Debajyoti Ms. Shamim Padamsee underlined to be very innovative in our ways of Dutta, Shishu Sahitya Sansad, Kolkata the need to communicate India to the communicating with the children. presided over. children of modern times as western Revolving around the theme The last session chaired by Vikas values and culture is weaning them ‘Communicating India to Children: Narain Rai from Sahitya Upkram, away from the rich Indian culture and Challenges Before Authors’, the third looked at the possibilities of effective literature. Ms Padamsee, a children’s session held on the second day of the methods of right communication. Arup writer, also runs an e-portal ‘Young seminar was chaired by Shri Prayag Kumar Dutta, children’s writer from India books’ for children. Shukla, Editor with Sangeet Natak Assam and Sujata Chatterjee, were Shri Sikandar said that he was Akademi who felt that poems, little hopeful that if the writers, illustrators, hopeful that the two-day discussions rhymes, and historical songs best and publishers work together towards would be helpful in finding methods to convey India to children. Presenting it, the right communication of “My communicate India to the children in a her paper on the topic, Subhadra Little India” is quite possible. From being one of the forms of cinema, the bioscope has come a long way being seen now as just an antique contraption.