Gulzar’s Caged: Memories Have Names | Translated by Sathya Saran

 

Title – Caged: Memories Have Names
Translated by – Sathya Saran 
Publisher – Penguin Hamish Hamilton
ISBN – 978-0670098231
Hardcover – 256 Pages
Buy – Amazon | Padhega India 

“I was trying to catch a butterfly. She escaped, but left her colours on my fingers.”

Gulzar opens his autobiography with a delicate image: a butterfly escapes from the poet’s grasp, but leaves its colours behind on his fingertips. Like a memory or trace of a loved one, the poet gathers its fleeting hues, whatever he can, and weaves them into verse.

Doesn’t the title Caged mislead at first? When I first heard it, the image of a prison came to my mind, a sense of forced confinement. But Gulzar, as always, reshapes the metaphor. The cage becomes an archive, a vessel for memory, and fragile memory needs to be preserved. These poems carry the names, the voices, the colours he refuses to let go.

Published as a bilingual edition, this book is a quiet gift to readers who know that to read Gulzar in the original is to hear the music whole. Sathya Saran has translated the book with grace. In her words, the process was “a journey through changing light,” a phrase that captures both the nature of memory and the pulse of his poetry.

Those who have read Actually, I Met Them... will recognise the theme: portraits, tributes, vignettes. But where that book offered prose, Caged is composed of more distilled and intimate poems. It’s less an autobiography than a play of light and shadow—part elegy, part celebration. The book is divided into four sections, the first anchored mainly in literary figures.

The first piece on Rabindranath Tagore — "a poet who stands like a crop, growing across all of Bengal." Gulzar recalls learning Bangla simply to read him. His lifelong reverence is no secret.

 

Then, Ghalib.

"ज़माना हर ज़बाँ में पढ़ रहा है अब,  तुम्हारे सब सुख़न ग़ालिब
समझते कितने हैं, ये तो वही समझें, या तुम समझो।"

 

Gulzar adds that he has read poets in every Indian language, but has never found another like Ghalib.

Across these pages, Shakespeare, Rumi, Jibanananda Das, and Nazim Hikmet emerge not merely as literary giants but as living presences, folded into the fabric of Gulzar’s memory. Neruda, Faiz, and Sunil Gangopadhyay each evoked not just for their words, but for the echo of their voices in his life. Take Namdeo Dhasal’s funeral, for instance: “even the flames from his pyre could not reduce the intensity of his poetry to ashes.” He was the people’s poet. A flag holder for the Dalit cause.

Gulzar is not just what he remembers, but how he remembers. There’s an anecdote with Kedarnath Singh: upon seeing the printed lyrics of Hamko Mann ki Shakti Dena, Singh was surprised. “Is this also written by you?” he asked. “This is sung in schools.” I bowed my head in acceptance. Then he said, “What a lucky man you are—tumhara kaam tumhare naam se aage nikal gaya.”

There is a poem dedicated to a girl with terminal cancer who once requested: “मुझको एक छोटे से शेर में सी दो / ‘अंजल’ लिखना / शायद मेरी आख़िरी शब है” And Gulzar, as promised, stitched her name into a verse. The gesture is tender, his writing shaped not by experience, but by empathy.

The book is rich with friendships—Javed Akhtar, Bimal Roy, Naseeruddin Shah. Of Shah, he writes: “Main adaakar hoon lekin / sirf adaakar nahin / waqt ki tasveer bhi hoon.” Gulzar also remembers Jagjit Singh: the very spirit of the ghazal, settled in him like musk in the navel of the deer. His voice, yes—but more than that, his thehrav, his ache.

Who can forget what he gave to Ghalib — Gulzar directing, Naseeruddin Shah inhabiting the poet, Jagjit giving voice to his wounds. Gulzar still calls it his most complete work. Perhaps because, for once, everything aligned. The finest artists, unguarded. And then—something like magic unfolds.

“उतरो आओ आँखों से काग़ज़ पर

तुम्हारी धुन पर कुछ अल्फ़ाज़ रख दूँ!”  

Pancham, Salil Chowdhury, Kanu Roy, all remembered not just as co-workers but as co-dreamers. Friends: in creation, in mischief, in melancholy. He remembers Asha Boudi—Asha Bhonsle—not with formality but with fondness, a sapling of musical notes, he calls her.

There are other memories, quieter, more aching. Of Meena: shutting her eyes, she fell asleep/ and died/ did not even take a breath afterwards/ after a long eventful life / filled with torturous trials/ how simple and easy her death!

‘Caged’ is a gallery of elegies, love letters to the departed. Some of the most piercing are reserved for Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar. Gulzar writes not merely of their absence, but of what lingers. In his verses, death is not an end but a bond beyond flesh.

A sketch of a friend—Amjad Khan—whom he is about to bury: “Main neem-andheri qabr mein / sula raha tha jab use / woh neem-v-nigaah se / dekhta raha mujhe... / hatheliyon se aankh ke chirag bhi bhuja diye / ke do jahaan ke silsile / zameen par hi chuka diye.”

Gulzar does not mourn—because even in the silence of the grave, he listens for his breath.

The metaphysics of death, of what remains, and what must be buried, flicker through these verses. Sanjeev Kumar, too, appears as a confidant, someone Gulzar could tell what he couldn’t tell anyone else. Later, the lens widens, and more artists come into the light: Birju Maharaj and Hariprasad Chaurasia. And then a portrait of Van Gogh, whom he first encountered through Irving Stone’s Lust for Life, and he becomes a mirror to his own artistic struggles. In moments of despair, that biography was his guiding light.

The final chapter, the most personal one. Gulzar turns inward to his family. Rakhee, Meghna, and his grandson Samay. Pali, his dog, whom he never once called ‘Dog’. And, finally this brief poem, like a breath caught in the chest: "गिरह ऐसी लगी है जैसे कि नाभि का रिश्ता हो / जो कट जाने पर भी उम्र भर कटता नहीं है."

How does one write about Caged? It is not a memoir.  It is not poetry. It is a book of farewells and of bonds that refuse to loosen. A butterfly’s trace on the fingertips—never caught, never forgotten.  

About the Author

Gulzar, one of India's leading poets, is a greatly respected scriptwriter and film director. He has been one of the most popular lyricists in mainstream Hindi cinema, gaining international fame when he won an Oscar and a Grammy for the song 'Jai ho'. Gulzar received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002, the Padma Bhushan in 2004, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2014 and the Jnanpith Award in 2024. He lived and works in Mumbai.

Translator
After 12 years as Editor of Femina which was declared a Superbrand, Sathya Saran chose to be a full-time author, part time teacher and a columnist. Her books include the acclaimed biographies, Ten Years with Guru Dutt Abrar Alvi’s Journey, Baat Niklegi toh Phir: The Life and Music of Jagjit Singh, Sun Mere Bandhu Re: The Musical World of SD Burman and Hariprasad Chaurasia: Breath of Gold. She also has a book of short stories The Dark Side. Caged is her first book as a translator. 

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Salman Rushdie's Victory City | Penguin Random House

 

Title: Victory City
Author: Salman Rushdie
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Hardcover: 350 Pages
ISBN: 978-0670098460
Buy Link: On Amazon
 

‘Fictions could be as powerful as histories, revealing the new people to themselves, allowing them to understand their own natures and the natures of those around them, and making them real.’

In ‘Victory City,’ Salman Rushdie weaves the epic tale of the mythical Bisnaga, where the main protagonist Pampa Kampana - a sorcerer and poet - plays a pivotal role in the birth of the empire. Eventually, the destiny of this realm is shaped by Pampa Kampana along with many characters.

Salman Rushdie has a wide range of narrative forms, while exploring the intricacies of society he wisely integrated references from folklore history to biblical tales. Rushdie’s prose is magical and elegant, at times almost poetic, as he discussed religious conflict, power, and race. 

‘Only when she saw the last slabs of roasted flesh fall away from Radha Kampana’s bones to reveal the naked skull did she understand that her childhood was over and from now on she must conduct herself as an adult and never commit her mother’s last mistake. She would laugh at death and turn her face toward life.’

The story begins with a traumatic atrocity witnessed by Pampa, which strengthens her existence, still, her divine calling doesn’t shield her from the harsh truth of life ¬ every blessing comes with a downside.

“… I am more than one person, and not all those persons are admirable. I am the mother of the city—even though few people believe I am she—but I am away from my own daughters and during this separation I do not feel like their mother at all.’

Rushdie’s way of interlacing vivid descriptions makes you visualize the ancient city, and it maintains momentum despite various subplots – he succeeded in making me believe that it is a translation of an epic poem, Jayaparayam. At heart, it is a meditation on story culture, recollections of community tales, and a sense of being.

‘You are not plants, to come from such vegetal origins! You all have memories, you know your life stories and the stories of those who came before you, your ancestors, who built the city before you were born. Those memories are genuine and were not implanted in your brain by any whispering sorceress.’

Rushdie’s writing was so compelling, I got mesmerized by how he muddled up the margins of reality, dimensions, and imagination. He delves into a saga of the ancient empire and intentionally relates it to partition. That’s the power of storytelling. 

One of the novel’s strengths is the strong and remarkable women characters, including the protagonist, who embraced contemporary beliefs throughout the entire narrative. Besides this, a generous portion of humour, philosophical notions, and an enthralling storyline captivate the reader.

‘Looks like even the magic seeds have one rule for the rulers and another for the ruled,’

‘Victory City’ is a gripping and significant work of art, the only thing that disengaged me a bit, was a few outmoded sentences.  Overall, I adored the book and would recommend it to readers. 

About the Author

Salman Rushdie is the author of fourteen previous novels, including Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), The Satanic Verses, and Quichotte (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature and was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen's last Birthday Honours list in 2022. 

P.s. Thank you, Vivek Tejuja and Penguin Random House for providing a review copy. 

 

ADAM by S. Hareesh - Translated by Jayasree Kalathil

 

Adam is an astonishing collection of short stories - weird yet fascinating. The theme of stories make you think about nature, pets and dark emotions of human being. Characters are so captivating; they may leave you with questions that demand understanding more than any answer.

 

S. Hareesh is an incredible storyteller. This collection is thrill to read on prose level as well. It is translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil and while going through each story, I felt an immense urge to say thanks to the translator. I am in awe of the efforts  ̶  she took to bridge two languages and cultures with such brilliance.

 

‘The congealed darkness knocked against his leg and hurt him. In the silence, the sound of the bus engine still reverberated in his ears. As his sleep-addled mind cleared and the feeling of anxiety left him, he began to doubt whether he had even been in a bus.’

 

I often think  ̶  we underestimate short stories, while it takes lot of efforts to write one - where each sentence counts.  For instance, while reading ‘Alone’, I had been literally pondering over the thought process of an author, from exactly where he took the idea. As I entered into the world of his characters, all the boundaries of fiction and reality have been shattered eventually. Some moments are brutally honest and break the image of your glossy world and how. It is kind of scary to even think about it. 

 

‘Adam grew up slowly, half-starved as he was most of the time. All day, he ran around the tree he was tied to, and when night came he howled at the darkness. Without regular brushing or washing, his dust-covered fur matted and his flea-infested skin broke out in itchy warts and sores.’

 

I found some stories interesting; some stories touched the different aspects of human souls and some made me feel uneasiness. Especially, the stories that revolved around the pets should definitely come with trigger warnings. As in the title story, author depicts ̶ in our society how situations play a major role in the development of an individual, even members born to same family, can have an utmost diverse life. Another aspect of his craft is how brilliantly he creates tension amid situations. With Compelling writing, author has woven some disturbing scenes, and the atmosphere around human psyche is impressive.

 

In English, ‘Moustache’ seems the debut of S. Hareesh. But in his original language, S Hareesh has already published three short stories collections before stepping into the world of long form novel. Obviously, Adam is one of them. Author stated, ‘After my first book came out, I had to stay away from writing for a number of years – years when I thought I might never write again. The stories in this collection helped me come out of that state of mind.’ 

 

This is the first translated fiction I have read this year. One can step into each story and find an unconventional way of storytelling; with socially conscious themes and unsettling endings, S. Hareesh pave a way to reader’s heart.

 

‘In the next game, much to my shock, I saw that the death notice I picked up from the box was my own. It baffled me, but I quickly put it into my pocket and smiles secretively, - death notice.’ 

 

If you want to learn the layers of character’s growth, I must say this is the right place to begin. As ‘Death Notice’ gives you a psychological insight. I loved how author worked on such daring theme. His writing style is neither dull nor glossy. I would like to have more books in my shelf ̶ of such gutsy tone, raw and utterly original stories. 

 

Each title is being enveloped with culture of Kerala; this is another reason to pick this book. It’s hard to select favorite, but I would love to recommend - Adam, Alone, Death Notice, Kavyamela and Maoists. If you are a genuine cinema lover, you won’t able to deny the fact that ‘Jallikattu’ is one of the best Indian movies. It is based on S. Hareesh’s short story. You have to explore this collection to identify the actual title. I assure you that story is no less than movie.

 

This collection is so gripping that holds your attention till the last page. Even the cover of this book makes you grab the book instantly. I couldn’t highlight any quote-preachy message, there are moments when I took a pause and reread the whole paragraph.

 

Although, S. Hareesh has won the JCB prize for literature 2020 for ‘Moustache’, I got introduced by his writing through this collection only and I found it utterly fresh and original voice. I am looking forward to pick up his novel. Highly Recommended.

P.s. Thank you Vivek Tejuja and Penguin India, for sending the review copy.

 

#Tata Stories: 40 Timeless Tales to Inspire You by Harish Bhat

Title: #Tata Stories: 40 Timeless Tales to Inspire You
Author: Harish Bhat
Publisher: Penguin Portfolio
Genre: Non-Fiction
ISBN: 978-0670095322
Pages: 304
Buy Online: Amazon 

The Tatas have a legacy of nation-building for over 150 years. Dancing across this long arc of time are thousands of beautiful, astonishing stories, many of which can inspire and provoke us, even move us to meaningful action in our own lives. #TataStories is a collection of little-known tales of individuals, events and places from the Tata Group that have shaped the India we live in today.

Here, I have been sharing an EXCERPT from this memorable book of legendary TATAs.

The Maharajah Man

This is the delightful story of one of India’s first marketing wizards, a maverick of the Tata Group, and a close associate and friend of J.R.D. Tata/ Behind the Maharajah, the lovable Mascot of Air India:  Sorab Kaikushroo Kooka, aka Bobby Kooka.

Bobby Kooka was recruited into the aviation department of the Tata Group in the year 1938. Tata Airlines was still a fledgling airline service at that time. Many years later, J.R.D. Tata fondly narrated the tale of how he first met the man.

‘I don’t know how many of you there are here tonight who were in Tata Airlines in May 1938—probably not many—when Mr Kooka first burst upon an astonished air transport world which has never been the same since. On that fateful day in May, Mr Kooka appeared in my office and, having pointed out the deficiencies in the Tata organization, explained how badly needed he was in Tatas to put them right . . . I decided that if there was any place for him in Tatas, it could only be in Tata Airlines. Furthermore, in those days, the chances of survival  of Tata Air lines were pretty dim and so it was clear that by employing him there we would be taking little risk of making any permanent commitment.’

Bobby Kooka also recalled this first encounter with J.R.D. Tata in his inimitable style: ‘I was told that I would have to see Mr J.R.D. Tata. I was warned that Mr Tata was a terror. Heart in mouth, I went to his office. He asked me very searching questions, none of which could I answer. He was obviously impressed, so impressed, that within seconds, I was ushered out of the room...’

Driving this banter was a brilliant, fertile marketing brain. After spending a few years as secretary of Tata Airlines, Bobby Kooka had decided to give the brand (now rechristened as Air India, with J.R.D. as chairman) a human face that represented India with charm and dignity. At the first booking office of the company, located in Church gate in Mumbai, he created ‘an oriental potentate, sitting on a magic carpet, smoking a bubble hookah’. This was the beginning of the Air India Maharajah, perhaps India’s very own first advertising mascot that went on to win millions of hearts across the world.

In Bobby Kooka’s own words: ‘We call him a Maharajah for want of a better description. But his blood isn’t blue. He might look like royalty, but he isn’t royal.’ Working together with Umesh Rao of J. Walter Thomson, the advertising agency, Kooka envisioned with flourish such a lovable symbol of India—a round face, with an outsized moustache, striped turban and long nose.

After making his first appearance in 1946, the Maharajah was all over the world, in the process making Air India one of the most visible and engaging brands globally. Fifty years before Google even thought of Google Doodles, Bobby Kooka was constantly reinventing the Maharajah—as a lover boy in Paris, a sumo wrestler in Tokyo, a Romeo in Rome, and a guru of transcendental meditation in Rishikesh. The Maharajah was funny, irreverent, up to antics, but always full of India, his proud homeland. He was a friend to every traveller on India’s national airline, and would reach out to them with warmth and hospitality. 

Bobby Kooka also extended this ‘Indianness’ to every office of the airline, worldwide. Imagery, dances, paintings and sculptures from India appeared in the offices of Air India in New York, Geneva and London, making the airline a beautiful showcase of the country’s great heritage. This, in turn, attracted many global travellers to make it their airline of choice. The legendary film-maker Muzaffar Ali, who worked as a member of Bobby Kooka’s marketing team for many years, said, ‘For eleven years, I was on a flight, dreaming through the eyes of Kooka and his mentor J.R.D. I was not working for Air India, but for India.’

What beautiful words. Not only was Kooka a marketing genius, he was also a maverick who created storms in many teacups in his time. He used to write for the Tata House magazine, editing the last page, called the ‘Tata Patter’, under various pennames including ‘Pestonjee Pepper’, ‘Umslopogas’ and ‘Chief of the Amazulus’. On the page ‘Tata Patter’, he proceeded to, in the words of J.R.D. Tata, ‘play havoc with the whole Tata organization by demolishing the ego and assassinating the character of every Tata director and senior official . . . [also], through Air India hoardings, he demolished and punctured innumerable egos, which placed me at the receiving end of endless complaints from MPs and ministers, including Mr. Morarji Desai and Mr. Krishna Menon, who were depicted in red pants running a track race with Mr. Kripalani.’

But nonetheless, J.R.D. Tata provided Bobby Kooka with the required support throughout his career, because he recognized Kooka’s genius, and perhaps also the need for some benign humour in the midst of our daily challenges. As J.R.D. said at Bobby Kooka’s retirement function in 1971: ‘May you never cease tilting at windmills, at the pretentious, the charlatans, and the hypocrites of the world.’ He also said, ‘I forgive him all the apologies I had to tender on his behalf. I forgive him all the scars that I have borne because of the pleasure, the laughter and the relief from frustration and boredom that he provided to thousands, and perhaps millions, of people.’

This immediately reminds me of one of J.R.D. Tata’s key secrets to his success, of which he says, ‘If I have any merit,   it is getting on with individuals according to their ways and characteristics...to be a leader, you have to lead human beings with affection. ’J.R.D. led the maverick Bobby Kooka with that same human affection, and, in turn, Kooka led the fabulously successful marketing and publicity efforts for the nation’s flagship airline, including the creation and nurturing of the Air India Maharajah. 

Excerpted with permission from #TataStories by Harish Bhat, Penguin Portfolio 

About the Author

Harish Bhat, currently the brand custodian at Tata Sons, has held many roles in the Tata Group over the past thirty-four years, including as managing director of Tata Global Beverages, and chief operating officer of the watches and jewellery businesses of the Titan Company Ltd.

Harish is an alumnus of BITS Pilani and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). He won the IIMA gold medal for scholastic excellence, and later the British Chevening Scholarship for young managers. In 2017, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from BITS Pilani.

An avid marketer, he has helped create many successful Tata brands. He writes extensively, and is a columnist for The Hindu Business Line and Mint.

Harish is an incorrigible foodie and fitness freak. His wife, Veena, is a computer professional and data scientist. They have a daughter, Gayatri, who has graduated from college and embarked on her professional career. Harish can be reached at bhatharish@hotmail.com.

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Actually... I Met Them: A Memoir by Gulzar

 

Title: Actually… I Met Them: A Memoir
Author: Gulzar
Publisher: Penguin Random House (2021)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography 
ISBN: 978-0670096077
Pages: 176

In his memoir, Actually… I Met Them, Gulzar Saab recollects hauntingly beautiful memories of his people ─ mentors, peers, and colleagues who have left an impact on his soul.

‘The artistic landscape is made up of diversity of talents. There will always be those who are nomads, radiant with talent, and transient like comets. We must learn to accept such people on their own terms.’

Basically, this memoir-ish book is a collection of 18 articles. Each chapter is a celebration itself.  It begins with Bimal Roy, his first mentor who eventually becomes a father-figure to him.

Gulzar Saab initiates this chapter by describing his love for Bengali language and how it paves his path into the cinema world, ‘I had a separate personal interest in Bimal Roy’s works. Since most of his films were adaptations of Bengali literature and I was a literature nerd through and through.’ 

He goes on to talk about his Bengali friends, who tempted him to start learning the language. Twist came when he was sent off to Bombay, where his elder brother used to live and ‘it was perhaps to ensure I learnt how to make living and not waste my life away on trivialities’ writes Gulzar. Things were not as they seemed, and he moved out of his brother’s place.

Gulzar Saab illumines about the pivotal moment when he was offered work in films and he refused, but after meeting with Bimal Da, he took a chance. He takes us along on a journey through his experiences. He writes about the first sight of Bimal Da, ‘Such a decidedly simple and unassuming man that for a moment my heart did not know how to react’.

‘He worked on every such sequence with so much attention to detail that they become exemplary. He was a man whose life revolved around cinema, he lived and breathed films,’ he added. 

The moment that moves me the most is when he revisits the last days of Bimal Da, ‘Few days of fever, a few days of being unwell, and then it was as if someone had plunged a dagger into our hearts.’

‘Bimal Da seemed to have shrunk, gotten smaller, like a cushion on sofa, I was not a hero, I could not stand seeing him that way…

…8 January 1966, with his passing, all the pain that I had stowed away for my father seemed for find closure, it was the day of the ritual bath of Purna Kumbh.’ 

I am in awe of words and images that he has picked to depict these real life characters. The second chapter is on Salil Chowdhury, a member of the communist party of India, and a music composer, ‘The kind of intoxication and energy that bursts forth when you shake and uncork a bottle of champagne – Salil Da was that kind of a person.’

Gulzar Saab observed tiniest details that shows his deep affection towards him, ‘I realized that he was extremely indolent. He loved playing carom, could always be found busy around the ping pong table, always ready to do anything except his own work. But then he touched a piano or a harmonium and music would spill over like nectar! Oh! Such a genius, yet how could he live like that?’ 

Hemant Da was a singer, a composer and a film producer as well. Emotion is what oozes through pages while reading about him. The imprints of his memories seem still fresh, ‘Bimal Roy passed away, leaving us, his boys, to fend for ourselves like orphans. And Hemanta Da stepped onto the scene, with that gigantic heart of his that was so full of courage, generosity and love.’

Gulzar Saab firmly believes that you are nothing without your memories. The anecdote he shared from Khamoshi had me in thrall – Hamne Dekhi Hai In Aankhon Ki Mehakti Khushboo – I wrote the song, and Hemant Da composed an exquisite tune for it, and then dropped a bomb as he declared, ‘Lata will sing the song’ ‘the song is about a man’s emotion, how can it be sung by a woman?’ He includes ‘that is the magic of Hemanta Da’s music and his powers of observation.’  

If memories are brushstrokes, then Gulzar Saab paints a canvas full of longing.  He shares a resounding memory, ‘You take this tune, Gullu. No one else will take it, they won’t understand it.’ This dialogue is taken from the chapter on Pancham, and the song is Chhoti si kahani se baarishon ke paani se..’

Rahul Dev Burman, who was famous for making music out of Pawan Chakkis and running trains, ‘Anything different would attract him. If there’s such a thing with Pancham’s gharana then perhaps it would comprise his experimental works.’

Gulzar Saab holds the wealth of memories of Pancham Da, and he gladly submerges into them, ‘Anger, sorrow, dejection, hurt feelings, a sharp break in creativity – where could one expect to find Pancham during such times? The kitchen.’

The first time Gulzar worked with Pancham was in Parichay. The first song was Musafir Hoon Yaaron, ‘Silent communication existed between us, is that what they call chemistry?’ 

Gulzar Saab captures few hilarious anecdotes in bits and pieces, for instance, while creating Mera Kuch Samaan, Pancham said ‘Gullu, tomorrow you’ll ask me to set the morning newspaper to music’ but he composed the song, and the rest is history.  

‘Pancham left us way too soon, didn’t he? Of course, he used to always be in hurry. He would pour water into the cup of tea to cool it and drink that while tinkering with a tune on the harmonium.’

He secured a place in my heart by telling about his kinship with Pancham Da in such dignified manner. I underlined pages and pages, It would be so comforting to revisit them someday.   

The way this memoir is presented to readers, it seemed more like reading a gripping fiction. Each chapter contains information but with definite structure and stunning prose, just like a short story which engulfs you with its beginning, middle and comforting end.

In the next article, he speaks about Kishore Da, ‘A mad genius – a person evoking feelings of irritation while simultaneously also commanding respect.’ 

Did you know that Kishore Da was all set to play the protagonist in Anand? It didn’t work out though. This chapter is full of giggles and tender moments. Gulzar Saab ends this piece with a pristine thought on him, ‘Perhaps he used to believe fairy tales were real, magic carpets too. And he wished to live his life by those very truths.’  

Reading this memoir opens a window to understand Gulzar as a person. What really stuns me is his gentle way of showing gratitude towards artists. These reflections need to be savoured rather than analyzed. 

Gulzar Saab also includes Sanjeev Kumar, Mahasweta Devi, Suchitra Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Samaresh Basu, Ritwick ghatak  and more. I wanted to cover all personalities as it would kill the charm of exploring this journey. Though, I would like to mention the piece on Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, It touched me the most and filled me with possibilities and hope ‘the speciality of his voice, what we call timbre, was exquisite.’

This memoir is not about filmmaking tools or his formulae of lyrics writing but an honest documentation of reminisces as if Gulzar Saab is speaking to a friend on an evening walk.

Honestly, I am too wrecked to write about such treasure, it surely deserves long-length discussion with G-mitra (A group created by Pavan Jha, for those friends who meditated on Gulzar’s words). 

Here, I would like to mention that Gulzar Saab shared these recollections with Sanchari Mukherjee for a Bengali newspaper. The compilations of those narratives, was first published as ‘Panta Bhate’ in Bengali. Now it has been translated from the Bangla to English by Maharghya Chakraborty, in the first person narrated by Gulzar.  

‘It seems like a dream when I revisit my memories of such great gurus and colleagues, and I feel overwhelmed that I have really interacted with them. I have to pinch myself on realizing that actually . . . I met them.'

P.S. Actually… I Met Them was published by Penguin Random House and I can’t be grateful enough to Gulzar Saab and Pavan Jha (Da) for this gifted copy.

 

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This review is written by Ankita Chauhan and edited by Priyadarshini Sharma.  

Book Review: China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

In Sunjeev Sahota's China Room, a tale unfolds in rural Punjab, 1929, where Mehar, a not-so-obedient fifteen-year-old bride, embarks on a quest to discover her mysterious husband among three brothers.

Mehar is not so obedient a fifteen-year-old that she won’t try to uncover which of the three brothers is her husband.

The story revolves around the enigmatic "China room," a dark, windowless chamber shared by the newly wedded brides, named after old willow-pattern plates from their mother-in-law's wedding dowry.

Veiled and secluded, the girls navigate their lives, awaiting the strict matriarch Mai's nod to meet their husbands in the China room. Their sole purpose is to produce heirs for the Sikh family. The narrative takes an unexpected twist as Mehar's world is shaken after revealing her husband's identity.

None of them knew which man she was married to … because they had to remain veiled the whole time. There was no electricity. It was in the middle of nowhere on a rural farmstead and they didn’t know who was the husband, so the story goes.

China Room is not just an intriguing plot; it is a character-driven novel with intertwined stories. It introduces a second unnamed protagonist, Mehar's great-grandson, who returns to India to battle drug addiction and stumbles upon the abandoned farm, specifically the China room, where he unveils many revelations.

Sahota's elegant prose is a highlight of the book. I found myself rereading passages to savour the book. For instance, his description of night descending "like a cupboard door shutting," and the worn-out charpoy, resembling more of a hammock than a bed, vividly evokes emotions.

His reflections on characters and their behaviour create a captivating experience for readers. Amidst the family drama, the novel delves into themes of belonging, alienation, identity, and loneliness, wrapped in a blanket of nostalgia and loss.

There was one photo that I’d focus on, a small picture in a dark-wood frame. It was of my great grandmother, an old white-haired woman who’d traveled all the way to England just so they she might hold me.

The photograph of the old lady holding a baby at the end hints that China Room might draw from the author's own family history. I thoroughly enjoyed Sahota's artful storytelling. I do recommend this enriching and multi-layered novel.

 About the Author

Sunjeev Sahota is the author of Ours Are the Streets and The Year of the Runaways, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize, the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, and won the Encore Prize, the European Union Prize for Literature, and the South Bank Sky Arts Award. He was chosen as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 2013. He lives in Sheffield.

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.

Book Review: Operation Khukri by Major General Rajpal Punia and Damini Punia

 

‘Operation Khukri’ is a documentation of a peacemaking mission in Sierra Leone. More than that, it  portrayed the life of a soldier, how this mission emerged, how his family effected by this twist, full of longing and sorrows, and while the mission progressed, how 233 Indian soldiers faced death without food for close to three months and finally chose to die fighting than hunger.

According to Punia, forces of 17 countries took part in this mission. Among them, only Indian army decided to stay and fight against Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels of Sierra Leone, for around 80 days.

Readers get chance to absorb this book through the perspective of Major General Punia and his daughter Damini, who co-authored this book as well. Father-Daughter duo dedicated this courageous book to Havildar Krishan Kumar, who is the only soldier, Indian army lost during mission.

In an introductory part, Damini provides some insights about bravery and heroic tale of soldier’s life. She stated "It is truly unfortunate that people are not aware of an operation that transpired a year after the Kargil War, an operation where soldiers chose death over cowardice, dignity over two meals and honor over freedom"

 

Although, Sierra Leone is the wealthiest place in the world, with an abundance of the best grade diamonds, Sierra Leone lacked basic amenities like electricity and tap water, even in the national capital, Freetown. Nearly 30 per cent of its population was amputees because of the civil war that had gripped the county for over a decade.

In 2000, UN took a step and initiated a peace-making mission; the two agencies of Indian Army were deployed in Kailahun. But this intervention couldn’t come out as they planned; somehow it turned into warfare between Indian Army and RUF Rebels.

‘Every RUF soldier in the DDR camp had faced such terrible experiences as part of the RUF that merely hearing about those incidents was enough to send shivers down our spine. One face among hundreds that stood out was of a young boy named Moomba, who was barely fifteen years of age. He had been forcefully picked up by the RUF from his home in Pendembu almost five years back, and as a part of the ‘Uniform Presentation’ drill, he was forced to shoot a man at the tender age of ten.’

‘Operation Khukri’ is about the story of survival among odds, gritty tale of those superheroes who dedicated their lives to motherland. One can even fall in love with their determinant journey. Apart of telling valiant facts about mission, Punia painted a world of a normal family life, he wrote a touching scene where he has been leaving his family behind “I could see the eyes of my better half well up. She held back her tears, and her silent serenity was loud enough to shake my soul to its core.”

Amid of that, he ponders over the behavior of his kiddo, who is trying to act like an adult as he was going to become the only man of his house for three years, that too out of choice. Those little nuances of normal life, really added vivid colors to this book.  

The only thing I felt needed an improvement was on editing front. This book could have done wonder if it were more crisp and focused.  All in all, what not to love about patriotic stories, hmm? This book will definitely leave an impact on the life of Indian readers.  

Operation Khukri is published by Penguin India and You can buy this book via Amazon (Link).

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.

 

Salman Rushdie’s Quichotte: World of Illusion and Reality

Title: Quichotte

Author: Salman Rushdie

Publisher: Penguin Random House India 

ISBN:  978-0670092796

Language: English

Pages: 416

Genre: Literary Fiction

As Fernando Pessoa says “we, all who live, have a life that is lived and another life that is thought”

Quichotte by Salman Rushdie is the universe of tales and interpersonal emotions, where each character, on their own quest of seeking love, either salesperson or a spy-thriller writer.

It is an intellectual and playful novel that has been shortlisted for the Booker prize 2019. Rushdie reinvented 17^th century Cervantes’s Don Quixote and we experience very vision but from the cerebral of 21^st Century, realities alter in terms of socio-political culture.

Basically, Rushdie’s Quichotte is the story of Ismail Smile, a retired salesperson of pharmaceutical products, who binge-watches fancy TV shows, twist comes when he falls in love with a woman on TV, and put himself on a quest of seeking love, Now this woman is an interesting character herself, named Salma R, she has an Indian origin, living in New York though,  She is host of talk-show, somewhat like Oprah. To win her love, Ismail, adapts a name Quichotte and starts sending her letters, although he behaves like a quaint stalker yet the love and madness he carries inside, he is the protagonist and the most intriguing character; you urge to explore him anyway.

In between Quichotte invents an imaginary son, Sancho, who takes small fraction of his life, I think, Sancho is the only one who carries an innocent voice among myriad of characters, he slowly evaluates his place, fuming with anger and atrocity. 

In next few chapters, you realize, Quichotte might be hero of the book but he is not real, he is just a fictionalized character written by Sam Du-Camp, Ok Here, you have to pull off your dreamland as you have been getting introduced to new character, This Sam Du-camp is a spy-thriller writer, comes to realization that his whole life crumpled among lies and now he wants to write something real. 

As in science projects, you need to construct a flow chart into your mind, you need to do the same while exploring next chapters, because there are not couple of plots but subplots and various tales and references, it is a wild trip, characters do clash, worlds rebuild and it really demands of a reader every ounce of attention.

My own feeling is that Salman Rushdie has enjoyed romancing with different genres, wisely though. There is whole list of TV shows and quick-witted mentions of fake news. Somewhere I felt it is a magical realism, and it also has a spy writer, and there are road trips, and that’s not an end of the list. It feels funny to explore this multi-universe, on the next moment you urge to have some space to breathe.

Quichotte is a novel that shows us the mirror to make us realize what happens when misinformation gobbles the fact and surviving amidst insane world.

“Everything sounds like a lot,” Sancho said.

“All of us are in two stories at the same time,” said the sandwich lady. “Life and Times. There is our own personal story, and the bigger story of what’s happening around us. When both are in trouble simultaneously, when the crisis inside you intersects with the crisis outside you, things get a little crazy.”

Rushdie’s Quichotte is a delicate circle, quick-witted book, unfolds satire on reality shows, cyber war, along with some notable issues like sexual assault, racism, suicide, inkling of immigration, religion’s beliefs, and corporate trickery.

I have read Rushdie before and absolutely loved his Midnight’s Children. I am not denying the fact he has his own readership. By Quichotte, Rushdie has shown to the world, he is not afraid pushing his limits even at this age and certainly it is a brave step; the universe he documented will breathe through these pages. No matter what pro-critics say but I genuinely feel this is social commentary of an era, much needed work, maybe for offspring. 

“A zillion channels and nothing to hold them together. Garbage out there, and great stuff out there, too, and they both coexist at the same level of reality, both give off the same air of authority. How’s a young person supposed to tell them apart?  Every show on every network tells you the same thing: based upon a true story… true story is there’s no true story anymore.”

The only thing interrupted into this novel is usage of superabundant wordplay and pop culture references, as I was not aware of most of them so had to Google everything, turns it into a slow-read.

All in all, it is a Pandora box of human behaviour, carries two worlds side by side, Quichotte’s pursuit of love and a spy novelist’s troubles. This picaresque novel surely deserves a read.

About the Author

Salman Rushdie is the author of thirteen previous novels - Grimus, Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), Shame, The Satanic Verses, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, The Moor's Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Fury, Shalimar the Clown, The Enchantress of Florence, Luka and the Fire of Life, Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights and The Golden House - and one collection of short stories: East, West. He has also published four works of non-fiction - Joseph Anton, The Jaguar Smile, Imaginary Homelands and Step Across This Line - and co-edited two anthologies, Mirrorwork and Best American Short Stories 2008. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature.