Memoirs

B. R. P. BHASKAR

GHOSHAYATHRA: T.J.S. George; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs.160.

FEW MEDIA persons have experienced the romance of journalism in as great a measure as T.J.S. George has. His journey from the newsroom of S. Sadanand’s Free Press Journal to the top of the profession was eventful. While heading a Bihar daily, he earned the displeasure of the chief minister and became the first editor to be charged with sedition in free India. During a stint abroad, the highlight of which was the founding of Asiaweek in Hong Kong with himself as its Editor, he incurred the wrath of some of Southeast Asia’s rulers. In this memoir, he lines up friends and foes, treating the reader to a celebrity parade.

Often the author goes beyond personal experience to present well-rounded portraits of the subjects. Thus he traces the transformation of Bal Thackeray, who was a cartoonist in Free Press Journal in his time, into the tiger of Mumbai.

The foreign dignitaries figuring in the parade include Lew Kuan Yew and Ferdinand Marcos.

George gives credit to the late M.P.Narayana Pillai for providing the impetus to write his memoir. In a letter, written 15 years ago and used as Introduction in the book, Pillai told him in his characteristic style: “To be a writer, you must have something in your mind, which will not occur to others. Thank God, you have it.” George delights the readers, but Pillai would probably have wanted more.               (The Hindu, December 23, 2008) 

Plea for professionalism

B.R.P. Bhaskar

Malayala Cinema Padanangal by C.S. Venkiteswaran   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Malayalam cinema, which scaled heights of glory ahead of its South Indian cousins, has been down in the dumps for some time, leading to animated discussions on ways to overcome the crisis that has gripped it. Against this background, the appearance of C.S. Venkiteswaran's writings, which appeared in various periodicals in the recent past, in book form, is timely.

Malayalam films made an early impact with realistic handling of social issues and popular resistance. Venkiteswaran, a perspective observer and critic, attributes the change in the character of cinema, which began in the 1970s, to factors such as breakup of the joint family and introduction of land reforms. The problems of the individual, especially conflicts within, now came to the fore. Commercial aspects of the cinema also gained prominence at this stage.

Later television arrived and cinema retreated to sex and comedy. Now, he says, instead of facing the challenge squarely and moving to a new phase, it is seeking shelter behind fading stars and trotting out excuses like lack of good scripts.

He warns the industry that if it does not address the problem of lack of professionalism, it will be relegated to a ghetto in this age of globalisation.

Besides informative articles on subjects like parallel cinema, Third World cinema, the film society movement and the state of film criticism, the volume includes assessments of noted film makers John Abraham and P. N. Menon and landmark films ‘Neelakkuyil' and ‘Nirmalyam.'

The book is profusely illustrated but the pictures are poorly reproduced.

MALAYALA CINEMA PADANANGAL: By C. S. Venkiteswaran, DC Books, Kottayam 686001, Rs. 125.                                                                                           (The Hindu, April 6, 2012) 

Novelettes

B.R.P.Bhaskar

Though not a prolific writer, Prabhakaran has earned a place for himself because of his significant contribution to what is dubiously labelled the ‘post-modernist' Malayalam literature. A writer with a clear concept of the craft, he can handle with ease a wide variety of literary forms — short story, novel, drama, and screenplay.

At one stage, however, it looked as if novelette was Prabhakaran's favourite genre. In the preface to this collection of five of his novelettes (published before 1998), he says he intended to develop one of them into a novel. But he abandoned the idea because of some misgivings and impediments.

The novelettes cover diverse themes such as the hunt for a house site, settlers' struggle to establish themselves in a new environment, and the young generation's ceaseless endeavour to secure its due place and recognition in the evolving society.

There is an interesting allegorical story on human condition and behaviour, told through animal characters and presented as a children's tale.

The author varies his technique from story to story. Although this makes for uneven reading, he manages to hold the reader's attention.

N. PRABHAKARANTE NOVELLAKAL: N. Prabhakaran; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 110.                   (The Hindu, January 26, 2012)

Voice of a new woman

B.R.P. Bhaskar

KATHAKAL: Indu Menon; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam 686001. Rs. 140.

As a short story writer, Indu Menon can be said to have succeeded Kamala Das, who traversed the worlds of poetry and fiction with ease. This, however, is not to suggest that she is a story-teller cast in the ‘Kamala Das mould'. Far from plodding along the trodden path, she courageously explores new areas.

Indu Menon's themes as well as technique compel attention. Going beyond issues such as gender and sexuality, which young women writers are generally preoccupied with, she challenges Kerala society that is showing unmistakable signs of regression, at various other levels too. For instance, she takes on the forces of communalism in a way few other writers, man or woman, have done. Hers is the voice of the ‘New Woman', which is yet to make itself heard in the public space.

Every word is a wound, Menon says in a prefatory note that carries intimations of a literary manifesto. In it, she casts herself as a scared girl standing in a long, unlit pathway full of thorns and poisonous snakes. Scared maybe, but certainly not helpless. Indeed, in this volume she comes through as a fighter — a lone guerrilla, if you want to put it that way.

The book is saddled with four disguised, superfluous introductions by male writers of earlier generations. Incidentally, quite a few of them use the term “sabotage” while referring to Indu Menon's writing. (The Hindu, May 10, 2011)