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Journalism of Courage
Sone Chandi Ke Buth, a new collection of writings on cinema by the late veteran filmmaker KA Abbas, will hit the stands on July 18, publisher Penguin Random House India (PRHI) announced on Monday.
The book, edited and translated from Urdu by Abbas’ niece Syeda Hameed and writer-journalist Sukhpreet Kahlon, is a collection of short stories, essays, and articles on famous film personalities and varied aspects of the Indian film industry.
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It includes Abbas’ candid observations on famous actors, writers, and directors such as Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Satyajit Ray, Meena Kumari, Balraj Sahni and V Shantaram.
“Abbas was a man in a hurry, Mujhe kuchh kehna hai was his motto in his every creative endeavour. In these stories, he has said it all and we, his emissaries, have brought it to the larger universe,” the editors said in a joint statement.
“The book has been a journey of discovery for us. With incredible insight into the glittering world of films, Abbas’s writings take us behind the scenes, revealing the lives of the people on the silver screen. It has been a joy to translate these writings and we hope that film lovers enjoy reading the book,” they added.
Abbas, considered to be one of the pioneers of Indian parallel or neo-realistic cinema, has penned a number of neo-realistic films, including “Naya Sansar”, “Jagte Raho” and “Saat Hindustani” — the debut movie of megastar Amitabh Bachchan which he also directed.
As a screenwriter, he has some of Raj Kapoor’s best films, including the much-acclaimed “Awaara”, “Shree 420”, “Mera Naam Joker”, “Bobby” and “Henna”, to his credit. A man of multiple talents, Abbas has also authored over 70 books.
In addition to a series of essays, focused on various aspects of cinema and short stories set in the context of the film industry, this volume in English also brings a section of his writings as a film journalist for the Bombay Chronicle in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
According to the publisher, besides throwing light on the functioning and concerns of the film industry at the time, it also offers remarkable insight on the beginning of film criticism in the country.
“Abbas’ matter-of-fact style and the didactic element in his prose illustrates the humanistic ideals that were at the very core of his thought. His writing, both humorous and incisive, is like a laser that pierces right to the heart of the matter,” the publisher said.
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