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Journalism of Courage
Fingerprinting Popular Culture
EDITED BY VINAY LAL 038; ASHIS NANDY
Oxford University Press, Rs 495
That popular Indian cinema is no longer consid-ered too low-brow to inspire academic interest is evident enough. Popular cinema, in fact, as the ed-itors point out, is an important political document in some parts of South Asia. This volume of essays sets off to explore this relevance as also the role of fantasy in Indian public life.
They Hang: Twelve Women in My Portrait Gallery
SYEDA S. HAMEED Women Unlimited, Rs 275
These are stories that increasingly fill our television screens, only here they are more intimate and dis-turbing. Individual real-life stories of the women Hameed encountered as member of the National Commission for Women mingle with some fiction to construct a single moving portrait. Of women wronged by society.
J.P. in Jail
M.G. DEVASAHAYAM Roli, Rs 495
The nation has just completed Jayaparakash Narayan8217;s centenary year and this account of his life and times is a good way to mark it. The author, a bureaucrat, was JP8217;s 8216;jailor8217; during the Emer-gency. The close contact and the long conversa-tions they shared make for an interesting read.
Leadership: Field Marshal
Sam Manekshaw
SHUBHI SOOD Publishers, Rs 795
India8217;s first Field Marshal is a subject of abiding in-terest. The rise to military stardom of a cadet who lived life slightly on the edge in the academy, Ma-neckshaw8217;s life makes for lively reading.
Butterflies and barbed wires
VANAJA BANAGIRI Rupa, Rs 195
Individual stories of women meet and separate in Banagiri8217;s first novel. At one level, it is a lost-and-found saga, without the exaggerated tears and joys. It8217;s also an addition to the list of books coming out of the south.
