Releasing books based on movies is the latest marketing tool. Directors say it helps in giving a better insight into the subject and conveys the underlying message of the film. By Karan Bhardwaj
Though Rajneeti struck gold at the box office, filmmaker Prakash Jha wanted viewers to know more than what they saw on screen. For instance, audience would have hardly realised that the huge crowd used in the film actually comprised over 10,000 actors from Madhya Pradesh who had also attended a special workshop for about six months. All such interesting facts, anecdotes and the massive scale of the film inspired Jha to come up with a comprehensive book called Rajneeti—The Film and Beyond. It was launched a year later after the film’s release.
For his latest movie, Satyagraha, Jha chose to launch the book before the release of the film. The book on Satyagraha contains anecdotes, screenplay, stills from the sets, interviews and shares the vision of the director.
“I compiled everything in three months. It doesn’t matter you read the book before or after watching the film, it will definitely interest you if you are interested in cinema,” says Pooja Varma, the editor of the book. After Satyagraha-The Story Behind The Revolution (Om Books), another book was released. It’s based on the forthcoming comedy sequel Grand Masti. The star cast of the film launched the book (Harlequin India) recently in Delhi.
Dipa Chaudhuri, chief editor with Om Books says that books are instrumental in documenting the history of cinema. “Whenever one has wanted to find out about old movies, starting with Raja Harishchandra, there is no recourse to any serious record of cinematic history. History is not easily available in India. We believe in transience of things. During the fire at FTII, many important documents were lost. Therefore, this trend is crucial and it helps in documentation of films,” she observes.
Om Books has published many books on Bollywood in the past including the biographies of Shah Rakh Khan and AR Rahman. The publishing house has also printed screenplays of films like lage Raho Munnabhai, 3 Idiots and Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam.
“I feel that Indian cinema needs better documentation since not much has been written about films and personalities. Many of the legendary directors don’t have books on them. Guru Dutt passed away long ago but it was only 13 years ago that film historian Nasreen Munni Kabir did his biography through conversations with various people,” says Chaudhuri.
literature has always inspired cinema but of late, it is happening the other way round. Though the phenomenon is not uncommon in West, it is a new trend in India. A marketing strategist confirms, “We are seriously considering books as a marketing tool since they enhance the cinematic value. However, it also depends on topic of the film.”
Whether or not it is going to flourish, the film experts are excited about the move. “India doesn’t have a trend of books derived from films yet, but we should have it for the sake of those who want to study cinema. These could be books that serve as memorabilia for fans, containing photographs and behind-the-scenes knick knacks, or books on the making of films, of which we have a handful in the market, or bound screenplays, or novelised versions of screenplays. Such books could contribute to the education of potential filmmakers, audiences and critics which would in turn improve the quality of our cinema in the long run,” says Anna MM Vetticad, author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic.
For publishers, books are as relevant as the films. In fact, they call them better than the recorded DVDs which contain restricted bytes of the cast and crew. “Movies are condensed visual experiences that can entertain, enthrall or inspire. Books are multi-layered. They offer a deeper insight into stories and engagement with the characters. They can go into emotions and inner drama, descriptions and sub-plots in a way that movies cannot. Books also help engage the imagination of the reader, and the written word is open to individual interpretation. In a movie, the director’s interpretation is served to the audience. Humans have enjoyed storytelling for millennia, from the oral traditions through wandering minstrels and bards to books to now audio-visual and multimedia formats. In that sense, both products — movie and book — can be complementary,” says Amrita Chowdhury, country head and publishing director of Harlequin India.