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Year go, Years come
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As 2004 welcomes us with Rough Guides and more, ZIYA US SALAM undertakes a literary trip down yesterday to discover what 2003 offered us.
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LIFE AND LETTERS
HE HAS diligently resisted temptation so long that it was finally a relief when his "Indian Realities: Bits and Pieces" was finally brought out by Rupa and Company this year. Not meant to be read on the run or in a moving car, this one has the wisdom and measured words which inexplicably make an appearance only when wrinkles take over residence over the author's face.
MYTHSMITH
IRREVERENCE TOOK on a new dignity with Ashok Banker's "Prince of Ayodhya". This Penguin publication was hailed for its delightful narration. Scarcely a wonder: Banker finished reading most of the classics by the time he was 10!
INSPIRATIONAL STUFF
FORMER CBI director, Joginder Singh told those who cared "Yes, You Can". Many agreed and laid their hands on this publication. Meanwhile, Shiv Khera came up with "Living with Honour", claiming it had bettered the Harry Potter record with 75,000 initial print copies. The honour was Khera's. Or Macmillan's.
THE BEST OF SPORTS
IN A year marked by mediocrity, Sachin Tendulkar got a eulogy. Another journalist took time out to do likewise for Rahul Dravid. Then there were others on Indian hockey and football. But it was not until the year was all but through that Penguin India revealed that Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand had an ace up his sleeve. At 34, he is penning his biography which should be out sooner than many expect.
VANITY SHOW
ONE GUY played a spoilsport to Retired Admiral S.M. Nanda's "The Man Who Bombed Karachi": Nanda himself! This Harper Collins publication attracted interest but Nanda could never wear the cloak of modesty. Or even honest self-appraisal.
A SPELLBINDING SHOW
SELDOM HAS there been as much hype surrounding a book. Harry Potter arrived with security befitting a VIP, and moved off the shelves at a speed befitting an athlete. The children loved it, queued up to lay their hands on it. Rowling had another winner on her hands. And before the year was through, there was a Hindi translation too.
LIBERALLY YOURS
BANGALORE-BASED Ramachandra Guha visited Delhi to tell us he calls himself the last liberal. His Permanent Black work, "The Last Liberal and Other Essays" was noticed for its irreverence.
Much like Shashi Tharoor whose "Nehru: The Invention of India" read better than history ever has.
ROYAL MASSAGE
SOME PEOPLE are born to Rule. Roli Books' Pramod Kapoor and Jaswant Paul remembered and gave us "The Unforgettable Maharajas". The little window gave us a delightful peek and coffee-table got a timeless addition with a book that was nothing but a royal ego massage.
SELLING DREAMS
ARINDAM CHAUDHURI and his father, Malay, made the impossible look not just plausible but likely in "The Great Indian Dream". They talked of 14 per cent annual growth for India and the time we will overtake the U.S. with the magic mantra in the Macmillan publication. A sweet dream, it remains that despite the peddlers' best efforts. Just a case of counting your chicken...?
SORRY SHOW
NEVER HAS the garment of dignity been massacred in such a ruthless manner as authors Mukulika Banerjee and Daniel Miller managed in "The Sari". The book promised much, fulfilled absolutely nothing. It was a classic exhibition of ignorance.
`INSPIRED' PERFORMANCE
WHEN A Union minister wields the pen, it arouses interest. In this case, the inspiration was there for all to see. Vijay Goel carried his Chandni Chowk fixation to a new haveli, an old temple. "Delhi: The Emperor's City" aroused at best a `been there, seen that' feeling.
THE RIGHT WORD
HOBSON-JOBSON made a comeback in 2003 with Nigel Hankin's "Hanklyn-Janklyn". This Captain of the British Army with simplicity for a companion - he does not own a phone - made us sit up and take notice of this India Research Press publication: There were so many words in our English which the Queen never spoke. Never mind!
A DATE WITH DISASTER
DELHI'S VERY own Lacchman Das Madan has carved out a career talking of impending disasters. He did more of the same in 2003 with "Predicting Earthquakes". He predicted 161 earthquakes for the next decade in the Bharat Press publication. The one on Iran came true with disastrous consequences.
FUTURE CALLING
THE YEAR 2003 was visited by future, courtesy, Fareed Zakaria, who when not editing Newsweek, was penning "The Future of Freedom". He made noises against democracy, advocated more individual freedom. People were puzzled. They decided to read this Penguin book to find out.
THE THIRD EYE
WOMEN AS witches. People believing in apparitions. It was not a case of literature following Ramsays' cine disasters but Archana Mishra actually managed to write on the unmentionable - witches. The Roli Books publication brought to fore the role of participant observer with great insight.
JEST A YEAR
PEOPLE TOOK time out to smile, to laugh as Rupa and Company gave them a fun-filled humour series to complement Jaspal Bhatti's "Shock and Aw". The gags, the masala... everything was in good humour.
LIFE IN A DAY
ARDASHIR VAKIL related the story of a life in "One Day". His progress from "Beach Boy" to "One Day" was appreciated. The Penguin book proved you don't have to be a great orator to be a fine writer! The winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award won us over with the power of the written word.
HORNET'S NEST
SHE TALKED of R.K. Dalmia's six wives, 18 children, his jail-term. She talked of his dictatorial ways, his bi-polar personality. That it came from Neelima Dalmia Adhaar shocked many. That it actually came from Dalmia's daughter gave this Roli Books' work a touch of authenticity. And the lady with inscrutable charm had laid her hands on a winner!
DELECTABLE FARE
RASHMI UDAY Singh took time out from her food columns to tell us about "Good Food Chicken". Many relished this Zaika offer. As was the case with Arvind Saraswat, the master chef proved he was a master with words too. "Professional Chef" made informative reading. Keeping them delectable company was Karen Anand with "International Cooking" which attracted attention for tasty bites. The pot was kept simmering by Sanjeev Kapoor too who authored "Simply Good, Simply Indian". Then there was Tarla Dalal's "Home Remedies". As chefs took to pen, we relished every word.
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