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Shyam Mathur on his book “Cine Patrkarita”
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Shyam Mathur’s book
Jaipur-based film writer and author, Shyam Mathur is a happy man these days. For just recently, he has got a piece of good news from Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrkarita Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal. His book “Cine Patrkarita” has been inducted into the syllabus of its film journalism course. The book is published by Rajasthan Hindi Granth Akademi, a wing of the State Ministry of Human Resource and Development. An all compassing book, it broke certain rules to be a part of the newly-introduced one-and-half-year course of the Vishwavidyalaya.
After 17 years
Mathur’s book has 12 chapters spread across 340 pages. From the meaning and importance of film journalism to its past and present, its language, grammar, NRI films, films made after Independence, lyrics and music, film business, box office, film festivals in India and abroad, film appreciation and the impact of films’ on the socio-cultural life of the people, the book covers a wide range of topics.
Says the joyous writer who had also written a monograph on Amitabh Bachchan last year, “The first such book in Hindi written by Manmohan Chaddha was printed 17 years ago. It had received the National Award for the Best Writing in Indian Cinema. Since then, there is no book in the language though there are many books on the subject in English. So I have tried to fill that gap.”
About the content he specifically mentions the chapter that debates on literature and films. Apart from poet-lyricist Gulzar’s interview on the subject, this 46-year-old has also reproduced an article written by Premchand in 1936 in the then newspaper ‘Naqsh’, which is now printed in Pakistan. His chapter on film business also includes interesting information on how through UFOs now, a film is screened in the remotest part of India the day it is released in other cities. “The technique has helped in curbing piracy to a great extent,” he states. Mathur also stresses the point that most books on Hindi films leave aside the music and lyrics part of film-making which he has included in his book.
A significant point in the book is its language. Explains Mathur, “Generally the Government is strict about its style sheet on the use of vocabulary. The vocabulary in their style sheet called ‘Vaigyanick thata Takniki Shabdawali’ is archaic and very formal. I managed to convince them to deviate from that. To meet the current market demands, they allowed me to use Hindustani language, inclusive of Urdu words, than just pure Hindi.”
RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN
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