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'Shah Rukh's faith saw me through'
Mushtaq Shiekh on the force behind his book, Devdas -- The Indian Hamlet
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After authoring a book on Shah Rukh Khan's home production Asoka called The Making Of Asoka, journalist-turned-authur Mushtaq Shiekh is ready with another book based on the making of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Rs 500 million film --- Devdas -- The Indian Hamlet.
He claims his book is an odyssey on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic masterpiece Devdas.
In conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Shiekh reveals more about his book:
Tell us about Devdas -- The Indian Hamlet.
This is a step to demystify the Hindi film industry and bring it closer to a movie buff. It is an odyssey of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic novel Devdas, through the Indian psyche.
It is an introspective look at how the character of Devdas took its roots in the Indian mind and transcended the traditional boundaries between print and cinema. It also analyses the fascination and lure of the character that inspired 12 cinematic versions in most of the major Indian languages. It traces the footsteps of Devdas across a century of Indian films.
How was the book conceived?
I had just finished my book The Making Of Asoka and I was thrilled at the way it turned out. During those days, I happened to walk on to the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Devdas and felt this was one film that had to be caught in print.
The film had all it took to become a chapter in cinematic history --- the cast, crew, detailing, vision, dream. Everything was larger than life. Above all, Devdas [for Shiekh] was the most fascinating human to understand. That is when the journey to get into the mind of the Devdas on screen began.
The character of Devdas inspired you...
Yes. A man who gave it all up for love. There is a magic about losing. There is a charm about watching your life pass by and you can do nothing about it. Devdas is one of the most amazing lovers I have come across in literature. But my inspiration is incomplete without the man who played Devdas --- Shah Rukh Khan. He certainly was a potent force behind me, egging me on. There were times when I felt I would not be able to put it through, that the book would never see the light of the day. But Shah Rukh's faith saw me through.
What is kind of audience you are targeting through this book?
For a layman, Bollywood with its glitz and glamour is an enigma, a dream and an escape. A book based on a Hindi film gives him a chance to take a peek behind the silver screen and identify with the actor.
For a serious film enthusiast, books based on Bollywood are a way to understand its functioning and to be inspired to pursue his dream. For the film industry, a book is a mark of respect and recognition of hard work put in by thousands of men over the last century. A book on Bollywood gives it a respectability that it so rightfully deserves after years of slander. I think it should do well.
What does this book mean to you?
As an author, I have paid my tribute to the industry that has fired our imagination, fuelled our dreams and the great cultural icons who have shaped our thoughts, behaviour and values.
What does it essentially contain?
It's an exhaustive research and detailed discussion with the actors, technicians and film observers from all over the country. The Lure Of The Lore and Romanticism and Decadence dwell on Sarat Chandra's conception of Devdas and the factors that attracted filmmakers to this literary masterpiece. In The Mirror Image, we look into minds of veterans like P C Barua, K L Saigal, Bimal Roy, Dilip Kumar, and even Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shah Rukh Khan, who have immortalised Devdas.
The Mystical Muses is a character analysis of the women in Devdas' life by actresses Vyjayantimala, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai who lived the parts of Chandramukhi and Paro. Devdas Reborn, Jinxed Pheonix and Shining Through are an ode to the efforts of Bharat Shah, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and their cast and crew, who went through intense pains to realise their dream.
A State of Being and The Indian Hamlet are a critical psychoanalyses of Devdas and his story, using literature and critical opinion as a measure.
What is the USP of the book?
The book itself! Seriously, I think this book is a one-stop shop of all your questions regarding Devdas. It is everything you wanted to ever know about it and did not know whom to ask.
When is the release?
The release will coincide with the tenth week celebration of the film. The publisher Bharat Shah stood by this project like a rock and believed in the book.
What next?
Devdas -- The Indian Hamlet has been quite a task for me. I have just delivered this baby. I need some time to enjoy the reaction my newborn will receive. In the far-off recesses of my mind, yes, another book has already started kicking --- but it would be premature if I give you details now.
Also Read:
The Indian Hamlet
The Devdas Special