Adventures of a Writer

Indian history as taught to us in text books is often a dry account of names, incidents and dates. Information provided at historical sites or monuments rarely offer insights into the era when they were built and the people who left their legacy behind. Even the history buff would find it difficult to make the connections between the glorious past that the placards talk about and the stark, near ruinous conditions of the monuments. While Western museums often have well-researched audio visual presentations for the lay visitor to be able to make this connect, unfortunately this facility is not available at Indian monuments. This gap in presenting history in an interesting and imaginative way is sought to be bridged by Debasish Das in his book Red Fort: Remembering the Magnificent Mughals. The author takes you on a guided tour of the Red Fort and the era in which it was built. The book is extensively researched and the facts presented in a structured format. The little stories and...

 By Jaideep Sen After writing 16 articles on the Magician with the Pen, Salim Khan Saab, I chose to do this piece on his mega-star son. The reason for that is undoubtedly the most landmark film—which I call a cinematic movement in the life of not Salman Khan, the Star but Salman Khan, the Actor— Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Every time I see the film, and I see it quite often since it’s a prized possession in my set top box, I am amazed that a mega-star like Salman Bhai, at the peak of his mega stardom, stripped himself completely off all the trappings of his success by playing Pavan Kumar Chaturvedi, alias Bajrangi Bhaijaan, with such simplicity, innocence and purity.   At that level of stardom it’s extremely challenging to detach yourself completely from the gigantic star that you are and become a common man to bring this character to life. Great cinema, as a leading international director has said, is nothing short of a miracle. It is an amalgam of great writing...

Sudesna Ghosh is a prolific indie author who weaves humour into her stories. In this post she talks about the intricacies of writing humour. Over to Sue... I've been told I'm funny. Whether it's making a sarcastic remark mid conversation or the tone that I use in my romantic comedies, it's all me. Natural, unadulterated Sue. The thing is, I believe that a sense of humour can't be created by training or practice — it comes with your personality. You're either funny or you're not. Of course there are different kinds of humour. For example, there are those who can make everything seem light and fun and laughable including the bad things in life. And then there are those who can bring humour into certain topics. Like I know some people who can make you laugh a lot talking about antics of their pets or about their family members’ craziness. Other times, they're not so funny. Maybe they feel more comfortable letting lose about specific topics. M...