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theStack TAKING A LEAF FROM

THE MEDIA’S PAST
CO-CREATING BRANDS The new book Words. Sounds. Images. takes a decade-
By Nicholas Ind & Holger J Schmidt; Bloomsbury; 322 pages; 699 wise look at the evolution of newspapers, cinema,
music, television, dance, theatre and radio
When Venkat Ramaswamy, the co-founder of financial services
powerhouse Edelweiss and one of the pioneers of the concept of AMBITIOUS AND ENCYCLOPAEDIC in scope, Words.
co-branding, writes the foreword of a book on the Sounds. Images. is a first-of-its-kind book that pre-
marketing strategy, you can be sure it will contain sents the history of media and entertainment in India
a mine of information. “Networked interactions, — from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization right
propelled by the Internet and the forces of digitalisa- up to the twenty-first century.
tion, ubiquitous connectivity, globalisation, and social The book starts with an examination of the origins,
media have become the new locus in creating value looking at a wide array of aspects such as: the state
and accelerating the de-centering of value creation of entertainment during Harappan and Vedic times,
toward the experiences of individuals,” Venkatra- including details from the Natyashastra; the early dra-
man writes. “To us, co-creation represents the reality ma, music and dance of Kalidasa; the development of
of what a brand is and how it develops. Brands are ragas; musical instruments and early folk traditions;
loaded with intent by managers, but brand meaning is found by the genesis of classical dance forms; developments
consumers and other stakeholders as they share their thoughts, through the ages, including in the Mughal period, in
ideas and experiences with each other in online and offline net- the southern kingdoms, in the north-east, and under
works,” the authors write. the Marathas and the British.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Independence onwards,
the book takes a decade-wise
A TRICKSTERS GUIDE TO HAPPY LIVING look at the evolution of news-
By Simran Bhui; Rupa; 149 pages; 295 papers, cinema, music, televi-
sion, dance, theatre and radio.
Trickster — noun — a playful, curious and crafty crea- The author, himself a film
tor. “Happy living is not being happy all the time. It’’s producer, director and lyricist
a journey to happiness that begins when you start who has worked in the enter-
living in the question. It begins when you say ‘’yes’’ tainment industry all his life,
- yes, to adventures; yes, to curiosity; yes, to inspira- brings his unique perspective
tion; yes, to vulnerability; yes, to life; and always, yes to bear on the subject. There
to yourself,” the author writes. To this end, for the next may be tonnes of books avail-
10 weeks, “every day will be a chance for you to add able in the market on cinema
something new to your life. All you need to do is be that write about a single
present. Each page of this book will encourage you to aspect of it — actors, direc-
write, reflect, do an activity or get your hands dirty. At times, you may tors, music etc. However, this
even be asked to do things you have never done before. It may get a volume is different and unique in that it integrates
tad personal, but just stick around. Because, who knows, by the end all fields of creative media. Not only does it succeed
of it, you may just find out that you are a trickster too! splendidly but does so in a highly absorbing manner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- with the highest levels of erudition and scholarship.
It entertains and enlightens in a rare pageantry and
AIMLESS IN BANARAS enriching panorama into the history of drama, dance,
By Bishwanath Ghosh; Tranqebar; 252 pages; 399 music, poetry, puppetry of our civilization.
The book has a valuable documentation of the
Author and journalist Bishwanath Ghosh first visited Banaras in landmark films of Indian cinema in all its various
2009 to perform the last rites of his mother at the Manikarnika Ghat. languages along with the creators like producers,
“She was only 59. She did have a heart condition that was slowly directors, actor, music directors, playback singers and
deteriorating, but death was the last thing on her mind when she lyricists, making it one of the most valuable reference
and my father had set out from Kanpur, about 350 km away, to visit books on cinema which cannot be improved upon till
my younger brother who was posted in Banaras. One date. The book has no foot notes and index. Because
afternoon, as the three of them were having lunch, like all egotists and self cherishing beings I first
she suddenly arched back and died. When the news wanted to know if my name and those of my “classic”
travelled 2,000 km south to reach me in Chennai, it films are referenced in it or not. This 952-page book
suddenly struck me that Banaras had been thrust has rich information and documentation. It presents
on me,” writes Ghosh, an Associate Editor with The a daunting challenge to even the most voracious
Hindu who now lives in Kolkata. He pretended he was reader and has to be savoured in leisurely steps to be
a writer collecting material for a future book rather fully enriched by its multiple vistas.
than a grieving son - his way of dealing with the last This pioneering work is a must-read not just for
rites. He returned 10 years later to write that book. It’s the students and practitioners of the arts and media
an uplifting must read. but also for their lay consumers.

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