Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the famous band The Doors, is known for his poetic vision and insatiable appetite for spiritual, sexual and psychedelic experiences. He was known for the way his music embodied the spirit and psyche of a generation. Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend takes its readers through the life events of Morrison, a man who was tortured by inner demons that controlled his creative energy and ultimately led him to self destruction. Each section of this book reveals a new phase of Morrison???s life, from his troubled youth in a strict military household to the tension and anger that built up in the band as their songs hit the top of the charts. Fans from the newer generation have appreciated his music but have also been exposed to as a series of myth that were created to cover the true character of James Douglas Morrison. As it nears the end, the book reconstructs Morrison???s last days in Paris in order to solve one of the greatest mysteries in music history in a shocking final chapter.

How To Read A Film : Movies Media And Beyond

Richard Gilman referred to How to Read a Film as simply "the best single work of its kind." And Janet Maslin in The New York Times Book Review marveled at James Monaco's ability to collect "an enormous amount of useful information and assemble it in an exhilaratingly simple and systematic way." Indeed, since its original publication in 1977, this hugely popular book has become the definitive source on film and media. Now, James Monaco offers a special anniversary edition of his classic work, featuring a new preface and several new sections, including an "Essential Library: One Hundred Books About Film and Media You Should Read" and "One Hundred Films You Should See." As in previous editions, Monaco once again looks at film from many vantage points, as both art and craft, sensibility and science, tradition and technology. After examining film's close relation to other narrative media such as the novel, painting, photography, television, and even music, the book discusses the elements necessary to understand how films convey meaning, and, more importantly, how we can best discern all that a film is attempting to communicate. In addition, Monaco stresses the still-evolving digital context of film throughout--one of the new sections looks at the untrustworthy nature of digital images and sound--and his chapter on multimedia brings media criticism into the twenty-first century with a thorough discussion of topics like virtual reality, cyberspace, and the proximity of both to film. With hundreds of illustrative black-and-white film stills and diagrams, How to Read a Film is an indispensable addition to the library of everyone who loves the cinema and wants to understand it better.

Speaking Of Films

India's greatest film-maker on the art and craft of films Exactly fifty years ago, in 1955, the release of Pather Panchali heralded the arrival of a master in the world of cinema. Over the next forty years, Satyajit Ray came to be regarded as one of the world's finest film-makers ever. Today, more than a decade after his death, he continues to be India's most respected name in international film circles. Apart from his achievements as a director, Ray was also a prolific writer of novels, short stories, and essays on cinema. Speaking of Films brings together some of Ray's most memorable writings on film and film-making. With the masterly precision and clarity that characterize his films, Ray discusses a wide array of subjects: the structure and language of cinema with special reference to his adaptations of Tagore and Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay, the appropriate use of background music and dialogue in films, the relationship between a film-maker and a film critic, and important develoents in cinema like the advent of sound and colour. He also writes about his own experiences, the challenges of working with rank amateurs, and the innovations called for when making a film in the face of technological, financial and logistical constraints. In the process, Ray provides fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses of the people who worked with him"the intricacies of getting Chhabi Biswas, who had no ear for music, to play a patron of classical music in Jalsaghar; the incredible memory of the seventy-five-year-old Chunibala Devi, Indir Thakrun of Pather Panchali, and her remarkable attention to details. This first-ever translation of Bishay Chalachitra, a seminal collection of essays on cinema, Speaking of Films retains the lucidity and simplicity that is a hallmark of Ray's writing, and gives an invaluable insight into the mind of a genius.

Ten Years With Guru Dutt : Abrar Alvis Journey

Guru Dutt is probably the only Indian film-maker who, within the parameters of the box office, made a personal statement with his cinema. His films stand testimony not only to his own genius but also to the creativity of his team, comprising stalwarts like cameraman V.K. Murthy, music director S.D. Burman, and writer Abrar Alvi, among others. In Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi s Journey, Sathya Saran looks at the tumultuous yet incredibly fecund relationship between the mercurial director and his equally talented albeit unsung writer, a partnership that evolved over a decade till Guru Dutt s tragic death in 1964. Starting his career as a driver and chaperone to Guru Dutt s producer on the sets of Baaz, Abrar soon caught the attention of the director with his sharp ear for and understanding of film dialogue. With Aar Paar in 1954, Abrar rewrote the rules of dialogue-writing in Hindi cinema, till then marked by theatricality and artificiality. He followed it up with masterpieces like Mr and Mrs 55, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, before donning the director s mantle with great success in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Brimming with lively anecdotes about how Abrar honed his skills by writing over 300 love letters; how an accident involving a buffalo led to the discovery of Waheeda Rehman; Guru Dutt s visit to a kotha to get the ambience right for Pyaasa this acclaimed book is a warm and insightful look at two remarkable artistes who inspired each other to create movie magic.

100 Lyrics

From ???Mora gora ang lai le???, his first film lyric written for Bimal Roy???s Bandini in 1963, to the Oscar-winning ???Jai ho??? from Slumdog Millionaire, Gulzar has brought a rare poetic sensibility to popular Hindi film music over a five-decade-long career. His sophisticated insights into psychological complexities, his ability to capture the essence of nature???s sounds and spoken dialects in written words, and above all his inimitable???and often surprising???imagery have entertained his legions of fans over successive generations. It represents Gulzar???s most memorable compositions of all time, and feature anecdotes about the composition of the lyrics as well as sketches by Gulzar.

Conversations With Waheeda Rehman

Renowned for her natural talent and haunting beauty, Waheeda Rehman's career spans an astonishing array of key films in Indian cinema, including Pyaasa, Abhijan, Mujhe Jeene Do, Guide, Teesri Kasam and Rang De Basanti.

Our Films Their Films

Cinema has never been saved by writers. We may have more of them now than ever before, but at the time there are more and stronger shoulders now to shrug them off. No. Words are not enough. Words need the backing of action, or there is no revolution. And the only action that counts is that which a film maker calls into play by snapping out his words of command in his own particular field of battle. If victory, and of many others like him, restore even a little of the dignity a great art form has lost, only them can we talk of having a revolution.

The Master And I

Soumitra Chatterjee was one of the iconic Bengali actors and an ardent student of Satyajit Ray. Satyajit Ray was one of the most renowned film makers not only in India but across the world. This book details on the relationship of two talented artists, which gives a closer look on how they walked the journeys of both professional and personal lives. It brings out the impact they both had on each other’s lives. Soumitra has acted in 14 films that were made by the maestro. Soumitra was initially rejected for a role by Satyajit Ray. But that did not fail to mark the beginning of their relationship as artists. His experiences and memories with the master take the readers back in time along with him. The book is translated to English by Arunava Sinha. The book gives a good look into the artists’ behind the screen lives.

Great Urdu Ghazals, Great Urdu Nazms, Great Urdu Rubais, Qatas & Couplets

Great Urdu Ghazals

This unique compilation brings us the best of three centuries of Urdu ghazals along with their English translations. Even the wind changed its course and the destination became easy to reach and a hundred candles were lit up as we held our hand each to each Mujhe sahal ho gayi manzilien woh hawa ke rukh bhi badal gayeTera haath haath mein aa gaya ki chirag raah mein jal gaye 'Majrooh' SultanpuriI From Mir to Ghalib to Kaifi Azmi and Kuldip Salil, this unique compilation brings us the best of three centuries of poets and their ghazals along with their English translations. This unparalleled collection also brings us the ghazals in Devanagari and Roman scripts in order to get us closer to the ghazals and their rhythmic nuances. Originating in the 6th century, the form and subject of ghazals is deeply intriguing, whether in the form of divine love or in the form of earthly love. The love, longing and pain of a ghazal have never failed to stir our souls. This priceless selection of Urdu ghazals was compiled and translated into Hindi by the Late Prakash Pandit. Kuldip Salil selected 54 poets from the immense treasure of Urdu poetry and translated their gems into English.

The History Of Cinema : A Very Short Introduction

Cinema was the first, and is arguably still the greatest, of the industrialized art forms that came to dominate the cultural life of the twentieth century. Today, it continues to adapt and grow as new technologies and viewing platforms become available, and remains an integral cultural and aesthetic entertainment experience for people the world over. Cinema developed against the backdrop of the two world wars, and over the years has seen smaller wars, revolutions, and profound social changes. Its history reflects this changing landscape, and, more than any other art form, developments in technology. In this Very Short Introduction, Nowell-Smith looks at the defining moments of the industry, from silent to sound, black and white to colour, and considers its genres from intellectual art house to mass market entertainment.

Absolutely On Music

Haruki Murakami's passion for music runs deep. Before turning his hand to writing, he ran a jazz club in Tokyo, and the aesthetic and emotional power of music permeates every one of his much-loved books. Now, in Absolutely on Music, Murakami fulfills a personal dream, sitting down with his friend, acclaimed conductor Seiji Ozawa, to talk about their shared interest. They discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from record collecting to pop-up orchestras, and much more.

Celestine Prophecy

You have never read a book like this before... The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. Drawing on the ancient wisdom found in a Peruvian manuscript, it tells you how to make connections between the events happening in your own life right now...and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come.The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystalize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life...and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow. A book that comes along just once in a lifetime to change lives forever.

On the Wings of Music : A Book of Journeys

There was once a young boy who loved nothing more than making music. He dreamt of sharing his music with the world. One day, his dream came true. From a childhood spent strumming away at a guitar in Delhi to one of the most successful music composers in Mumbai: this is the story of Shantanu Moitra. His ebullience and sheer sense of adventure light up this memoir. Finding himself all alone at Jaisalmer station at three in the morning as a schoolboy; days as a client servicing drone in an advertising agency; collaborations with the biggest names in Hindi cinema; the making of Parineeta, his greatest hit; an all-consuming love of astronomy; near-death escapades in the Himalayas; his surreal moment with Diego Maradona at Milan airport - these stories provide a fascinating glimpse of the man behind the music. On the Wings of Music is a collection of reminiscences, anecdotes and self-revelations, embellished by photographs from Moitra's personal albums. These are delightful vignettes that chart the growth of a timid, self-effacing boy into a music composer of international repute. Charming and compelling.

Suchitra Sen : The Legend And The Enigma

Arguably the greatest star of Bengali cinema, Suchitra Sen mesmerized audiences for years, before withdrawing from the public gaze and refusing to emerge in the limelight in the last decade of her life. In this nuanced biography, Shoma Chatterji unveils the two different dimensions of the Suchitra Sen persona: as a legendary romantic star with an audience pull spanning over two decades, and her slow but steady metamorphosis into a powerful performing artist through films like Deep Jele Jai, Hospital, Mamta and Aandhi who could seamlessly and effortlessly essay completely different characters without the on-screen partnership of Uttam Kumar. Award-winning author and film critic Shoma Chatterji presents a fascinating portrait of an icon of Indian cinema, addressing two significant elements that have not been touched by other writers: Suchitra Sen as a working woman in films and her wilful social seclusion.

Gaata Rahe Mera Dil : 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs

Look behind the scenes of fifty celebrated songs, from an estimated repository of over one lakh! 'De de khuda ke naam pe': when Wazir Mohammed Khan sang these words in India's first talkie, Alam Ara, he gave birth to a whole new industry of composers, lyricists and singers, as well as an entirely new genre of film-making that is quintessentially Indian: the song-and-dance film. In the eight decades and more since then, Hindi film songs have enraptured listeners all over the world. From 'Babul mora, naihar chhooto jaye' (Street Singer, 1938) to 'Dil hai chhota sa' (Roja, 1992); from the classical strains of 'Ketaki gulab' (Basant Bahar, 1956) featuring Bhimsen Joshi to the disco beats of Nazia Hassan's 'Aap jaisa koi' (Qurbani, 1981); from the pathos of 'Waqt ne kiya' (Kaagaz Ke Phool, 1959) to the exuberance of the back-to-back numbers in Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977), here is an extraordinary compilation, peppered with trivia, anecdotes and, of course, the sheer joy of music. Find out answers to questions like: With which unreleased film did Kishore Kumar turn composer? In which song picturization was dry ice first used? Which all-time classic musical was initially titled Full Boots? Where was the title song of An Evening in Paris shot? The idea for which song originated when the film-maker visited Tiffany's in London? Which major musical partnership resulted from the celebrations around an award function for a commercial jingle for Leo Coffee? How many of your favourites find mention here? Make your own list!

Deep Focus : Reflections On Cinema

Satyajit Ray is acknowledged to be one of theworld's finest film-makers. This book brings together some of his most cerebral writings on film. With the economy and precision that marked his films, Ray writes on the art and craft of cinema, pensan ode to silent cinema, discusses the problems inadapting literary works to film, pays tribute to contemporaries like Godard and Uttam Kumar and even gives us a peek into his experiences at film festivals, both as a jury member and as a contestant. Including fascinating photographs by and of the master, Deep Focus not only reveals Ray's engagement with cinema but also provides an invaluable insight into the mind of a genius.

One Palace, A Thousand Doorways : Songlines Through Bhakti, Sufi And Baul Oral Traditions

‘Like Kabir’s “brilliant palace” (meaning the human body), this collection of poetry and reflection glows with vibrant colours… This book is a doorway to the living traditions of South Asia’s great mystical poetry. Step in to find joy, sorrow, wisdom, humour, love, challenge, and perhaps inspiration to enter the singing fields yourself!’—Linda Hess, author of Bodies of Song and The Bijak of Kabir A unique textual compilation for the modern seeker, this exceptional book brings together some of the greatest songs by Bhakti, Sufi and Baul mystic poets of northern India for the first time. Kabir, Nanak Das, Gorakhnath, Mira Bai, Khwaja Ghulam Farid, Bulleshah, Lalon Fakir, and Parvathy Baul, among others, illuminate the human condition with an enduring wisdom that resonates today as it did in centuries past. Variously acerbic or sensual, irreverent or devotional—and always incandescent and intimate—these songs explode beyond narrow religiosity and open doorways to the palace of true experience: ecstatic unity of the self with the universe. This carefully curated selection of 140 timeless songs in lucid translation and transliteration, accompanied with insightful commentary, is the result of Rikhi and Virmani’s extensive research and travel across the subcontinent over two decades. Drawing upon the shared and many-splendoured spiritual heritage of the Indic civilization, One Palace, a Thousand Doorways lights up a path to profound fulfilment and bliss amidst the frenetic demands of modern life.

Chronicles Volume 1

The celebrated first memoir from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan.

“I’d come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else.”

So writes Bob Dylan in Chronicles: Volume One, his remarkable book exploring critical junctures in his life and career. Through Dylan’s eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s New York is a magical city of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota, and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times.

By turns revealing, poetical, passionate, and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan’s thoughts and influences. Dylan’s voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful, and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art

Historical Film : A Critical Introduction

Although precise definitions have not been agreed on, historical cinema tends to cut across existing genre categories and establishes an intimidatingly large group of films. In recent years, a lively body of work has developed around historical cinema, much of it proposing valuable new ways to consider the relationship between cinematic and historical representation. However, only a small proportion of this writing has paid attention to the issue of genre. In order to counter this omission, this book combines a critical analysis of the Hollywood historical film with an examination of its generic dimensions and a history of its development since the silent period. Historical Film: A Critical Introduction is concerned not simply with the formal properties of the films at hand, but also the ways in which they have been promoted, interpreted and discussed in relation to their engagement with the past.