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.

Romancing With Life

In "Romancing with Life", the first-ever full-fledged memoir by a leading Bollywood star, Dev Anand tells his remarkable life story like only he can. Here are tales from Dev's youth in 1930s Gurdaspur and Lahore; his years of struggle in 1940s Bombay; his friendship with Guru Dutt and his doomed romance with Suraiya; his marriage to co-star Kalpana Kartik; his relationships with his brothers Chetan and Vijay Anand, with S.D. and R.D. Burman, with his compatriots Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor; to both of whom he was very close, and with his heroines from Geeta Bali, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Vyjayanthimala, Mumtaz and Hema Malini to Waheeda Rehman, Zeenat Aman and Tina Munim, all of whom he launched. Dev Anand has produced an unputdownable book chock-full of bittersweet reminiscences, written in a pacy, effervescent style that carries the reader through sixty of Bollywood's most interesting years. With rare pictures from his personal archive, "Romancing with Life" is the quintessential Dev Anand.

Written By Salim Javed : The Story Of Hindi Cinemas Greatest Screenwriters

The dramatic, entertaining story of the dream team that pioneered the Bollywood blockbuster Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar reinvented the Bollywood formula with an extraordinary lineup of superhits, becoming game changers at a time when screenwriting was dismissed as a back-room job. From Zanjeer to Deewaar and Sholay to Shakti, their creative output changed the destinies of several actors and filmmakers and even made a cultural phenomenon of the Angry Young Man. Even after they decided to part ways, success continued to court them-a testament not only to their impeccable talent and professional ethos, but also their enterprising showmanship and business acumen. Fizzing with energy and brimming over with enough trivia to delight a cinephile's heart, Written by Salim-Javed tells the story of a dynamic partnership that transformed Hindi cinema forever.

Me And Ma

"???Divya writes of difficult times with candour and heart-rending simplicity??? Shabana Azmi Capturing the beauty of a mother???daughter relationship, Divya Dutta in this moving memoir celebrates her mother???s struggles to turn her into the woman she is today. Divya walks us through the most intimate memories of her life, those that strengthened her relationship with her mother. The incredible bond she forged with her mother helped her through tragedies and difficulties, discouragements and failures and led her to become an award-winning actor of stature, both in the Hindi as well as the Punjabi film industry. Me and Ma is a celebration of Divya???s exemplary achievements. It is also an honest, intimate and heartfelt tribute to the force behind her success???her mother. "

Rajesh Khanna : The Untold Story Of Indias First Superstar

Meticulously researched and written with novelistic flair, this book charts the incredible rise and fall of a movie legend. It is also a story that encapsulates the world of Bollywood at its best, and its worst.

Zayn

The first and only official book from Zayn Malik. A photographic journey of his life since leaving One Direction, Zayn opens up with this collection of thoughts, inspiration, and never-before-seen personal photographs. After five years of massive success with One Direction, Zayn launched his career as a solo artist with Mind of Mine, becoming one of the most successful artists in the world. Now, for the first time ever, Zayn is going to tell and show all in this intimate and raw scrapbook of his life. Never-before-released photos give readers insight to Zayn, no-holds-barred. Gorgeously designed with hundreds of full-colour photographs and Zayn's notes, drawings, song lyrics, and personal stories, the book captures Zayn's most private moments & his candid feelings on fame, success, music, and life. The next chapter of Zayn's evolution into global superstar, told by the artist who is living it.

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.

And Then One Day : A Memoir

"Naseeruddin Shah???s sparkling memoir of his early years, ???from zero to thirty-two???, spans his extraordinary journey from a feudal hamlet near Meerut to Catholic schools in Nainital and Ajmer, and finally to stage and film stardom in Mumbai. Along the way, he recounts his passages through Aligarh University, the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India, where his luck finally began to change. And Then One Day tells a compelling tale, written with rare honesty and consummate elegance, leavened with tongue-in-cheek humour. There are moving portraits of family members, darkly funny accounts of his schooldays, and vivid cameos of directors and actors he has worked with, among them Ebrahim Alkazi, Shyam Benegal, Girish Karnad, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi. The accounts of his struggle to earn a living through acting, his experiments with the craft, his love affairs, his early marriage, his successes and failures are narrated with remarkable frankness and objective self-assessment. Brimming with delightful anecdotes as well as poignant, often painful revelations, this book is a tour de force, destined to become a classic of the genre."

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.

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.

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.

The Music Room

The Music Room

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.

R.D. Burman : The Man, The Music

To a nation fed on classical music, the advent of Rahul Dev Burman with his repertoire of Western beats was a godsend. RD revolutionized Hindi film music in the 1970s, and with his emphasis on rhythm and beats, this Pied Piper of Hindi film music had young India swinging to his tunes. At the same time, this genius proved his many detractors who criticized him for corrupting popular taste wrong by composing some of the most influential raga-based songs in Hindi cinema and showing an immense comfort with all kinds of music, including Indian folk. RD: The Man, The Music looks at the phenomenon called R.D. Burman and how he changed the way Indians perceived Hindi film music. Through anecdotes and trivia that went into the making of Pancham's music - the many innovations he introduced, like mixed rhythm patterns, piquant chords and sound mixing - and through interactions with the musicians who were part of RD's team, the authors create a fascinating portrait of a man who, through his music, continues to thrive, even fifteen years after his death.

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!