BENGALURU: As the vice president of Pritish Nandy Communications, Ram Kamal Mukherjee has worked on 12 feature films till date. His book on Hema Malini, Beyond the Dream Girl, won him many accolades. His latest book, Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives, takes a deep dive into all the circumstances that made the Bollywood actor who he is today. Excerpts from an interview:
What was your trigger for writing the book Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives?
After writing a book on Hema Malini- Beyond the Dreamgirl, I was working on a fiction based project on Bollywood. That’s when I came across various interesting facts about Sanjay Dutt and I had bounced this idea to my publisher and they also liked the concept. I feel that Sanjay Dutt is an engima, he lived his life on his own terms and conditions. His life is like a rollercoaster ride, and for readers it will be an interesting journey as well.
Have your books been inspired by books in regional languages?
As far as biographies are concerned, I am not inspired by any. But for fiction I think I am inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, Munshi Premchand, Sarat Chandra, Sunil Ganguly, Tasleema Nasreen and O Henry. These are the classics that stay for all seasons.
Do you go back to your old writings? How does it feel to re-read what you had written?
Atrocious! Jokes apart, whenever you visit your old work you feel that you would have written it differently now. As you mature with time you tend to groom and that grooming reflects in your work. But you are always attached to your old books. For me Diva Unveiled, my first coffee table book on Hema Malini, which was published in 2005, remains the turning point of my career.
Have you always seen yourself as a writer? What has been your inspiration as a writer?
I like to play the role of a sutradhar - narrator in all my work. I do place myself at situations and try to understand the pangs of my subjects but then that’s always the second perspective. I like the way Jhumpa Lahiri tells her stories, or even Paulo Cohelo.They intrigue me, hook me to the pages, like any web series or whodunit cinema.
What is the process you undergo while writing?
I do face writer’s block and that’s the worst thing that can happen when your publisher is breathing down your neck, and you have crossed the deadline! Things can really get worse. Trust me all authors don’t have it as smooth as Chetan Bhagat. But I have my wife Sarbani Mukherjee and my colleague Chandrima Pal who helps me. They are my bouncing board and I thank god for having them around.
With the digitisation of books, have you moved to reading books on screen or do you prefer the old-fashioned books?
I like Kindle, but I would always prefer the touch and feel of a book. I had once written in Hindi, Woh kagaaz ki khushboo, mere yaadon mein mehekti hai, shabd toh main le ayaa hoon apne saath, par woh khushboo pankhtiyonki chhod aaya waqt ke saath!
How difficult or easy is it to get published? Have you had to modify or change the content of any of your books for it to get published?
I struggled to publish my first fiction. Thankfully Leadstart Publishing came on board for Long Island Iced Tea. After Diva Unveiled (published by Magna Books) I got busy with my career in journalism and then joined Pritish Nandy Communication as Vice President and worked for over 12 films. I had written these short stories and kept them aside thinking that it would never see the light of the day. But it was my wife Sarbani who actually unearthed the stories from my store room and handed it over to a publisher. That’s when I realized I can probably tell more stories.
Who’s your first reader? And who are your biggest critics?
Earlier I used to make my father (Late Jaydeb Mukherjee) read all my work. He was my biggest critic. Now it’s my wife as she helps me in balancing my acts. She is my pillar of strength.
Do you think marketing has played an integral role in the success of your books?
Yes, it does. But in all my books I have single handedly created the entire marketing plan. With my experience in Bollywood I have a fair idea on what works and what doesn’t. It’s a strenuous job to take up the responsibility to promote a book in today’s world. Even journalists and newspapers have stopped reviewing books, and rarely print excerpts from the books. Mostly the bloggers are the ones who write and promote the book. Ground events are expensive and publishers are constantly bleeding so mostly they prefer to avoid events unless it’s sponsored. I try to reach out to maximum people with my personal equation.