Growing up in a family of writers and artists, creativity is perhaps only second in nature for Krishna Shastri Devullapalli. A cartoonist, author and graphic designer, he says it’s hard to escape the family craft. “Coming from a background like that, turning to writing was inevitable,” Krishna exclaimed at the launch of his second book -- Jump Cut -- which took place at Lamakaan recently.
Set against the background of the film world in Chennai, Krishna’s plot makes a hero out of a young Ray Raman who returns to India from the US to visit his ailing father. Upon learning that his father’s work, a writer himself, has been hijacked by a powerful filmmaker with no due credit being awarded, Ray decides to take matters into his own hands. “Most of the time the actual creator of the work doesn’t get acknowledged or they are not given due credit for it. There is a misuse of intellectual property. This book, though essentially comic, deals with these serious issues.”
The 49 year-old released his book among friends and family at the cultural space. Doing things slightly different, he took the book to his audience through his discussion with filmmaker Indraganti Mohan Krishna and novelist Harimohan Paruvu. Touching upon the pertinent points of his work, Krishna gave his readers an audio blurb of sorts, reeling them closer into the plot. As the discussion progressed, the author answered questions put forth by the two which had the audience chuckling with his tongue-in-cheek replies.
The issue of copyright and the fine line between inspiration, adaptation and plagiarism is the highlight of Jump Cut. But there’s more to it. “There are two main themes in the book: the father-son relationship and copyright violation. I have also dealt with death in this book but I have tried to examine the subject in a lighter manner,” shared the author who’s work experience as a cartoonist and writer gave him the insight he needed about intellectual property rights.
So why title the book Jump Cut? With a non-linear narrative that shuttles back and forth, Krishna explained that the title alludes to a similar technique in television production.
For those who are fluent with their Tamil, the book makes for an even more interesting read as the text is littered with Tamil phrases. Given that the story set in Chennai, it was hard for him to stay away from the regional influence. “Readers needn’t worry about not understanding the phrases though; the meaning comes through from the context. It lends authenticity to the characters,” he explained, adding that in contemporary literature, such region specific lingo being included into the text has become common practice, and yet it does not really hamper the reader’s experience of the book in anyway. And even as his new release is just warming up on book shelves, Krishna Shastri is already working on his novel. Titled Rally Days and Disco Nights, this will be a sequel to his debut book, Ice, Boys and Bellbottoms. Jump Cut is published by Harper Collins and is priced at ` 299.
