Read two very interesting books recently. Just wanted to pass on the information to fellow-book-lovers.
1) The Bhais of Bengaluru by Jyoti Shelar: An excellent and sensational book tracing the history of the Bangalore's underworld. Very well written and captivating. A lot information in a small book. If you are a total newbie to the subject, you may not understand all the linkages, alliances, strange incidents that happened in the underworld of silicon city over the years but I am sure it will keep you glued.
You may have to read other books on the subject to understand subtleties. Books by Agni Sridhar and Ravi Belagare (in Kannada) are excellent.
In 2011, Suvarna News Channel had run, a close to 100 episodes, serial on Bangalore's underworld called 'Underworld Flashback'. That was also very good. It's available on YouTube. Many notorious and still surviving characters from the Bangalore underworld appeared in it.
2) Don't Disturb the Dead : The Story of The Ramsay Brothers by Shamya Dasgutpa : This book is about the Bollywood's FIRST FAMILY as far as horror movie genre is concerned, The Ramsays.
There is a witty and funny saying, also used as a dialog in some movie, about this special Bollywood family. Ramsay!! dar lagta hai in ke naam se. (Ramsay, the name itself is so scary).
The book is about the Ramsay family which moved to Mumbai during the partition from Karachi. Ramsinghani family, originally involved in radio business, started making movies and horror genre became their specialty. They never looked back. Ramsay family is a close-knit family of 10-12 people with the father at the helm and brothers and their wives handling different aspects of movie making. Only outsiders were actors.
Despite being pioneers and trailblazers, Ramsays did not get adequate credit, recognition and appreciation for their innovation and creativity. This book tries to fill that void.
Taking a bow, Ramsays. There may be Kapoors, Chopras etc. who hogged all the Bollywood limelight. You guys are nothing less. Make more horror movies.
PS: For Hindi horror movie aficionados, one of the new generation Ramsay has digitized all their movies and made them available for free on YouTube. Watch and spook yourself to death! :)
Link to my all time favorite and my first ever Ramsey movie is below. The the great 'Purana Mandir' of 1984-85. Believe it or not, it was the movie that grossed second highest amount at box office in that year beating many other movies from bigger production houses and with superior star cast! It was in a class of its own. Crown jewel of Hindi horror movies!
1) The Bhais of Bengaluru by Jyoti Shelar: An excellent and sensational book tracing the history of the Bangalore's underworld. Very well written and captivating. A lot information in a small book. If you are a total newbie to the subject, you may not understand all the linkages, alliances, strange incidents that happened in the underworld of silicon city over the years but I am sure it will keep you glued.
You may have to read other books on the subject to understand subtleties. Books by Agni Sridhar and Ravi Belagare (in Kannada) are excellent.
In 2011, Suvarna News Channel had run, a close to 100 episodes, serial on Bangalore's underworld called 'Underworld Flashback'. That was also very good. It's available on YouTube. Many notorious and still surviving characters from the Bangalore underworld appeared in it.
2) Don't Disturb the Dead : The Story of The Ramsay Brothers by Shamya Dasgutpa : This book is about the Bollywood's FIRST FAMILY as far as horror movie genre is concerned, The Ramsays.
There is a witty and funny saying, also used as a dialog in some movie, about this special Bollywood family. Ramsay!! dar lagta hai in ke naam se. (Ramsay, the name itself is so scary).
The book is about the Ramsay family which moved to Mumbai during the partition from Karachi. Ramsinghani family, originally involved in radio business, started making movies and horror genre became their specialty. They never looked back. Ramsay family is a close-knit family of 10-12 people with the father at the helm and brothers and their wives handling different aspects of movie making. Only outsiders were actors.
Despite being pioneers and trailblazers, Ramsays did not get adequate credit, recognition and appreciation for their innovation and creativity. This book tries to fill that void.
Taking a bow, Ramsays. There may be Kapoors, Chopras etc. who hogged all the Bollywood limelight. You guys are nothing less. Make more horror movies.
PS: For Hindi horror movie aficionados, one of the new generation Ramsay has digitized all their movies and made them available for free on YouTube. Watch and spook yourself to death! :)
Link to my all time favorite and my first ever Ramsey movie is below. The the great 'Purana Mandir' of 1984-85. Believe it or not, it was the movie that grossed second highest amount at box office in that year beating many other movies from bigger production houses and with superior star cast! It was in a class of its own. Crown jewel of Hindi horror movies!
5 comments:
Very interesting!
Looks like a sequel "Shivmogga Psyco II!"
Never heard of Jyothi Shelar. Google told me that he is a journo with 'The Hindu'. The info he has given in the book is first hand or collected from different sources like Police, Kannada journals, journalists?
Horror mOvie, my God! I have never seen one, nor dare to.
@Vikas - you are right. The author is a journalist from Mumbai who was mentored and chartered by veteran crime writer Hussain Zaidi to do a book on B'lore underworld. She has used both the methods you have mentioned. She has met and spent good time with some important figures in B'lore underworld. Also collected information from cops, local journalists etc. Good thing is the author has given credits to all of them and listed all references diligently rather than saying all is her own research.
Good book. A lot of new info regarding the current state of underworld. If you think it does not overtly exist, you will be surprised to realize how subtly it exists!
Thanks Sunaath Sir. Hindi horror movies are breed of their own. More funny and less scary! :)
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