Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

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Two auto drivers wearing masks and sharing sanitiser in Goregaon East show us the road to safety, Pic/Anurag Ahire

Found in translation

Kazhimugam, literary chronicler Perumal Murugan's 2018 novel in Tamil, has found a wider readership. Estuary, the novel's English translation (Westland Publications) recently hit the shelves.

This diarist got in touch with translator Nandini Krishnan who shared her delight at translating this Tamil treasure, saying, "Perumal Murugan's work is hard to translate partly because of his formidable vocabulary, but also because of his wry sense of humour. When we first discussed the translation, he was concerned that his ironic tone might be lost in translation.

A writer and stand-up comic, I've always been drawn to observational comedy, which helped." She added that the book will challenge readers due to its complexity. "Someone who is used to the fierceness of his earlier work will be struck by the nuance and depth of Estuary," she said.

An indie idea

The independent music industry is in the doldrums due to the pandemic, but a new competition called The Indies 2020 brings some cause for cheer. It's being organised independently by music journalists, and is open specifically to artistes who have released new albums or EPs in 2019.

The 16 different categories include usual ones like Best Artist/Band of the Year and Best Album of the Year, apart from Bassist of the Year and Best Album Art of the Year. Applications are open till August 10, and the results will be announced some months down the line. Interested in sending in your entries? Plug in to theindies.in.

Millennial take on a maharaja

Author Khushwant Singh

High on emotion and drama, and chronicling the political history of Punjab, Chandigarh-based Khushwant Singh's fiction title, Maharaja in Denims (Amaryllis), is ready to be adapted into a film, a little birdie told this diarist. The book narrates Maharaja Ranjit Singh's exploits through the eyes of a teen who believes that he is the reincarnation of a warrior king.

Guneet Monga

Guneet Monga, who confirmed the news, told us that her film studio, Sikhya Entertainment, and Amaryllis announced the optioning of film rights of the book on July 22. She added, "We are thrilled to venture into a new territory of the book on July 22. The way its story bridges the gap between vintage and contemporary Punjab is fascinating. It will be exciting to see Maharaja Ranjit Singh through the perspective of a millennial," said Monga, who has also produced Masaan and Gangs Of Wasseypur.

Now screening

If your creative fix is beautifully shot independent films, hop aboard India's first interactive digital short film festival. Running up to August 2, the Moviepedia Digital Film Festival has handpicked top 10 short films from 1,577 minutes of films submitted by over 500 filmmakers.

"In the pandemic, we wanted to bridge the gap between independent filmmakers and the audience," Durbar Dasgupta, co-founder of Moviepedia, told this diarist. Log on to moviepediafilms.com to watch these films for free.

Grab a book on the go

So you've run out of options on your reading list and from book clubs. Now might be a good idea to check out the popular Instagram page @booksonthedelhimetro, where there is some good news. Founder Shruti Sharma shared that they will post pictures of books online and anyone interested in reading the book can comment. "We will send the book to that person's exact address, no matter what Indian city. This is on a first-comment-first-serve basis only," she emphasised.

"They can read the book as long as they would like to, and then pass it on. Since postal charges are skyrocketing in the pandemic, the recipients will have to bear a minimal cost of '100 for the courier. We will sanitise the books before sending them," she assured.

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