HT Picks; New Reads

An illustrated survey of Kashmir’s main mosques and dargahs, a book that dissects Bengalis and their quirks when it comes to cooking and consumption, and a memoir that looks at RajKapoor’s film making techniques as well as his humour, insights into life, and relationship with his crew

A meticulous survey

A survey of Kashmir’s mosques and dargahs, a book that dissects Bengalis and their quirks when it comes to cooking and relishing food, and a memoir that looks at Raj Kapoor’s film making techniques as well as his humour, insights into life, and relationship with his crew. (Courtesy HT Team)

219pp, ₹1995; Roli Books

This book combines texts and essays with historical images, photographs and architectural drawings of the architectural decoration of Kashmir’s mosques and shrines. Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor at the Department of Architecture at MIT, points out that the region’s architecture is “visibly enamoured with centralized spaces with attenuated wooden spires, intricate wood carving, boundless geometry, and vivid colours”. He adds that the little-known Islamic architecture of Kashmir “creatively subsumes all the imperial traditions it encountered over time – Hellenic, Buddhist, Hindu, Farsi, Mughals and even modern – under the mantle of its tolerant Sufi self.” All of this comes alive in this “meticulously illustrated survey of its main mosques, khanqahs, and dargahs spanning the golden age of the 14th to the 19th century.”*

A fish for every occasion and other quirks

157pp, ₹299; HarperCollins

Did you know that there’s a fish for every occasion of Bengali life? And that eating it with roti or chapatti is a strict no-no in a Bengali household? Or that the Kolkata biriyani (with that perfectly boiled egg and potato) dates all the way back to the early days of the British Raj? Have you ever wondered who really invented the mighty roshogolla?

With doodles and bite-sized trivia, this book dissects this food-loving people and their quirks when it comes to cooking and consumption. From the Sunday mutton ritual to the correct way of eating a fish (always peti first ), The Non-Serious Guide also delves into the historical and geographical background of popular Bengali cuisine.*

The unknown aspects of a legendary filmmaker

245pp, ₹699; Bloomsbury

In this warm, thoughtful memoir, veteran filmmaker Rahul Rawail goes back to his days spent in RK Studios where he was nurtured and taught to handle the ropes of filmmaking from the Master himself – Raj Kapoor. Through stories only he can tell, Rawail delves not only into the techniques of the legendary filmmaker, but also into hitherto unknown aspects of Raj Kapoor’s eccentric personality - his quirky sense of humour, his insights into life, the relationship he shared with his crew and his associations with artists of three generations.

The book also examines how the lessons he learnt under the tutelage of Raj Kapoor carried Rahul Rawail through directing his own blockbuster films, including Love story, Betaab, Arjun and Dacait.

Raj Kapoor; The Master at Work offers unique insights into what it took for Raj Kapoor to be an exceptional filmmaker, with his understanding of human emotions, the virtues of music, and the art of visual storytelling. Within these pages, one sees behind the enigma who lived and breathed cinema in his role as a teacher, mentor, parent and guru.*

*All copy from book flap.