الإنجليزية 1428

Star-crossed is a novel about the world of Tamil cinema minus the glamour. It takes a look at the lives of filmmakers, technicians, producers and actors. The spotlight is on the fringes of the entertainment world, Ashokamitran exposes the daily trials and tribulations of a cast of character none too familiar to those who equate the world of celluloid with the proverbial dream factory. Story revolves around the several minor cogs in the wheels that make film production in the studios. The whole situation is a tragicomedy of people with dreams in their eyes and hearts, and their manipulation by the forces of commerce and greed. The novel starts with Natarajan, a production manager in a Kodambakkam studio, organizing a team of people for a stint of outdoor shooting in the early hours of a typical Madras morning. Reddiar and Rama Iyengar, film producers both, Sampat, an errand boy; Rajgopal, a wannabe manager of sorts; Chitti, an editor's assistant; Manickaraj, a supplier of stock shots to film-makers and Somanathan, an aspiring screenplay writer are among several bit players. The story abounds in action and we see people running about doing their jobs, but, as the novel proceeds, we realize all the sound and fury signify nothing in the lives of so many that depend on the film industry for their livelihood. To quote one of the characters in the novel, "There are no permanent or temporary jobs in cinema. Every job is permanent. And temporary!" The hype, the uncertainties and the personality cult that surround Indian cinema are brought to life in this realistic tale laced with humor and compassion. The original Tamil title, Karainda Nizhalgal, conveys the tragedy and uncertainty inherent in the lives of these providers of mass entertainment, whose fortunes rise and fall or sink altogether with the making of a film. The novel provides poignant expression to Ashokamitran's empathy for his flesh and blood characters, based no doubt on his own experience in the film world.