Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Presenting the book cover (and a scuffle over titles)

Okay, time to reveal the book cover.

The front…




…and the back:


Some notes:

Yes, I know the front-cover is bright and bold – and, as Godard said in another context, “It’s RED”. A part of me would have preferred something more subdued, but I accepted Penguin’s assertion that we need something populist and “massy”, which would help sell the book. I am hoping though that we can do the final cover in matte rather than in glossy.

Besides, there’s an advantage to having that nice black-and-white photo from the Satyakam shoot on the back: if the front-cover dazzles the eyes too much, one can always place the book upside down and ogle Dharmendra.

The book’s title also had to be no-frills and to the point. Earlier my editor Udayan and I had an abstract-sounding title (no mention of film or cinema or the director's name) followed by the subhead “The Cinema of Hrishikesh Mukherjee”. But after thinking it over, Udayan realised this wasn’t a good plan. Apparently subheads – even if they appear prominently on a book’s cover – get very easily lost at the trade/distribution level (where the book is likely to be referred to or catalogued only by its main title). So we had to keep the title straightforward and descriptive. Arguably even the decision to shift from “The Cinema of Hrishikesh Mukherjee” to “The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee” was a brave one (and meant that we then had to ensure a subhead with the word “film” in it).

It took me a while to learn just how basic everything had to be. For example, I knew I was transgressing when Udayan, an unfailingly genial person who loves and is loved by large cuddly dogs (and sometimes resembles one himself), began growling at me during an SMS exchange.

Jai: Any chance we could make the title The House of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and subhead it “Inside a Filmmaker’s World”? Or stick with the current title and make the subhead “A House Made of Film” or “A House Made of Celluloid”?

Udayan: These are too long and complicated for our purpose You’re veering towards academic-sounding subtitles: we need to stay trade please. The subtitle needs to tantalize prospective buyers, “a house made of film” doesn’t do that.

J: “Scenes from the Middle Cinema”? Or even “Scenes from a Middle Cinema”.

U: Jai, I’m sorry but that sounds like a Seagull subtitle! How is “scenes from a middle cinema” something that says “must-buy”? You keep toning it down, while I’m trying to hardsell the book.

J: Did you at any point notice how toned down the book itself is? Misleading readers about the content – making them think it’s full of trivia and tidbits about popular films like Gol Maal, Chupke Chupke etc – might lead to a spate of negative reviews on Flipkart, Amazon etc, saying the book is too serious and dull. How will that help future sales?
But okay, I get the point – just didn’t think the subhead would be SO crucial for buying decisions.

And so it went. It got so that when poor SMS-beleaguered Udayan finally suggested “The Filmmaker Everyone Loves”, I replied that it was brilliant, only could we please please please make it “Loveth”?

(Feedback about the cover welcome. Please write in.)


P.S. Aparajita Ninan did the cover design (the illustrations are by Amitai Sandy) and there was something very pleasing about this - back in 2001, Aparajita's dad, the wonderful cartoonist Ajit Ninan, took all of five minutes to do a caricature of me when I visited him in the India Today office. Here it is (it depicts me using Today newspaper - the India Today afternoon tabloid I was working for at the time - as a springboard for my journalistic career.)


19 comments:

  1. I don't like it. Too flippant. That would have been ideal for a book that was composed only of trivia about Hrishida, but this one - I am assuming - is a result of greater depth, and hence, a more "serious" cover would be apposite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, but everything you say here has been addressed in the post. This was never about trying to find a cover that would best represent the book (in any case, maybe this should have been an OUP publication the way it has turned out!) - it is about trying to attract eyeballs and tempt buyers who don't know anything about my writing but know about films like Gol Maal and Chupke Chupke.

      Delete
    2. (Whether that was the right strategy - and whether colourful covers really do make such a difference to purchase decisions - is another matter, of course; I don't think any publishers' marketing team can claim that they have all the answers. Just saying, that was the thinking behind this sort of cover.)

      Delete
  2. I think the cover will do the job it is intended to do. And, it looks quite nice and relevant. When is the book out, Jai?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the cover - it somehow brings out all the cheeriness and quirkiness one expects of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's cinema. Utpal Dutt is looking a trifle too cock-eyed, but I think that doesn't really matter. Congratulations on the book, Jai. When's it out?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Madhulika, Pessimist Fool: thanks a lot, need these votes of confidence. I will soon be sharing the artworks that I independently commissioned for promotional purposes. Those are more elegant, but also more "niche"/"elitist". (Oh damn, all these labels...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (The book should be available for pre-order by August-end.)

      Delete
  5. Congrats! Must feel lovely to hold it, look at it. And the cover works well...the stars revolving around their centre. good job

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks! I haven't held or looked at the book yet - that is still at least a month away. But yes, glad (relieved really) that the finish line is in sight after a long and tough process...

      Delete
  6. The cover is playful and attractive. From what I have been reading on your blog, the content is probably serious and thoughtful, but delivered in a palatable way without being heavy-handed, pedantic, or soporific. Just like Hrishida's films :-) So I would say, the cover is perfect! Congratulations on the book; I am looking forward to reading it.

    Veena

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Veena, Though I think parts of the book may be a little heavy-handed. (My editor and I agree that OUP would have willingly published some of it!) Hoping it is palatable overall.

      P.S. even Hrishida did venture into pedantic terrain occasionally - see, for instance, Sabse Bada Sukh, Naukri, Jhooth Bole Kauva Kaate, and the endings of Kisi se na Kehna and Jhoothi.

      Delete
  7. I dont know if anyone commented on this ... but i dont like the text "watched passively" on backcover.
    It is going to convey a broad generalization about HrisikeshMukhejee's direction style (I am a fan hence the fullname), while it would have been a one-of thing. We know a picture cannot convey everything about a person. But the words can make it permanent stereotype about him i nthe future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I take your point, but it wasn't meant to make any generalisations about HM's style - more like an amused observation about David (who plays a very specific role in these films) seeming like an extension of the director.

      P.S. didn't get the "full name" bit. Do only fans use a director's full name?

      Delete
    2. In Guddi, Dharmendra says to a school girl, "Umr mein badi hai, unhe Waheedaji kahiyen..." when she asks "Waheeda kahan hai?"
      People within or out industry call SalmanBhai, YusufSaab, Amitji, Chichi, Bebo, etc.
      Movie credits are more formal names.
      So there are various rules to how a film personality is called or refered to, by which name.
      I am one of audience. I typed the name as I say - not a short one, not a nickname, not with any suffix or prefix.
      That's all I was trying to say in brackets.

      Delete
    3. Fair enough - I'm just saying there aren't any fixed rules for these things, based on who is saying what. I know many fans of HM's work, who count among the regular audience and never knew him personally, but who instinctively refer to him as "Hrishi-da" (which, by the way, is as much a term of respect as "Waheeda-ji" is, though a little less formal).

      Delete
  8. Jai, just finished indexing your book. Can vouch for the content being interesting ... made me take detours while indexing and sneaking a few truant hours almost every day watching one or the other of the films you're talking about so earnestly (nearly threw my deadline in disarray). Covers ... well, been there, ever so long ago. When I translated Devdas for Penguin, I almost didn't own up to it, so ghastly was the cover with Madhuri, Shah Rukh and Aishwarya's faces in little gaudy coins against a black background :-)). The book sold, whether because of or in spite of ... so, the efficacy of a cover is a moot point, I feel. Just lie back and enjoy it :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sreejata! Didn't know you were doing the indexing - just confirmed it with Udayan. Very flattered; as you might know, I have enjoyed your Byomkesh Bakshi translations (and a couple of others) very much...

      Delete
  9. Congratulations on the new book! Can't wait to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cool cover. All the best with your book :) If you like, you could send me an eBook for review ;)

    Destination Infinity

    ReplyDelete