‘Today, I wouldn’t refer to Meena Kumari as my heroine’
Q] What were your thoughts behind republishing Meena Kumari, The Classic Biography more than 40 years after it first came out in 1972?
Well, Harper Collins were keen. And I wanted to see how something I had written nearly 40 years ago would be received. I wrote this book when I was a copywriter in an advertising agency. Since I was a terrible copywriter, I was deeply frustrated professionally. The Meena Kumari book gave me some relief.
Q] You have wondered in your introduction to the new edition what “the new generation of under-thirty cinema-goers knows about her”. Do you think the book will appeal to young readers who would perhaps not relate to some of the connotations of Bollywood in that era?
I hope so. I have not written a conventional biography of a film star who I had never met. Also, my familiarity with the film industry was nominal. I was the classic “outsider”. So, I was looking at Meena Kumari in the context of her time and in the context of India in 1972. I hope it is seen as more than a biography of a great actress. She had literary dimensions. And she saw herself as Marilyn Monroe.
Q] While your account of Meena Kumari is extremely detailed and interesting to read, looking back, do you think you would have written it differently today?
No, I don’t think so. It was one of the “follies” of my youth. Perhaps the only change I would make is not refer to her as “my heroine”.
‘Outlook Group is under financial pressure, but we are recovering’
Q] The sacking of employees due to Outlook Group’s recent decision to discontinue India editions of People, Marie Claire and Geo invited litigation and later a settlement was reached. How fair is sacking of journalists in this manner?
Well, finally we came to a fair settlement. As you know, news magazines are under tremendous pressure. It was a question of survival. It’s never pleasant to sack journalists. I can tell you that from the personal experience of a sacked editor.
Q] What really sparked the decision at that precise time? Is the Outlook Group under severe financial pressure? Is it looking for a buyer?
Things were going from bad to worse. Advertising was down, costs were going up. Yes, Outlook Group is under financial pressure. I wouldn’t call it “severe”. But we are recovering.
Q] As editorial chairman, what is your outlook for the Outlook Group?
As editorial chairman, I have an advisory role, not an operational role. I’m enjoying it. I now find time to spend with [my dog] Editor.
‘I still write the first draft by hand and key it in’
Q] You have recently taken to writing on your laptop. Tell us about the transition.
It’s changed my life. I wish I had done it earlier. I still write the first draft by hand and key it in.
Q] Who is your favourite actress among the current crop?
That’s a tough one. I find them all so frivolous and Anglicized. I liked the dimples of Preity Zinta – but she is lost to cricket.
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