Among the writers I admire, the ones I look up to most are those who approach their work with passion, deliver with dedication and provide almost always a polished product that after a few readings is immediately stored in my archive because it deserves to be kept forever. Unfortunately today there are few such writers. Gone are the days where writing was an art and skill used to express, conjure images and assay a project in meticulous detail. Fortunately there are people like Mushtaq Shiekh. The young, beaming and perpetually lost-in-thought self-professed film buff and writer extraordinaire is at a place I hope all writers will visit someday because his achievements are engraved in history like a name in stone.

After venturing on from film journalism, he wrote what was Indian cinema’s first ‘Making of’ book for the epic and internationally acclaimed film Asoka. I later discovered the young man who had me enthralled in conversation at a trial showing of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham had also written the script for Padam Kumar’s forthcoming film Supari which both Uday Chopra and Rahul Dev can’t stop raving about, especially the story and screenplay. The scribe whose work is unpredictable at best, because like a panther he strikes when he feels like it, not succumbing to the demand of his readers or anyone else, is back and once more his name is associated with one of the most talked about films of the year: Devdas.

Mushtaq is the author of ‘Devdas – The Indian Hamlet’. An attempt to discuss the origins of the character or Devdas through looking at the modern day blockbuster as well as the earlier classical versions, Mushtaq has once more immersed himself in his pet project that will see the light of day by the time of this article going to press. Devdas – The Indian Hamlet is an odyssey of Sarat Chandra’s classic masterpiece Devdas through the spectrum of Indian psyche. It is an introspective look at how the character of Devdas took its roots in the Indian mind and transcended the traditional boundaries between print and cinema. The book is based on exhaustive research and detailed discussions with the actors and technicians and film observers from all over India.

“The first day I sat to word this book was one year ago. I was already writing The Making of Asoka then and I was in my closing-the-book phase when I visited the sets of Devdas and I was struck by the grandeur of the film. The larger than life canvas of how this movie was going to be shot caught my fancy and I decided write on Devdas. When I started on the book what I had was the making of Devdas ditto like the one I had done with Asoka. But then suddenly when I was waiting for the muse to visit me during my intimate moments with my laptop (laughs) came the idea of Devdas the Indian Hamlet. I little research into the character called Devdas gave me a completely new dimension to approach the book. That's when I started looking at this phenomenon called Devdas with complete awe. I decided to chart his journey from the first time he hit celluloid to Sanjay Leela’s interpretation of the romantic loser.

‘Devdas Reborn’, ‘Jinxed Pheonix’ and ‘Shining Through’ captures the toil and turmoil, as well as the efforts of Bharat Shah, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the cast and crew who went through intense trauma and pains to realise the dream called Devdas for this generation of Indians. It is a welcome discussion that follows up and dispels much of the reported rumours surrounding the making, offering an honest and accurate portrayal of the problems faced and how they were overcome. If one was to look back at news reports regarding the making of the film since it began one would have a distorted view and misrepresented depiction of actual occurrences. This exclusive making of section deals with what actually happened and is the definitive dossier on the story behind the camera and on the sets.

‘A State of Being’ and ‘The Indian Hamlet’ are a critical psycho-analyses of Devdas and his story using literature and critical opinion as a measure. Through delving deep into the psyche of the character and his appeal, it suggests explanations for the behaviour and success of the character that has silently edged its way into Indian history, tradition and hearts, mirroring the passionate side of Indians and the eternal quest for love longed-for.
“Devdas – The Indian Hamlet is no ordinary coffee table book; though coming from me its sounds rather immodest! But what it attempts at being is a one-stop shop for everything you ever wanted to know about Devdas the man who made the nation hit the bottle time and time again. The scope of this book is much wider than just the making of the film, though it deals in great details about the making of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. It is kind of the making of Devdas – the character, rather than just the film.”

Devdas – The Indian Hamlet has a foreword by Shah Rukh Khan and an epilogue by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and includes M F Hussain’s exclusive prints depicting his interpretation of Sarat Chandra’s Devdas.

Many have been writing in already querying the book release and whether it will be available in the UK, and the answers lie in the success of the book and widespread demand, although his first book was so difficult to get hold of in this country, yet it still found its way into most fans households.

Fuad Omar