Sunday, March 31, 2024

MY BOOK REVIEW OF PALLABI GHOSHAL'S "AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR"


I congratulate the author on tying the knot with the love of her life while editing this work. "An Unexpected Detour" is her second book, and there is tremendous progress already in her writing.
It's commendable! This book should be turned into a great movie.
The story reminded me of "Darr," featuring Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Sunny Deol in lead roles. I'm amazed as I turn each page of this thriller! Speechless, to say the least! Spoiler: Wait for the unique twist at the end! Ghoshal's writing style is engaging and deeply reflective, drawing readers into her personal experiences with an authentic voice that resonates with sincerity. One of the most compelling aspects of this book is Ghoshal's ability to extract wisdom and meaning from seemingly ordinary events.
Each chapter is imbued with insightful reflections on resilience, adaptability, and the importance of staying true to oneself in the face of adversity. Ghoshal's storytelling is both poignant and relatable, making it easy for readers to connect with her journey on a deeply human level.
Moreover, "An Unexpected Detour" offers practical advice and strategies for navigating life's uncertainties with grace and resilience. Pallabi Ghoshal shares valuable lessons learned from her life experiences, providing readers with actionable insights that they can apply to their own lives. Broader themes such as the nature of change and challenges, the power of perspectives, and the significance of embracing life's twists and turns. These universal themes ensure that the book holds relevance for readers from all walks of life.
In summary, Unexpected Detour is a captivating and thought-provoking read that offers valuable insights into the human experience. Pallabi Ghoshal's genuine storytelling and profound reflections make this book a compelling companion for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance in navigating life's unexpected challenges. Highly recommended.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

LITERARY INFLUENCE: MASTERS OF CINEMA

Literary influence over the greatest of all times:-

Jean-Luc Godard:-

Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time

Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov

Ingmar Bergman (own literary pieces):-

Fanny and Alexander 

The Seventh Seal

Cries and Whispers 


Federico Fellini:-

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Road 

8 1/2 (a semi-autobiographical novel of Fellini)

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's Juliet of the Spirits aka In Search of Lost Time (English translation)


Michelangelo Antonioni:-

Dante's Inferno, Shakespeare's Works, James Joyce's Novels, and Marcel Proust's Novels heavily influenced his films.

BlowUp (based on Charlotte Bronte's Zeal of Zola aka Young Zola)

L'Avventura( based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's Invisible Incognito)

The Passion of Joan of Arc(based on G.B. Shaw's Saint Joan)

Francois Truffaut:-

Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary 

The 400 Blows (co-written by Truffaut and Marcel Moussy)

To Be or Not to Be (a reference to Shakespeare's Hamlet)

Jules and Jim (story by Henri-Pierre Roche)


Yasujiro Ozu:-

Ikiri Isshai (One Life) (drawing heavy influences from authors like 
Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Samuel Beckett)

Fumio Kondo's Sumimasen Hashicho



Satyajit Ray:- 

Ray's films such as the Apu Trilogy, Teen Konya, Postmaster, Manihara, and Sampati to name some, show a deep influence of Tagore on Ray.

Charulata(Tagore's Nastanirh)

Tagore's Ghare Baire


Mrinal Sen:-

Interview( Prabodh Kumar Sanyal's Sandhya Shyam)
Ek Adhuri Kahaani(Manoj Basu's Ek Adhyay Amar Kahini)
Bhuvan Some(not a direct adaptation but heavily influenced by Pannalal Patel)


Alfred Hitchcock:-

Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train
Daphne du Maurier's The Birds
Robert Bloch's Psycho
John Buchnan's The 39 Steps
Vertigo(influenced by D'entre les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac)
Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca


Andrei Tarkovsky:-

Stalker (Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)
Stanislaw's Solaris
Mirror (Tarkovsky's own experiences and memoir)
The Color of Pomegranates(biography of the Armenium ashug Sayat-Nova )
(influenced by the rich cultural and literary traditions of Armenia)



Adoor Gopalakrishnan:- 

Akeelathu(based on Philip Massinger's Two Gentleman of Verona)
Bengal Tiger in the Streets(based on Amrita Priti's Putumala)
Thiruvananthapuram Taxi Driver( based on K.J. Parisi's Palaiyaranu)


Ritwick Ghatak:-  

Machin Meye Ekbaar by Harikrishna Chattopadhyay'
Night in Calcutta by Jnanadanu Roy
Joroi Biren by Kunindranath Thakur


Quentin Tarantino:-

Pulp Fiction (loosely based on the stories of Charles Dickens)
Kill Bill (a reinterpretation of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas and Auguste Maquet)
Reservoir Dogs (based on the works of Alexander Dickens)
True Lies (based on The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway)
Killing Bill(based on Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and The Sea")


Akira Kurosawa:- 

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet deeply inspired Kurosawa, Arthur Miller's A Streetcar Named Desire, and Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade also did so.

Throne of Blood (based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth)
The Bad Sleep Well(inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet)
Ran(A reimagining of William Shakespeare's King Lear)


Roman Polanski:-
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare's Macbeth, Sayat-Nova's The Color of Pomegranates, Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist


Stanley Kubrick:- 

2001: A Space Odyssey (based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Sentinel")
Stephen King's The Shining