Book/Film Reviews

Book Review: Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion Book 3

Thumbnail image for Book Review: Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion Book 3 April 2, 2025

Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion Book 3 Author: Arunkumar Deshmukh Publisher: Professor toofaani publishers, East Lansing, MI, USA Price (Pothi.com): ₹590 plus shipping (Paperback) Copyright: © Arunkumar Deshmukh Pages: 161 No one can be a hero to his friend. We all know Arunkumar Deshmukh well, I also happen to have […]

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Book Review: “And The Music Lives On”

Thumbnail image for Book Review: “And The Music Lives On” February 4, 2025

And The Music Lives On Author: Manek Premchand Publisher: Norton Press, India, October 2024 ISBN (Paperback): 979-8-89588-290-0 Price (Amazon): ₹539 (Paperback); ₹269 (Kindle Edition) Pages: 417 Manek Premchand is a well-known name to SOY readers as a writer of many books on old film music. I have reviewed his several books on this forum. When […]

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Book Review: R. D. Burman: The Man, The Music

Thumbnail image for Book Review: R. D. Burman: The Man, The Music January 4, 2025

The book review as a tribute to RD Burman (27.6.1939-4.1.1994) on his 31st Remembrance Day R. D. Burman: The Music, The Man Authors: Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal Publisher: HarperCollins India, 2011 ISBN: 978-93-5029-049-1 Pages: 342+24 (Index, Acknowledgements) Price: Amazon (Paperback): ₹399 I have to admit I am an R. D. Burman-skeptic; in fact, I […]

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Book Review: Hindi Film Reviews (1931-1950)

Thumbnail image for Book Review: Hindi Film Reviews (1931-1950) September 16, 2024

Hindi Film Reviews (1931-1950) By: Arunkumar Deshmukh Edited by: Prof Surjit Singh Published by: professor toofaani publishers, East Lansing, MI, USA I have reviewed Arunkumar Deshmukh’s first two books on this forum – Forgotten Artists of Early Hindi Cinema Book 1 and Book 2. I know enough about Arunji through our couple of meetings and […]

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Book Review: DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

DIRECTOR'S CHAIR April 22, 2024

DIRECTOR’ CHAIR Hindi Cinema’s Golden Age By Manek Premchand Published by: Blue Pencil 2024 ISBN: 978-81-956660-8-9; Pages: 571 Price (Paperback on Amazon): ₹750 Manek Premchand is a familiar name to the readers of Songs Of Yore. He has written a number of books on Hindi film music and music personalities. The title of this book […]

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Book Review: Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema (2)

Thumbnail image for Book Review: Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema (2) February 1, 2024

Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion (2) Author: Arunkumar Deshmukh (Copyright) Publisher: Professor Toofanii Publishers, Lansing, MI USA (2023) Editor: Professor Surjit Singh Price: ₹450 plus postage (Paperback) at pothi.com Have you heard of Indurao Nimbalkar, Zohra Jan, Raja Sandow or Renuka Devi? They are important names from vintage era of […]

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Book Review: “Reflections & Stray Thoughts”

Reflections November 10, 2023

Reflections & Stray Thoughts By HQ Chowdhury Publisher: Blue Pencil, New Delhi ISBN: 978-81-952978-3-2 Price (Amazon): ₹314 (Paperback); 0 (Free Kindle) The SOY regulars know HQ Chowdhury as the author of “Incomparable SD Burman”, which is regarded as the definitive biography of Burman Dada. That book establishes Chowdhury as a great fan of SD Burman, […]

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Book Review: “Behind the Curtain”

Behind the Curtain August 18, 2023

Behind the Curtain: Making Music in Mumbai’s Film Studios Author: Gregory D Booth Publisher: Oxford University Press 2008 Pages (including Index and References): 321 Price (Amazon Kindle Edition): ₹357 The SOY readers’, especially S Joseph’s, request to write a review of “Behind the Curtain” predates the series on Arrangers and Musicians, and my own desire […]

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Book Review: “चल उड़ जा रे पंछी (संगीतकार चित्रगुप्त: व्यक्ति एवं कृति)”

Chal Ud Ja Re Panchhi February 8, 2023

चल उड़ जा रे पंछी… संगीतकार चित्रगुप्त: व्यक्ति एवं कृति (खण्ड 1 एवं खण्ड 2) By: Dr. Narendra Nath Pandey Kautilya Books, New Delhi: 2022 ISBN: 978-93-90885-68-8 Pages: (256+474=730) Price on Amazon: ₹1500 (Hardcover) I have to start with a disclosure. The author of the above book, Dr Narendra Nath Pandey, is well known to […]

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Book Review: ‘Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia’ Vol. 3, 4 & 5

Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia August 30, 2022

Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia (Reference Edition Raagwise: Vol. 3, 4 & 5) Author: KL Pandey Sangeet Shilp Prakashan, Lucknow First edition 2022 Hardcover ₹4800 on Amazon A passionate lover of Hindi film music, who has deep interest in classical music too, asks two different types of questions: One, which raag(s) this favourite song is based […]

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