April 19, 2024 21:40 (IST)
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Filmmaker Goutam Ghose launches Nidhi Dugar Kundalia's book on dying professions of India
Kolkata, Feb 11 (IBNS) Popular lifestyle store Starmark's Quest Mall outlet hosted the launch of journalist turned author Nidhi Dugar Kundalia's debut book 'The Lost Generation', based on the dying professions of India, here on Wednesday.
The book was launched by National Award winning filmmaker Goutam Ghosh. While Namrata Manot moderated the event, Katy Lai Roy and Sumit Roy, members of The Red Curtain, an English amateur theatre group in Kolkata, read out excerpts from the book.
The book contains 11 such stories about the people who are associated with these dying professions… some of which are the storytellers of Andhra Pradesh, the Gondna artists of Jharkhand, the Bhistiwalas of Kolkata, the Rudalis of Rajasthan, to name a few.
Ghosh, who loved the book, was all praise for the writer as he said, "Nidhi has done real hard work in search of the dying professions of our country. It is a very interesting book, full of human stories."
Ghosh also spoke about India and the factors that make it such a spectacle. "India is a country of living traditions. You visit the Kumbh Mela and you'll feel as if you are in the 17th century. The country has gone through a change, but the sounds are there somewhere," Ghosh said.
Ghosh also regaled the audience with anecdotes, spanning from his early childhood to his late years. While narrating one such tale where he spoke about a dokra artiste who had lost interest in his craft, and sought other activities as a way of earning bread for his family, said, "Think of this, there is no present. It is a fraction between the past and the future."
When asked why she chose to write the book on such a subject, Nidhi said, "It is important to document these before they run into complete obscurity."
She also pointed out certain factors which added to the problems of pursuing these professions. "A lot of caste-based issues are responsible for this. Also the fact that the rate of female infanticide is high in some places have subsequently added to their downfall."
When asked how she felt about the book, Katy Lai Roy told IBNS: "It is very interesting for me. There are a lot of human interest stories. I am glad she wrote them."
The book is published by Random House India.
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