Saturday, October 24, 2009

Odisha vs Orissa

The only time when a parliamentary bill gets passed swiftly is to change the names of places from anglo to vernacular.Case in point being, Orissa to Odisha and Oriya to Odia.Though, it has taken an year even to do that.The fastest way to grab some footage in media is to make hullaballoo over the names of cities.Be it Bombay as opposed to mumbai or Bangalore as oppose to Bengaluroo (city of baked beans,apparently).Now, the foreigners won't be 'Bangalored',they'll be 'Bengalurooed'.Not quite the same thing.The other way to get your fifteen minutes of fame is to bash up women wearing jeans and couples holding hands and maybe much more on Valentine's Day.

Yesterday, I made a foray to Landmark to pick up the latest Chetan Bhagat offering.Then, was in two minds between buying a hundred rupee Cosmo/Vogue or 2 States (Aforementioned Chetan Bhagat timepass). Finally, ended up buying a special edition of WEEK featuring long dead Indira Gandhi.Have decided to rent "2 States" and "Cosmo" from the friendly neighbourhood librarian.So, while thinking all this on my really tired feet (as the couch had already been hogged by some unchivalrous people :-/),I chanced upon 'Kama Kahani' books.

Yes, they are the indigenous response to the videshi Mills and Boons (which I still pick up sometimes).One of my relatives had a collection of 150 MB's some years ago.I'm sure it must have grown by now.And my cousin and I were simply awed at the age of 13. (By the way, its perfectly OK to begin a sentence with 'AND' when its not an independent sentence but it refers to an earlier context. So I have learnt during my abysmal GMAT experience.But, I'm digressing from the topic.Back to Kama Kahani)

Its a semi erotic collection launched by Random House, India.
The three books set in the 18th and 19th century are named 'Mistress to the Yuvraaj' ,'The Zamindar's forbidden Passion'and 'Ghazal in the Moonlight'.

So, the moral brigade has already sprung in action.The usual arguments have been given: vulgar stuff , corrupting the young minds and what not.They have even tried to enquire if romantic fiction is legal.Maybe, now the next attack would not be on Archies shops but on shops selling Kama Kahani.M&B's might even get banned and then we'll have to ask people returning from phoren to get them.I better hoard MB's and pick my Kama Kahani copy soon :)

4 comments:

Rahul Khare said...

good one!

Anonymous said...

HAha what a fabulous post. I've so much to say that Im going to make a sundry list out of it :

1. I did't know Banglore was the city of baked beans!

2. 'Now, the foreigners won't be 'Bangalored',they'll be 'Bengalurooed'.Not quite the same thing.' - Good point there.

3. Chetan Bhagat sucks!! Bloody middle brow writer. Yeah Im just using your comment space to vent my anger against him.

4. Reading the post title I did not imagine that it would turn into a commentry on the Indian literary porn publishing industry.

5. I had no clue about Kama Kahania. hmm. So did you read/buy it?

6. M&B at 13?? Really? I read the first one in 12th class then few in Ist yr. Remember the Knags chaurahe wala bookstall we used to walk to? And then have golgappas or onion bread while coming back?

7. I find it very convenient to start my sentence with an AND. But everytime I do it I do it with a guilt induced by 5th grade english teacher and, am extremely apologetic about it. Thankyou for absolving me of the guilt.

8. Love the ending.

9. So good to have you back in the blogosphere :) Perks of having net at home?

S said...

@nitisha: btw this one from chetan bhagat didn't suck tht much.I think that can be my next post.
Nah, havem't bought kama kahani yet.Ya I remember all the snooty Knags shopkeepers.They had the knack of making you feel extremely foolish.good to have your comments back on blogosphere too.

Saanjh said...

Kama Kahani !! Honestly ??!! Lolzz ...