Debleena Majumdar beautifully etches out the innocence and exuberance of young ‘Sabu’ in Mysore. Here is an excerpt from her recent interview:
This book, Sabu, involved historical research. How did you find your way into that?
I have always loved reading and researching on history. To be honest, during my middle
school years, I was quite certain that I wanted to be an archaeologist. Discovering a
forgotten civilisation was my dream. That stayed a dream, but I found other ways to find
answers to intriguing questions. I was good at Math so when I started working, I found
myself finding answers by looking at numbers and by analysing data. I worked in finance, so understanding numbers was my day job.
But the love for history remained unabated. There are so many layers to history that you are can always discover newer perspectives depending on how you ask the questions. The
plurality of that discovery appealed to me. Authoring a book like Sabu gave me the chance
to revisit my enduring love for history and for research. And I am forever grateful for that
opportunity.
The World War has inspired a lot of books. What role did the war play in your
book?
In this book, the war is the backdrop against which Sabu went through some life-changing
moments. Because of the war, the shoot for one of his movies had to be shifted from London to the United States. That, in hindsight, turned out to be a key moment in his life as he decided to stay back in the country after the shoot was completed. Second, he fought in the war, for his adopted country, the United States, as a gunner. That was an unforgettable experience in his life, and I have described it in the book.
Meanwhile, the war also impacted the movie plots and themes of the time. I also delved into that in the book. So, while Sabu’s life journey is at the foreground of the book, the War plays an intriguing role in the background.
In a way your book also researches the history of cinema during that time. Can you explain that?
Yes, so if you look at the early films that Sabu got offered and cast in, many of them either
involved working with live animals or they were fantasy adventures. Sabu got recognition for these movies, largely since he was working with some of the best Directors and Producers of the time who knew how to bring out his talent, well.
After the war, many Directors found that audience tastes had changed. The earlier plot lines were sometimes not connecting with the audience. Some of the movies during the war had a pro-Empire stance. Movies started being used, during the War, across nations, also as a tool for propaganda.
Post the war, as people started to rebuild their lives and to heal, some interesting author
backed movies started being made. This entire shift had a mixed impact on Sabu’s life. For
more on that, do read the book.
What helped you in your writing journey?
Suhail Mathur and The Book Bakers were invaluable guides in my writing journey. I came
from a number driven background and authoring a book was a daunting task for me initially. I did not have the confidence in myself. I doubt anyone else did as well. I had stories spinning in my head, and I loved research but was not sure if people would like to read what I researched and wrote about. The confidence Suhail Mathur showed in my first book helped me immensely. And the ongoing collaboration with the team to help me hone the areas I wanted to write in: history, finance, and crime. That helped me find my voice. I cannot thank Mr. Mathur and his team enough for the support and guidance.
What motivated you to author this book?
There are three people to thank for that. One, of course, Mr. Suhail Mathur and his early
vision for this book. Second, Mr. Sunil Bohra, noted Bollywood Producer. It was in a
discussion with them that we wondered why people today knew so little about the miraculous journey of Sabu. And then as I started researching, I found fascinating aspects on his life that made his real-life story as interesting if not more than that of the characters he played on screen. We knew then that this was a story that had to be told.
I must also thank my publishing team, Locksley Hall Publishing. They helped turn my
manuscript into the copies of a beautifully designed printed book, supporting me at every
step of the process.
I was just a channel for a beautiful story that just had to be told.
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