Coelho

HarperCollins Publishers India

Paulo Coelho's astonishingly beautiful writing in Eleven Minutes virtually guarantees it the cult status that The Alchemist already enjoys. But what is the Paulo Coelho phenomenon? How can an author who (only a short time ago) was virtually unknown to most readers have taken the world of books by storm--and without the benefit of glitzy advertising? The answer is simple: quality. Such books as The Fifth Mountain andThe Devil and Miss Prym are enough to explain a considerable following for the author, with their atmospheric prose and involving characters. Eleven Minutes tells the story of young Maria living an innocent life in a Brazilian village and is played out in a measured fashion, but with all the author's brilliant scene-setting (very lush here) fully in place. But then Maria experiences love and suffers great pain. From this point, Coelho has us inexorably in his grip. Maria's disillusionment with love leads her to Geneva where she finally ends up selling her body (Coelho may offer us the beauty of life, but never at the expense of its harshness). Maria's approach to sex is complex--this is no mere revulsion arising from what she is now doing with her life. And then she meets a seductive young painter, who may or may not offer her a new path in life. But does she prefer to continue on the dark sexual odyssey she has embarked on, at the expense of real love? There are echoes of DH Lawrence in Coelho's exploration of the sacred and spiritual aspects of sex and it's a brave author who tackles a subject that can so easily slip into strained seriousness. That never happens here, and Maria's journey is one that the reader willingly undertakes; the lesson she learns are lessons for the reader. --Barry Forshaw

Eleven Minutes

Path-breaking films have phenomenal behind-the-scenes stories. Read about two of the most iconic movies of our times, and combine it with the journey of the woman, as actor and character, in Hindi cinema. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro: In the 1980s, an unheralded Hindi movie, made on a budget of less than Rs 7 lakh, went from a quiet showing at the box office to developing a reputation as India's definitive black comedy. Some of the country's finest theatre and film talents - all at key stages in their careers - participated in its creation, but the journey was anything but smooth. Among other things, it involved bumping off disco killers and talking gorillas, finding air-conditioned rooms for dead rats, persuading a respected actor to stop sulking and eat his meals, and resisting the temptation to introduce logic into a madcap script. In the end, it was worth it. Kundan Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is now a byword for the sort of absurdist, satirical humours that Hindi cinema just hasn't seen enough of. This is the story of how it came to be despite incredible odds - and what it might have been. Jai Arjun Singh's take on the making of the film and its cult following is as entertaining as the film itself. Gangs of Wasseypur: Running close to five hours and thirty minutes and boasting of no big stars, Gangs of Wasseypur is unlike any Hindi film you might have watched. It is also one of the most feted Hindi films of recent times in international circles. It has been spoken of as India's answer to landmark gangster films of the west, like The Godfather. In Gangs of Wasseypur: The Making of a Modern Classic, the authors go behind the scenes through its chaotic gestation to bring to life the trials and tribulations, the triumphs and ecstasies involved in following one's dream. Including the complete screenplay, the book is as much a testimony to the spirit of everyone associated with the film as it is a tribute to the intellectual honesty and indefatigable spirit of its director, Anurag Kashyap. Mother Maiden Mistress: It's been a long hundred years since Dadasaheb Phalke had to settle for a man to play the heroine in India's first feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913) - and women in Hindi cinema have come a long way since then. Mother Maiden Mistress documents that journey: from a time in which cinema was considered a profession beneath the dignity of 'respectable' women to an era when women actors are icons and idols. Bhawana Somaaya, Jigna Kothari and Supriya Madangarli sift through six decades of history, bringing to life the women that peopled cinema and the popular imagination, and shaped fashion and culture. Contemporary readers will also find here a nuanced historical perspective - of the social milieu of the time, of the nation and of Hindi cinema itself. Also riveting are the first-person narratives of a leading actress from each decade - Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Hema Malini, Shabana Azmi, Madhuri Dixit and Rani Mukerji - all close-up examinations of how some of the iconic characters of Hindi cinema came to be. At once a guide, an archive and a cracking good read, the book records and reviews the woman in Hindi cinema - the mythical, the Sati-Savitri, the rebel, the avant-garde and the contemporary. In a journey through six decades of cinema, seemingly, the more things have changed, the more they have remained the same.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro; Gangs of Wasseypur; Mother Maiden Mistress

Harper Cinema Omnibus

Stay fit and look gorgeous with these fitness secrets and nutrition tips from our celebrity experts Pooja Makhija, Aparna Santhanam and Ramona Braganza. These easy-to-follow, high-impact plans will leave you looking fresher than ever before. Skin Deep: How many nuts should you eat in a day?Can oxygen really damage your skin?Why do you need colour in your diet?What are negative calories? If you don't know the answers to these questions, this is the book for you. What to eat and when, how to block those pollutants that vie for your skin every day, why you need to know your skin type before you can make it glow... Find out all you wanted to know about your skin from one of India's leading dermatologists. Eat. Delete.: Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Trying to lose weight? Running around in circles where you Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. No wonder it's difficult to stay in shape. Because circles go on and on. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. Gain. Lose. But what if weight gain is just a symptom? A symptom not only of how we eat food, but how we treat food? A symptom not only of how we cook food, but how we look at food? What if losing weight doesn't begin with what's on your plate but with what's on your mind? Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. Mind. For the first time in India, a leading nutritionist has worked with psychologists to give you a combined mind-body weight loss solution. Figure out not just what to eat, but also why you eat the way you do. Tackle the problem at the source. So that you can Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Lose. Until you don't need to lose any more. Pooja Makhija reminds us that food is not something to be feared, worshipped or abused. Her scientific approach puts food at the centre of weight loss, so that you can EAT your way to a thinner you. So that you can Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. to. Delete. Feel Fit Look Fantastic in 3-2-1: Ever wonder how Hollywood's fittest stars, including Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Beckinsale, achieved their amazing bodies? Look no further than this book! Now, after years of teaching her exercise and diet secrets to Hollywood's elite, celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza reveals to all of us the secret weapons to their success. By combining her fitness secrets from the West in her signature 3-2-1 Training Method with the healthy foods from the East in her 3-2-1 Nutrition Plan, she provides a 3-2-1 Countdown of practical tools and motivational tips that are sure to get you feeling fit and looking fantastic! This step-by-step guide is a call to action! Start right now to lay the foundation to a healthier and happier you. What are you waiting for?

Eat. Delete.; Skin Deep; Feel Fit Look Fantastic in 3-2-1

Harper Lifestyle Omnibus

Twelve-year-old Krishna lives in the hills with his grandmother. But unknown to all, there is something unusual about him. He has superpowers and he transforms into a superhero - Kid Krrish! - when the time is right. Join Kid Krrish as he and his friends, Lobsang, Ming Yu and Swami, along with Jadoo, Koko and Toto, embark on adventures to save the planet from the evil genius Dr Para. These are two-in-one activity books based on the iconic superhero's escapades.

HarperCollins Publishers India

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