Film and literature go hand in hand: Author Samaresh Majumder

Every piece of literature cannot be translated into cinema, unless taken up by auteurs like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, eminent Bengali writer Samaresh Majumder has said.

The novelist also noted that film and literature go hand in hand but people these days prefer "watching more and reading less".

Taking part in a discussion at a literary meet here on Sunday, the 'Kaalbela' author said, "Not more than 2,000- 3,000 copies of a new title get sold in book shops, but a far larger number of people will flock to the theatres to watch its adaptation on big screen."

He contended that "cinema in India took its baby steps holding literature's hand".

 

"In the early years, cinema could not have survived without literature, as directors usually made films inspired by literary works. As filmmaking evolved over the years, filmmakers started to choose subjects outside the domain of literature," Majumder said.

Perhaps the dependence of cinema on literature made the Bengali audience refer to films as 'boi' (book), he said.

"The language of cinema is very different from that of the books. Both are unique in their own ways. However, as time progressed, the number of cinephiles increased and that of the bibliophiles decreased," the Sahitya Akademi awardee said.

He, however, hailed Ray and Sen for "weaving magic" on the silver screen with their cinematic prowess, be it literary adaptation or otherwise.

"Ray's 'Kanchenjunga' was a masterpiece, but it was not inspired by any literary work. Every piece of literature cannot be translated into cinema. But when filmmakers like Ray take them up, they become works of art.

"I remember Mrinal Sen had once told me that he could make a film out of a newspaper headline," the 77-year-old author recalled.

Echoing him, actor Saheb Chatterjee, who was also present at the discussion, said cinema and literature complement each other.

"Film simply cannot be a narration on screen, film has to have its own language," he said.