A POINT OF VIEW ON THE CHANGING MORALS AND VALUES OF LIFE TODAY.... By Ali Peter John

Writing is an addiction if you follow it with dedication , passion and sincerity .... I remember a story told to me by the actor Rajesh Puri , the Lalu of "Hum Log " one of the first mega hits in the history of Indian television serials - Ali Peter John

It was the last day of a senior officer working in a big company. He was to retire on that day and he kept siting in office after his dues were settled and started howling and sobbing bitterly . His colleagues were confused and concerned and some of them went to the head of department and told him about the condition of the man who was retiring .

The head asked the staff to send the man to his cabin and when the man entered the cabin of the HOD ,he was still bitterly crying . The HOD asked him to sit in front of him and asked for two cups of coffee with some salted and cream biscuits and when the man who was retiring had the first sip of the hit cup of coffee , the HOD asked him what was troubling him and why he was crying when he should have actually felt relieved .

The man who was still trying to stop his tears told the HOD that he didn't know what to do with his time after he had retired . The HOD asked him what he would like to do and the man said " I would like to write , but don't know how to write ". The HOD gave him a sheet of paper and asked him to write , " I don't know how to write " .

The HOD saw what he had written and smiled brightly and told him , " there Mr Puri, who told you , you can't write . Look , you have already written the first sentence , now just keep on writing " .

The man walked out of the cabin. with a bright smile on his face and embraced all his colleagues and walked out into the light to start a new life as a writer and he didn't stop writing till the end of his life and had written hundreds of short stories and articles for almost every publication in the country and even abroad . Life had just started for him after he began writing without stopping and with complete dedication and had also made lots of money .

I remembered this true to life story when a friend called Lalit Kohli brought me a brand new book titled. " Point Of View " . The last time Kohli who is closely associated with films came to me with a book titled , " Dream Merchants , The Great Visionaries Of Indian Cinema " , which was a collection of his well researched articles on all or almost all the enlightened filmmakers of Indian Cinema .

It was a book on which the author , Susheel Kumar Batra had written about all that he knew about the " visionaries" of Indian Cinema . He had explored the personalities and the works of several leading directors and it was an experience going through his book because it was not only a book that could be read in one go , but could also be a reference point and guide to all those who wanted to know more about the men who moulded and gave shape to Indian Cinema .

I had complimented Batra for the good and hard work he had put into his attempt to write a serious book about cinema at a time when history was being trampled under the feet of ignoramuses and rubbish was being lapped up by a generation that largely didn't care two hoots for the reality , the truth and the only truth about cinema in India which is still treated as tamasha which can be seen with little respect for even the most serious kind of work done in cinema and for cinema .. I would have or any one would have thought that Batra would come up with another book dealing with cinema .

But Batra who took to writing after working in the power sector for more than twenty five years has now shown all the signs of being a versatile writer who can write about problems that society around us faces , that families , mostly middle class families face and the impact these problems have on society , the country and even the world .

It is interesting to see how Batra has told the stories of two families and the changes that come their ways due to the changing circumstances in and around our lives .

I don't intend to reveal the contents of the stories told by Batra , but I must congratulate Mr Susheel Kumar Batra for writing a book like " Point Of View " which is certainly not very easy to write even by some of the most seasoned writers we have today. And it is a book that the hundreds of tale - tellers who have been flooding the market with I am sorry to say rubbish and trash worth for the cleanest bins should not even dare to write .

I am still trying to get out of the drunkenness that Batra's book has created in me and I hope this state of drunkenness doesn't leave me now , soon or ever .

It is with great delight that I write these lines about Batra and his book , in spite of my tight schedule at writing ( what else can I do ? ) . I hope my lines for whatever they are worth will encourage and inspire Susheel Kumar Batra to write more , better , bigger , meaningful and enlightening books that can reach a wider readership . This book may not be a masterpiece , but it is certainly a book that can reach out to far many readers than today's masterpieces and so called masterpieces do PS Thank you , Mr Lalit Kohli for finding me , a lost man in a cafe called Chaayos and handing over a treasure to me on a hot afternoon ( there is nothing more precious than a good book for me )