Rupa Publications is turning 90 this year. Amongst the pioneers of India’s publishing industry, dealing namely in English-language literature (both fiction and non-fiction), it began its journey, humbly, on the sidewalks of Calcutta’s (now Kolkata) New Market area in 1936 and has reached the pinnacles of renown. The story of its stupendous success and how challenges have been met along the way, has been chronicled by Rajen Mehra, Chairman of Rupa Publications, in the book, “Never Out of Print: The Rupa Story”, launched last year, and is a riveting read. Woven into the fabric of the fascinating personal, family story of how his granduncle Daudayal Mehra founded Rupa, are threads of the city’s and the country’s evolving history, its politics, economy, culture.
Rajen Mehra started the Delhi office of Rupa in 1970 and is mostly based in the capital city. Right now, he is in town. He arrived in Kolkata yesterday on the invitation of the Kolkata Book Fair which is conferring on him a lifetime achievement award, honoring him for the significant role he has played in the evolution of Indian publishing. “This coincides with Rupa’s 90th anniversary,” says Raju Barman, who heads Rupa’s operations in Kolkata. Not many know that Barman is Mehra’s cousin. “Rupa is our family establishment,” he says, smiling. Not many know that, in fact, you point out to him. “Our surnames are different; that’s why. My paternal grandfather was conferred the title ‘Barman’ by the British and that’s how I got my name,” says Raju Da. Barman’s father is Rupa founder D.Mehtra’s adopted son-in-law.
At the Rupa stall of the Kolkata Book Fair, bustling with buyers and book lovers, Barman’s entire family – including his wife, daughter (who has been named Rupa) and granddaughter – are at work – engaged in guiding readers to the books that they are looking for; conducting book launches and author signings; helping arrange author interviews.
Contrary to the notion that today’s readers prefer the digital versions of books and soft copies like Kindle to physical tomes, the Rupa stall is full of people jostling for space as they make their way, holding hard copies in their hands, to the cash counters, which are ringing constantly. “Interest in books in their physical form has not waned at all,” Barman says.
The cover of the hardbound copy of Mehra’s book “Never Out of Print: The Rupa Story”, taglined “The Journey of an Independent Indian Publisher” does its bit to attract a long line of readers. Bold and black and embossed with silver lettering, the red, pink and white Rupa logo is displayed prominently. Incidentally, the first logo of Rupa was designed by none other than Satyajit Ray. This is one book you can judge by its cover. It’s a page turner. Other than the intriguing account of the story of Indian publishing, the narrative is sprinkled with generous doses of humour in Rajen Da’s inimitable style. Understated. A quality, we come to know that he has imbibed from his illustrious granduncle.
Sample the following passage from the book where Rajen Mehra recounts his childhood:
“Every year we would spend our summer vacation in these UP towns and cities (Banaras, Allahabad and Kanpur). And every year it was the same train, the Toofan Mail, which took us to these destinations. This was a train which defied its name when it came to speed – it did not move at the speed of a storm or cyclone but chugged along at sedate pace. Our modest budget ensured that the family could not take a premium train like the Kalka-Howrah Mail, in which seats had to be reserved in advance. On the Toofan Mail, the reservation of your seat depended on how athletic your coolie was and how fast he could run and throw your luggage onto a seat. The Toofan Mail was a truly socialist, inclusive train. It would not differentiate between a big and a small station when it came to halting; it would stop at every station on the route. It would also stop in between stations because passengers were constantly pulling the emergency chain so they could get down at their villages and farms; the fact that the emergency chain was meant only for emergencies was cheerfully ignored.” (Page 29)
The book is studded also with a wide range of photos (including vintage book covers; old pictures from family albums and photos of the individuals and people who are mentioned in the pages; not to mention black and white illustrations and sketches of scenes depicted in the book.)
Rajend Mehra’s love for the city of Calcutta (something which I came to know of while speaking to him during the writing of my two books published by Rupa) is reflected in every turn of the page. The expression of deep admiration is an underlying aspect of it, tacit almost, as though echoing in between the lines.
(The writer is Editor, Features.)
(The second part of this Rupa story appears on Sunday February 1 and includes an interview with Rajen Mehra)