The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri. Arun Jaitley released a book ‘Legends of Indian Silver Screen” at the opening of IFFI 2015 here today. The book has been brought out by the Publications Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Shri Jaitley released the book in the presence of actress Sonakshi Sinha, director Kabir Khan and actress Devika Bhise.Legends of Indian Silver Screen is the latest addition to the endeavours of the Publications Division to document the evolution of Indian Cinema through the assessment of works of those who care for and contribute to film making in India. This elegantly designed book is a compilation of essays on 23 luminaries who have been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from 1992-2014.
These include Dilip Kumar, Gulzar, K. Balachander, Sivaji Ganesan, Bhupen Hazarika, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Asha Bhosle. Eminent writers and film critics like Saibal Chatterjee, Randor Guy, Rachel Dwyer, Jai Arjun Singh to name a few, have contributed to this anthology and have provided insightful write-ups on their personalities along with a critical evaluation of their contributions to Indian Cinema. Enriched with appropriate photographs from various sources, this book is a reader’s delight. In the past, Publications Division has regularly brought out educative books on cinema, namely Indian Cinema: A Visual Voyage; Conscience of the Race – India’s Offbeat Cinema and Samay, Cinema aur Itihas and Great Masters of Indian Cinema. The Publications Division, a media unit in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has been publishing books and journals on issues of national importance including history, art, culture, science and biographies of national leaders as part of its efforts to disseminate information and preserve Indian heritage.