Roshan Abbas

Description Ashok Kumar (1911-2001), fondly known as Dadamoni, is one of the great icons of Hindi cinema. This warm, intimate biography traces his remarkable journey, from reluctant actor to Bollywood's first superstar and, in his later years, a much-loved presence on national television. Born in Bhagalpur (then in the Bengal Presidency), Ashok Kumar was enthralled by the 'bioscope' as a child. In his twenties, he quit his law studies and came to Bombay to become a film director. But life-rather, Himanshu Rai, the founder of Bombay Talkies-had different plans for him. Despite the director's reservations, he was cast in the lead role opposite Devika Rani in the 1936 film Jeevan Naiyya when the original hero went missing. The same year, Ashok Kumar was paired with Devika Rani again in Achhut Kanya, which was a blockbuster. The transformation of the accidental hero into a charismatic star-actor had begun. Over the next six decades, he proved himself to be a master of the craft, playing cop and thief; genial grandfather and sly matchmaker; villain and hero; heartbroken lover and suave rake with equal ease in numerous films, including Kismet, Mahal, Parineeta, Kanoon, Gumrah, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Aashirwad, Mamta, Jewel Thief, Khoobsurat and Khatta Meetha. But as Nabendu Ghosh writes, Ashok Kumar's world was much larger-he was also a charming conversationalist, mentor, homeopath, astrologer, painter, linguist, limericist and, above all, loyal friend and devoted husband and father. This book is also a mini-history of the early decades of Bombay's Hindustani cinema, and its pages are rich with little anecdotes featuring legends like-besides Devika Rani-Saadat Hasan Manto, Sashadhar Mukherjee, Leela Chitnis, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Meena Kumari and B.R. Chopra. Sarojini Naidu and Jawaharlal Nehru make brief appearances too, as does Morarji Desai. For anyone interested in Hindi cinema of yesteryears-in its cosmopolitanism, camaraderie and charm-this thoroughly engaging book is a must read.

‘How many were killed in the attack today?’ asked Fursa, the senior sheep. He was surveying the bloodstained East African grassland where the lions had gone on a rampage, now scattered with the shattered bones of his friends and families. Despair hung thick in the air.’ Welcome to the jungle. Here, the survival of the fittest is the ultimate truth. The weaker animal gets eaten in what is considered a natural food chain. But some have been tampering with the organic arrangement for selfish gains and resorting to mass murder. In the Mau Forest in East Africa, the mighty lion king Kaizaar’s autocratic ways are wreaking havoc on his subjects. Known to be the longest-serving ruler of the pride, he is ministered by the shrewd Shaka – the former leader of the lambs who betrayed his flock for the stronger lions. With their defences exposed, the lambs are backed into a corner. How do the lambs stop the carnage and find refuge? Will they be able to reverse the fate of their species and restore the Law of the Jungle? Can a bunch of fearful lambs learn to roar? What emerges is an illuminating leadership fable. The politics of the jungle and the strategies that aid survival are lessons of lasting value that will not only inspire but also help find the leader within you.

Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup—practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog. While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in. Filled with his trademark humor and straight talk, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz's personal and often humbling experiences.