Pen names that come from pen names | #157

Also, Director’s Cut Bollywood style 🎥

May 27, 2023

Hello

From authors seeking anonymity and protection from persecution, to performers assuming alter egos, pseudonyms have allowed individuals to explore new identities and unleash their creativity. Famous examples include Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), George Orwell (Eric Blair), and Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). Even in India, we find fascinating pseudonyms like Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra). Joanne wanted to ensure that her manuscripts weren’t rejected because she was a woman - hence wrote under the name JK Rowling.

This week we try to cover some interesting stories about names adopted and given.

Things we learnt this week 🤓

In 1988, Salman Rushdie wrote The Satanic Verses. In response to the publication of the book, the Ayatollah of Iran issued a fatwa against Rushdie. This led to Rushdie adopting a pseudonym Joseph Anton - a name he made up of 2 of his favorite authors - Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekov. In 2012, Rushdie published a memoir of his time post the publication of The Satanic Verses under the name ‘Joseph Anton: A Memoir”.
How many authors have written this book?
Talking about pen-names, how about someone who got his rather unusual real name because of a pen. Tiku Talsania, is famous for his various roles in TV serials such as Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and in films like Andaz Apna Apna. He got his rather unusual first name ‘Tiku’ from his grandfather who had a love for a pen made by the rotring company called Tiku. Once Tiku grew up and felt like changing his name, he decided against it due to the many steps involved and the many documents that he would have to furnish and then change them. We can say, his name was ‘write’ from the start.

We have someone who has been named after a pen, how about someone who took his pen-name from a pen. Gangaraju, was working in his father’s printing press and would use a ‘Swan’ company pen while writing poems. He would use the name ‘Hamsalekhani’ as he was writing with a Swan (Hamsa in Kannada) pen. His teacher later shortened it to Hamsalekha. Hamsalekha has composed some legendary music for innumerable Kannada films and has also worked as a lyricist and dialogue writer. His final work will no doubt be his Swansong.
Lyrical genius waxes lyrical using a Swan pen

From IWTK, with love 💌

Talking about pen names - Harivansh Srivastava wrote under the name Harivansh Rai Bachchan and in a unique twist got into Bollywood after his son made an entry.
India Wants To Know
India Wants To Know on Instagram: “Harivansh Rai Bachchan was not only a pioneering Hindi poet but also influenced some of the most popular films of Bollywood. On his 115th birth anniversary, we look at the lesser-known legacy of Harivansh Rai Bachchan in Bollywood. Watch the video till the end to see a rare sight of father-son duo reciting Agneepath. #1: In the 2017 film Qarib Qarib Single, Varun Grover the lyricist paid tribute to Harivansh Rai bachchan’s poem Madhushala, where the chorus wainspired by the lines: “Bair badhaate mandir masjid / Mel karaati madhushala”. #FunFact: Amitabh Bachchan posted a message on Twitter addressing lyricist Varun Grover and expressing regret that his father had not been credited for the inspiration. #2: Both the original 1992 Agneepath and the 2012 remake featured the Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poem in the opening scenes of the films. #3: Many songs in Bollywood were written by Harivansh Rai, the most ones being Rang Barse from Silsila (1981) and ****Koi gaata main so jaata - Alaap (1977).**** FunFact: His first song in Bollywood was ‘Mele Mein Khoi Gujariya’ for the film Badnaaam Basti (1971), which is touted as India’s first Gay film. #4: He made his acting ‘debut’ in a short cameo in Kabhi Kabhie (1976) as Rakhi’s father, along with his IRL wife Teji Bachchan. This is our tribute to the legend. Share it with a fan. @amitabhbachchan #Trending #Viral #ExplorePage #Quiz #India #FunFacts #IWTKQUiz #IWTK #instagood #InstaLike #FactofTheDay #inspiringstories #hindipoetry #hindiliterature ##harivanshraibachchan #Silsila #Amitabh ##amitabhbachchan #Bollywood #bollywoodsongs #bollywoodsong #bollywoodstyle #bollywoodactor”
December 20, 2022
Director’s Cut Bollywood style. Check it out.
India Wants To Know
India Wants To Know on Instagram: ”🇮🇳💪🎥 Did you know that Chintuji (2009) has this incredibly funny song called “Akira Kurosawa” that is just made of names directors of world cinema? I mean it. NO other words. Just last names of random international directors. These are the actual lyrics: Tarantino, Tarantino, Vittorio, Mizoguchi, Coppola, (Billy) Wilder, (Frank) Capra, (Yasujirō) Ozu, (Bernando) Bertolucci, (Sam) Peckinpah, (Federico) Fellini, (Luchino) Visconti, (Nagisa) Oshima, Coppola (Francis Ford… or is it Sofia?). Chorus is different becos it has both first and last names: Akira Kurosawa, Vittorio De Sica
Akira Kurosawa, Vittorio De Sica Basically this is what Bollywood calls “Directors’ Cut”😉 #FunFact : In the movie Chintuji, Rishi Kapoor plays himself as Rishi (nicknamed famously Chintu IRL), and he wants to become a politician. So OBVIOUSLY he makes a movie called “Khooni Khazana”, and for that movie he shoots this item song where he plays a tribal leader while Sophie Chaudhary dances with such versatile emotions for “Coppola Coppola”. Poor Sophie 🔥🔥 Share this with friends who are subscribers of @mubiindia ! #iwtk #iwtkfacts #bollywoodsongs #indianmemes #indianmemesdaily #memes #bollywoodfacts #funfacts”
May 23, 2023