Yesterday's films for tomorrow

Known as India's 'Celluloid Man', P. K. Nair (1933-2016) was a passionate film-lover and archivist who dedicated his entire life to saving the country's cinematic heritage. From the films of Phalke to the classics of the studio era, much of our film history would have been reduced to blank pages, but for his efforts. Here are Nair's evocative memories of movie-going in the 1940s, and working with Mehboob, the legendary director of Mother India, as well as a first-person account of how Phalke's Kaliya Mardan and several other lost films were salvaged. Opinion pieces present views on the need to preserve films and the threats posed by the digital age, while a section on Indian film history provides fascinating insights into the silent era. Other highlights include an illustrated survey of poster art, and Nair's 'notes in the dark': his essays on themes ranging from regional cinema to the use of song in Indian cinema and Devdas' many avatars, drawn from a lifetime of watching movies. Absorbing and informative, Yesterday's Films for Tomorrow is a book for everyone who loves cinema, and cares about its past and its future.