New documentary on Bengaluru’s Select Bookshop speaks volumes about the charm of secondhand titles
Independent filmmaker Adithyaa Sadashiv cuts across time to explore this much-loved bookstore in his award-winning documentary, ‘The Selected Book’
By Reema Gowalla
Far from the final chapter, Bengaluru’s pre-Independence bookstore ‘Select Bookshop’ continues to thrive on the undying charm of rare, out-of-print books and the city’s camaraderie with nostalgia. Filmmaker and editor Adithyaa Sadashiv gives us a whiff of the smell of old paperbacks as he travels back and forth in time with nonagenarian KK Srinivasa Murthy, a former production engineer with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited who now runs the bookstore with his son K Sanjai.
Adithyaa’s award-winning documentary, ‘The Selected Book’, traces the journey of the bookstore, which was first set up at a tiny garage on Robertson Road by lawyer and Srinivasa’s father, KBK Rao, in 1946. It has since shifted base from Malleswaram to MG Road.
Now tucked in a corner, off Brigade Road, this treasure trove of secondhand copies has had one of India’s most favourite authors, Ruskin Bond, as a loyal customer in the past. He also loved their collection of postcards, old photographs and other stuff of antique interest. At one point in time, the bookshop was also frequented by legends like Sir CV Raman and J Krishnamurti.
So, what made this young filmmaker flip through the pages of Select Bookshop, once again? “It all began when I first met Srinivasa during a book festival at the Palace Grounds. I am always on the lookout for yesteryears’ gems in the city, and this definitely felt like a story that needed to be retold. It’s invigorating to see how three generations of avid book lovers have kept the legacy of the store alive for so long — from travelling and meeting people around the globe to catalogue and source rare titles for those who still prefer paperbacks to ebooks,” says Adithyaa.
Sanjai, who left his corporate job to join his father at the bookshop in 1999, now goes book-hunting every Sunday, and largely handles buying and selling of antiquarian books.
A Vinyas Studios production, the documentary is based on a series of interviews with Srinavasa at the bookstore. “I used to go meet the 92-year-old every day at around 11.30 am and indulge in conversations with him over a cup of coffee. From the memories of some of his favourite correspondence in the 1960s and 70s to listing out his favourite authors through the years, we spoke about a lot of things in the span of a week,” says the filmmaker, adding, “I never felt the age gap between us. As we wrapped up the shoot on the last day, I gave him the recordings of a few of his favourite Vividh Bharati songs. That made him very happy, and gave me an experience that I’ll cherish for years.”
An advocate of slow and steady reading, for Srinivasa books are a way of life and not merely a leisure activity, and Adithyaa captures this essence quite skilfully in the 40-minute, Kannada-English documentary.
Honoured with a ‘Special Festival Mention’ (2021) at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival recently, you can watch ‘The Selected Book’ here.
