Interview with Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, Editor, Critic & Columnist

Explore insights from Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, award-winning editor, critic & columnist, on literature, cinema, and publishing. Exclusive interview on Frontlist.

on May 02, 2024

Interview with Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, Editor, Critic & Columnist | Frontlist

Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri is an editor, critic and columnist and winner of the Editor of the Year Award of the apex publishing body, Publishing Next. He has worked with some of India's best-known authors such as Arun Shourie, Kiran Nagarkar, Manu Joseph, Satyajit Ray (with the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives), among others. He has commissioned and published several books on cinema that have won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema and the MAMI Award for Best Writing on Cinema and which have been best-sellers, in the process creating a first-of-its-kind dedicated list of publishing on India cinema. He is a film and music buff and has written for Anupama Chopra’s Film Companion, has been a consultant, writer and editor for the film website Cinemaazi.com, and writes regularly on books, films and music for a number of platforms, including The Telegraph. He is also a published author, with two books to his credit: Whims: A Book of Poems (published by Writers Workshop) and Icons from Bollywood (published by Penguin/Puffin).

Frontlist: As an editor, you've collaborated with a diverse range of authors, from established names to new voices. How do you approach the editing process while keeping the author's unique voice and vision intact while also ensuring the story resonates with the reader?

Shantanu: The process depends entirely on the text I have. As an editor, I am probably the first independent reader of the book. I might have insights into the book that the author (being too close to the text) may not – I have the objective distance necessary. Established names, particularly good literary authors, might need fewer language edits than new ones. However, one has to be equally careful regarding grammar, syntax, and narrative logic, irrespective of whether the author is established or new. But one has to remember one thing: at the end of the day, the text is the author's. As an editor, I merely facilitate certain aspects. Editors often forget that and become unnecessarily aggressive about edits. If the author does not agree with some of your edits, the final call rests with the author. His voice and vision are sacrosanct.

Frontlist: Your contributions to cinema literature have garnered critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Can you walk us through your approach to commissioning and publishing books on cinema and how you aim to capture the essence of Indian cinema through your work?

Shantanu: It is one of the toughest genres to crack, apart from literary fiction. At least in the latter, you have prestigious awards that give the author monetary benefits. We are a film-mad nation, but that extends only to watching. Most people do not read books on cinema unless they are salacious biographies or celebrity autobiographies. At the same time, there are so many cinemas in India. Hindi cinema is just one part. Other languages have an even lesser readership. I would like to publish a book on a great Malayalam director or a big Bengali star. But the question is: where are the readers? I was fortunate that when I started publishing on cinema, there was a sizeable interest in cinema writing. I was privileged to publish first-time writers on aspects and artists that were not celebrity-driven. I could publish on Satyajit Ray and Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi. I could publish on Suchitra Sen R.D. Burman and Sahir Ludhianvi. All the writers whose debut works I published are now established names in writing on cinema in the country. However, the game has changed. Most publishers now want to authorize celeb bios. It makes for some boring publishing.

Frontlist: As both an editor and author, how do you navigate the creative process? How do you balance the responsibilities of editing others' work while also nurturing your own creative endeavors?

Shantanu: Editing, if you love it, can be a creative process. It is fascinating to see your input shape a book. In my case, I have been fortunate enough to have a career as a writer of books, cinema, and music simultaneously. I love poetry and spend a lot of time reading and writing poetry. I love cinema, and I watch films and write about them. I have very little time free to do nothing. Either I am editing books or writing my stuff. It is tiring at times, but a byline in a column or a published poem makes up for all the weariness. Both aspects feed into each other – the writing informs the editing, and lessons gleaned from editing I put to use in my writing.

Frontlist: What are some of the biggest challenges writers face today? How can editors act as catalysts to help writers overcome these hurdles and tap into their creative wellspring?

Shantanu: Standing out in the crowd is the biggest challenge. With self-publishing and paid publishing, there is such a glut of content that even something exceptionally good gets buried. Before editors get into the picture, I think writers need to get their act together. Today, it seems like most of us are writing not for the sake of writing but to get published. And that has created a sea of mediocrity. More than the writing, it is the social media of writing that has become important. I do not understand why authors feel the need to post 'my book is in edits,' 'first draft is complete,' or 'looking at the proofs, ' etc., on social media. Writing is a process done in solitude. It has become a process of garnering likes on social media. As an editor, I often ask authors to spend time on the text. Rewrite, redo. And don't rush into publishing.

Frontlist: Winning the Editor of the Year Award is a remarkable achievement. Can you share some insights into the principles and values that guide your editorial style? How do you ensure that your work leaves a lasting impact on the publishing industry?

Shantanu: I just did my job. I love the process. Even after twenty years in the industry, a new book always gives me butterflies in the stomach. I am always mindful of the fact that an author has given me a part of herself; there's so much involved in that act. It's not like producing an FMCG good. I may fight with my author, and I do; I have had real disagreements – I have been called 'heavy-handed' by one of my favorite authors. But there's no doubt in my mind that the work is sacrosanct. And that I exist because of the author. Without an author, what's a publisher or editor? I am not sure my work has reached a state where it can leave a lasting impression. Maybe the authors I have commissioned, particularly in the cinema space, are something I am happy about. But there's so much more one could have done.

Frontlist: What are your thoughts on the evolving nature of storytelling? How can editors ensure that the joy of reading remains relevant and accessible in an age of digital distractions and ever-shorter attention spans?

Shantanu: That's a tough one. Some of the portals I write for actually ask me not to write more than 700-800 words because they say readers read just one scroll of the mobile! So, if you give up on long-form writing just because readers do not have the attention span, you are giving into the existing system instead of trying to change it. The generation today is caught up in a lot of things. I remember when I passed my class 12th exams, and for a couple of months after that, during my vacations, I did nothing but read books. Today, children go from the board exams to CUET, with no space for leisure. And, of course, everyone has a mobile, and there's an overload of content and information you are inundated under. I think the responsibility of ensuring a reading habit lies with a whole lot of stakeholders – teachers at school, parents at home, publishers (who should publish good books), editors who can guide you to good books, bookstores, like, say, Kunzum, which is doing yeoman's service in creating a community of readers.