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Vijaya Pushkarna
Vijaya Pushkarna

BOOK LAUNCH

'ABC Desi'... A different, yet fun way to learn the English alphabet

priti-paul Priti Paul with her book 'ABC Desi From India With Love'

ABCD―For long it has been recognised as an abbreviation for “American Born Confused Desi”. So when an invite came up for the launch of a book titled ABC Desi From India with Love, with the cover depicting a big blue baby Krishna, a peacock feather adorning his crown, it seemed apparent that it was about the religious takes of an ABCD.

It was when author Priti Paul spoke about her book that it became clear that it is actually about A B C D... up to Z. She spoke about her disenchantment with the idea of children today reading the same kind of books that she did as a child, and possibly her mother as well, to learn the letters of the English alphabet and about being inspired by the way similar books were in France. But to make them relevant to children today, and especially the children in India, C was not only for car, but also cow. Q was for Queen, but Jhansi Rani. Paul spoke about Y for Yoga, and Make in India etc.

What makes the book even more appealing is the artwork done by the Bollywood poster painters on large canvases. She has got them to do it all, with possibly the only change being that there is a lot of white space around instead of the typically covered canvas. Priti is happy that she was able to delay―to an extent―the death of such poster paintings.

Her sons, who grew up in Marrakesh, are as much her inspiration and part of her ideation. This coupled with inspiration from France, made it ideal that her book launch was hosted at the French Embassy by Alexandre Ziegler, the Ambassador of France to India.

The book is hardly about ABCD. At Rs 6,000, anyone who can buy it can understand cat and yatch, and does not need to be shown a cow or yoga. But it is definitely a collector's item―a book of art.

Anita-Ratnam Anita Ratnam during her performance

The book was adapted delightfully in a neo-Bharatanatyam fused with a theatre performance by Anita Ratnam, who brought the letters of the alphabet to life in a fun-packed interactive manner.

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Topics : #books

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