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Creative
visions Once Upon a Time in
Doon: Writings from the Green Valley
Once Upon a Time has contribution by names that any anthology would be proud to boast of. David Keeling, Rakesh Bahadur, Arijit Banerji, Bikram Grewal, Nayantara Sahgal, Ramachandra Guha, Ganesh Saili, Himmat. S. Dhillon, Sumanta Banerjee, Kunal Verma, Florance Pandhi, Karan Thapar, Dev Lahiri, Irwin Allen Sealy, Victor Banerjee, Bill Aitkin, Palash Krishna Mehrotra, Raj Kanwar and Upendra Arora. And of course, could any anthology about Doon be complete without a story from that wanderer of the hills, Ruskin Bond, who is also the editor of the book? Thus, we have a bouquet of visions of the same place from the perspectives of educationists, an actor, award-winning authors, a travel writer, a TV anchor, a businessman, and a civil servant. Bond’s introduction of this anthology of Doon reminiscences sums up the essence of the collection: "Most of the contributors to this volume have lived in Doon long enough to witness the changes that have taken place. There is nostalgia here, and history too and social change." The distinctive styles of writing and the diverse experiences make the book a kaleidoscope of colours of the Doon Valley, interesting and delightful in its variety and vision. In The Long and Winding Road, for example, David Keeling rues the "desecration of Doon," as he describes in detail the Rajpur Road, the backbone of town that journeys from the Clock Tower to Rajpur village. Himmat .S. Dhillon describes Doon as "a place, yes, but so much more than just another place on the map." He relates the ‘ancient associations’ that the place has in Dehra Dun—A Magical Walk Down Memory Lane. What anthology can be complete without a few shivers and ghosts to haunt the pages? So, we have Touch of the Vanished Hand by Rakesh Bahadur and Travelling with a Phantom by Sumanta Banerjee. An enjoyable piece of on his experiences at Doon School has been contributed by Karan Thapar who narrates separate experiences and associations with Vikram Seth, the Founder’s Day at school, speeches by Arun Shourie, Morarji Desai and Amitabh Bachchan, and how time and again, through his life he is reminded of his links with his school. On a completely different note, Raj Kanwar writes about Nehru’s Love Affair with Dehra Dun. In Milk Rusk to Maharaja Mac, Palash Krishna Mehrotra, takes a dekko at the "English speaking junta of the city and examines the concept of what he calls "Mcjobs." Well, every writer has a different way of looking at life and every story hides a surprise. The prose varies from vigorous to gentle; there is nostalgia, fun and sadness. Once Upon a Time is an easy read. It’s not just about the place but the world views of 20 writers, whose association with Dehra Doon has brought them together.
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DEHRA
Dun in particular and the Doon valley in general have acquired a
larger-than-life image and now we have this anthology of stories that
touch upon the life, loves and legends of this very special place in the
hills. The jacket promises that "this book is of interest to one
who has journeyed through the valley and explored it. It will be doubly
so to those who have lived in it." However, as a person who has
just driven through Doon on her way to Mussorie, this reviewer can add
that the book would be of interest to any reader, since it contains the
writings of so many eminent and good writers.