'Grand Masti': From reel to bookshelves

Harlequin India Thursday launched the book "Grand Masti: The Fun Never Ends" which is based on the upcoming Bollywood adult comedy "Grand Masti".

Joining hands with film producer Maruti International, the publication house has added this book in the erotic imprint: Spice. It is written by Neha Puntambekar.

Terming this "reverse spin", Harlequin India Country Head and Publishing Director Amrita Chowdhury told IANS the tie-up was an attempt to tap new markets where the readers would want to know more about the movie.

"Usually, we have films based on books, but there are many things in a film that can't be communicated to the audience. This tie-up is complementary to what you will watch in the film," she pointed out.

"The novel will talk about characters: How they met and focus on areas that are not shown in the film. It will take off from where the film begins or ends. These are original episodes and not in the movie," she added.

Chowdhury said there would be many more similar tie-ups in the future. She said, "...but it all will depend on the ethos and sensibilities of the two brands matching."

The trio of Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh had featured in the Indra Kumar-directed 2004 film "Masti" that had left the audience in splits.

They are now back in its sequel, "Grand Masti", to release Sep 13.

Another book, 'Satyagraha: The Story Behind the Revolution", based on the film directed by Prakash Jha, was launched here. The book traces the months of hard work, fun on the sets, costume crises and other events that tell behind-the-scene tales.