An enormous void has been created in world cinema landscape with the passing of Mani Kaul, one of the greatest Indian filmmakers. The least we could do is to cherish his works, spread the word and discuss about them and keep his grand legacy alive.
Here are some writings by and interviews of Mani Kaul. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped bring these pieces on to the internet.
Writings
- “Communication” (Part of a symposium on THE CINEMA SITUATION, with Kumar Shahani, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal and Dileep Padgaonkar, 1977)
- “Towards a Cinematic Object” (Indian Cinema Super Bazaar, 1983)
- “Seen From Nowhere” (1991)
- “An Approach to Naukar Ki Kameez” (Part of a dossier on Mani Kaul by Cinemaya, 1996)
- “Beneath the Surface: Cinematography and Time” (Indian Horizons, 2008)
Interviews
- “…To Reach the Static” (J.S.Rao, Filmfare Magazine, 1992)
- “At the Flaherty” (Scott MacDonald, A Critical Cinema – 3, 1994)
- “Undivided Space” (Part of a dossier on Mani Kaul by Cinemaya, 1996)
- Assorted Videos (IFFK 2006, Osian 2007)
- Roundup at Film Studies for Free (Catherine Grant, 2011)
The Seventh Art 
July 6, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Thanks for posting this, JAFB. Not many people have an access to these, I hope we can find more. I do have few very old magazines like Cinema Vision and an issue of Art Filmmakers compilation. Plus an interview of his from the Indian Cinema Superbazaar. Will definitely put it online soon.
We must play our part.
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July 6, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Excellent stuff, Nitesh. Please do scan them if and when you can and upload them at Winds From The East. I’ll link it here right away.
Thanks.
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July 7, 2011 at 11:31 pm
I can’t believe he’s gone, what a huge loss to cinema as a whole – thanks for all these links, the best way we remember him is by celebrating all of his great work. Mani Kaul – may you rest in peace.
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July 7, 2011 at 11:40 pm
Truly, I was bewildered the whole day, especially given that I was chewing over his films the past two weeks.
R.I.P.
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July 10, 2011 at 12:33 am
I join you in mourning your celebrated countryman, Srikanth. Sounds like he’s made an incalcuable impression on you and so many others. As Sachin Gandhi has noted in his own testimonial, Kaul’s work was largely absent from cinema screenings and retrospectives in the West, despite his obvious veneration in India, where he was once a student of a director I love dearly: Ritwik Ghatak.
If I might ask, what do you consider to be his greatest films?
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July 10, 2011 at 12:40 am
Thank you Sam. I don’t think it would be right to call Kaul a celebrated filmmaker within his country since his films aren’t seen or discussed as widely as someone like, say, Ray.
My favorite Kaul film from among the ones I’ve seen is SIDDHESHWARI, closely followed by SATAH SE UTHATA AADMI. I’ve written something about them here if you are interested.
Regards.
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July 11, 2011 at 1:28 pm
where did you source these articles from?
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July 11, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Svetlana, I got most of these from underground torrent sites.
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July 15, 2011 at 8:31 pm
JAFB
I hadn’t heard of Mani Kaul until now. I will read your other piece on him and then try and see what I can. What I associate with Indian Cinema (Satyajit Ray, Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak) is an elegance and class.
I look forward to watching some of his work and coming back to read these articles.
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July 17, 2011 at 12:09 am
Stephen,
I hope you get to see them soon.
Cheers!
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May 12, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Excellent stuff.
I can’t thank you enough for these.
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May 2, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I am a film student,currently writing on Kaul’s aesthetics and ideology and I am eternally grateful to you for these precious documents.
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October 24, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Wonderfull upload JAFB.
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October 25, 2014 at 10:48 pm
Thanks
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May 27, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Great writings, JAFB.
Have you read this book called “Uncloven Space” (a series of conversations that Mani Kaul had with Udayan Vajpeyi in Hindi; translated to English by filmmaker Gurvinder Singh)?
Have been wanting to get hold of this book but it’s been impossible.
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May 27, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Hi sigloxx.
That is news to me. Thank you. Sounds like something I want to get my hands on right away.
Off I go hunting too.
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May 27, 2015 at 3:45 pm
sigloxx,
Yes, unfortunately this book does not seem to have been sold online . However, I see that the Hindi original ABHED AAKASH is still on sale in some websites. I’m ordering it in 3…2…1.
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June 22, 2015 at 1:33 pm
Hi sigloxx,
I got my hands on UNCLOVEN SPACE, through Gurvinder Singh on Facebook. Just thought you’d like to know.
Cheers!
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April 16, 2016 at 11:57 pm
Hi JAFB,
Great uploads! Can you share with us your new acquisition- this book UNCLOVEN SPACE? The ideas discussed in the current uploads are scintillating. Would love to read more.
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April 18, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Hi Amit,
I got a hard copy of the book, so I’m afraid I can share it. You can contact filmmaker Gurvinder Singh on Facebook if you’d like a copy.
Cheers.
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April 22, 2016 at 4:18 am
Will try my luck. Thanks though.
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August 21, 2020 at 5:52 pm
[21 August 2020] Updated broken links.
The Raza Foundation’s “Mani Kaul memorial lectures” here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22mani+kaul+memorial+lecture%22
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