Fourteen Years with Boss

Ashokamitran looks back at the people, incidents and everyday workings of Gemini Studios with warmth, irony and sharp observation. The book offers an intimate glimpse into the culture of the film industry while also capturing the social atmosphere of mid-twentieth-century Madras.

Ashokamitran was one of the most distinguished contemporary Tamil writers. Over a prolific career beginning in 1955, he wrote more than 250 short stories, numerous novels and novellas, essays and columns. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996, and several of his works have been translated into English and other languages.

The memoir recalls Ashokamitran’s years working at Gemini Studios, founded by the multifaceted S. S. Vasan. Rather than simply documenting the film industry, the author brings its world alive through memorable characters, amusing incidents and observations about ambition, creativity and workplace relationships. The result is both a valuable record of Indian cinema and a deeply engaging portrait of a vanished era.