As Rushdie’s Satanic Verses breaks ban, backstory on how I got blamed for it, and a movie in Karachi

#CutTheClutter
Banned in India till recently, Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses has hit the bookshelves in Khan Market. In Episode 1579 of CutTheClutter, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks back at his involvement in publishing Madhu Jain's review of the book, leading to protests by Syed Shahabuddin, ban on the book and shows of revenge movie International Gorillay in Pakistan.
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Read Antara Baruah's article here: theprint.in/fe...
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Read Madhu Jain's Open Magazine article here: openthemagazin...
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Read Shekhar Gupta's piece on Salman Rushdie's movie here: www.indiatoday...[…]re-film-on-islam-revenge-on-salman-rushdie-812670-1990-06-14
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Read Madhu Jain's book review of Satanic Verses here: www.indiatoday...
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[@ThePrintIndia]

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[@KarlRock]

Your stories are fascinating Shekhar. Especially for people like me who weren’t there at the time. A memoir by you would be a great read.

[@soumaSR]

True. Especially his insights on Punjab and North East India are pretty much unparalleled among Indian journalists.

[@prateeshpandey3100]

Why is karl rock so interested in Indian politics??? Something fishy😊

[@Uneducatedopinion57]

The book should not have been banned in the first place

[@BertRussie]

Yes. Wendy Doniger's book on Hinduism also.

[@Anton-tf9iw]

Shekhar Gupta is an innocent sicular; limited mind he confesses but all over the media till old age...

[@Subutai1990]

​@@BertRussie no ....Islam is a disease ...it must be exposed

[@Peace_keeper112]

No book should

[@a6hiji7]

​@@BertRussiewhich book are you talking about?

[@parvadhami980]

Rajeev was such a spineless politician A brute majority yet pampered Communalism again and again. The worst PM of India

[@rext8949]

You forgot 56" Modani - singlehandedly he has handed 14 lakh crores to the oligarchs in the form of NPAs . As for guts he didn't last 5 minutes on Karan Thapar's show; still waiting for him to make his debut in a press conference . While Manipur burns this man is gallivanting in foreign countries . That's called fearlessness with a teleprompter.

[@BasEkKafir]

​@@rext8949 ok pedophile mohhamad

[@DataCrusade1999]

Bhakt spotted

[@parvadhami980]

@@DataCrusade1999 troll got triggered

[@Morpheus2020]

​@@rext8949😂😂😂😂 keep blabing PAPPU talking point ,nobody care. In 2029 Modi hi ayegi. Because ek Hai to safe Hai, batugi to katohgi Ek Hai to

[@thomashunter5645]

India finally became secular after the lifting of the ban.

[@BertRussie]

No. Wendy Doniger's book on Hinduism is still banned

[@xcel5203]

The chicken and egg story- without the ban it would have simply sailed quietly on its own merit but the notoriety that the proscribing lent it ,sent it soaring up the bestseller's list .

[@HumanBeing-jj3mc]

Your way of formulating sentence is impressive

[@13_23_D]

But the cost of it was too high for Mr Rushdie...

[@Anton-tf9iw]

Secular country??

[@sekarb2102]

99.9% of the protesters never read the book. Agree with Shekar the “magical realism” style is unreadable.

[@OhMyDawkins]

It sold 2 million Hardcopies in 1 week, even before paperback was published. Rushdie was rich with Midnight's Children money, he became super rich because of The Satanic Verses

[@BharatThatIsIndia]

People like Syed Shahabuddi are a real problem for muslims. At least the goon of Sivan Shabuddin was a goon and did not pretend to save the religion. But this Syed Shahabuddi who has not only got modern education, served in IFS and still wanted his community to remain in those perils.

[@sumondutta1101]

Was he a cause or an effect?

[@aanakrukavi]

Radical Muslims are Snake and Moderate Muslims are grass were snake resides.

[@Prasad_S_Joshi]

Yes, Sivan’s Shahabuddin once told in AAP kinAdalat that I may be a criminal but not the traitor. Syed Shahabuddin was the one who always talked agaist Vande Mataram.

[@Ayushraj-h5k]

​@@Prasad_S_Joshi its siwan

[@iaf010]

He was a classic Pakistani who remained in India.

[@BharatThatIsIndia]

The rise of the BJP can be attributed to the Shahbano case.

[@PanakaluPoonakam]

And also rampant terrorism during UPA I & II when common man felt helpless. Before you say UPA II was voted in 2009 despite 26/11, let me remind you that the alternative BJP was in a disarray and had not highlighted the issues of security as a campaign topic. We from AP (Hyderabad) experienced t@rrorism arising out of Bangladesh between 2006-2008 and the worst was Gokul Chat and Lumbini Garden b0mb blasts. That changed Hyderabadis in a significant way. Those days and simultaneous rise of Social Media gave away to intense discussions on "why this t@rrorism" and people discovered "green boys" and their gazwa-e-hind agenda. And there was no looking back. India has changed irrevocably. I hope I was able to convey my ideas. Cheers and best wishes!

[@BharatThatIsIndia]

@@PanakaluPoonakam BJP was already in power before UPA. So it was not the reason. Also, the terrism in India during that period was a global phenomenon. Check the terrorist activities in NDA1. Parliament attack happened in that era. USA was attacked, Britain, France etc all were attacked during those times., both NDA and UPA. Then the world took action and after the 2010 terrorist attack reduced and u can compare 2010 to 2015 with 2000 to 2005.

[@udayanbadola7077]

One of the reasons.

[@basedbased8430]

This ban shouldn't have existed in the first place. If there's anything that's anti-Islam then it should be avoided by Muslims no need to ask for a ban but when asked for a ban it will ultimately lead to it being more popularised just like in this book case. If the Muslims around the world simply would've ignored this book. This book would've been irrelevant a long time ago. Asking for a "Ban" is the most Low IQ move anyone can make.

[@keyurpatel1982]

Muhammad was a disgusting human being. He doesn't deserve respect

[@bilalbaig8586]

The book portrayed the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (who are the spiritual mothers of all Muslims) as prostitutes. I want to know what reaction the Hindus would have if a book came out protraying Sita or some other female goddess as a prostitute.

[@parvadhami980]

​@@bilalbaig8586MF Hussain's painting shows the same

[@sooraj1497]

His slow pace is - 250 pages in 10hrs on a moving train

[@jagadishsharma3521]

😂😂

[@manohargajananan6988]

Only thanks to the ban , I read the book that i would otherwise not have bothered with 30 years back !

[@PanakaluPoonakam]

No, actually you should read Rushdie and his works. He is master story teller. Cheers and best wishes!

[@OhMyDawkins]

​@@PanakaluPoonakamVery difficult to read. I read his memoir and essay collections, loved them, fiction is just too difficult.

[@AgnelKurian]

Actual video starts around 4:30

[@jagdishramanathan2091]

it was a book that was banned without being read .just like some aasmani kitab which is obeyed without being read .💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@dealsisle]

Freedom of expression, however displeasing it may be, is absolutely essential for the survival of democracy

[@msdadsfsx]

Freedom of eating beef?

[@idk-ll6yv]

Yeah beef should also not be banned and same goes for pork or anything ​@@msdadsfsx

[@jackshrimp]

Sataniv Verses shld never have been banned in India, as India is a secular, democratic country. However its the greatest appeasement politics by Congress party

[@bcramakrishnamaiya9972]

I purchased it for ₹100 in footpath in Mumbai in 1992. printing was very bad as it is illegally copied. the books language and story telling format was very contrived.

[@vinoddas5674]

The book is yet to be made available on Amazon and similar platforms

[@SkpalTube]

Already available

[@manucsharma]

What about Khushwant Singhs role, and the fact Midnights Children had mocked Indira and Sanjay Gandhi ?

[@2010anilshukla]

Delicious episode! Merry Christmas!!

[@theyogiic]

No book is banned in internet era i already had a copy

[@anuradhainamdar8967]

I have read some books of Salman Rushdie like Midnight children, Enchantress of Florence, Moor's last sign, and in reality like Shekar Kapur don't have the intellect to grasp them fully, but liked Midnight children, since there was humour in it, but I feel that no books should be banned and before forming a opinion on them we must read them, Rajiv Gandhi should have appointed a committee of Indians authors who should have, after reading the book, given a opinion on it, just as in western countries they do it, also if Indians feel that muslims protests and calling for burning the book unjustified, than even Shiv sena government should unban books on Shivaji that has been Unessararily ban.

[@VijayPatil-tz3cr]

Sayed sahabuddin was a muslim activist 😂😂 yes but if it's a Hindu man or a Hindu organization then the Darbaari media uses a different yard stick😂😂. Mohammad zubair:- who made Nupoor Sharma a target for jihadist in a similar fashion. Well he is also an activist and a so called reporter 😂😂. I can see the pattern here 🤔.

[@Unknown-c8x5i]

Please sir, cover the shiksha satyagraha(BPSC 70th Pre Re exam protest) ongoing in Gardanibagh Patna, 7 Students are on an indefinite hunger strike..at least listen to them and raise their voice🙏🙏

[@Obelix5658]

SR has the guts to call a book what it is.

[@narayanans2636]

Shekhar ji great story telling. Speaking about books l read PJ O'Rourke after you had recommended him in cut the clutter. Do keep recommending books also show your bookshelf sometime so we can pick up some nuggets

[@sriniseshan9807]

One key takeaway from this story is - " there is no truth in any of their reports only conditional biases "

[@mamdhata1614]

Nothing is to be believed until itnis officially denied.

[@anupamkandwal6969]

Oh my god. You are like an old wine. Just when i thought the video was over , you came and started telling about "international gurrielay" . And man I laughed so much. Just amazing story telling.

[@rahuelstone4639]

Nice to see that the in your face, eyesore branding is no longer there. Mr. Gupta, you are a true Legend when it comes to history. You not only have covered many stories in the past, but are part of the story in some cases like this one.

[@orunabho]

Controversies are good publicity ;-) but banning books spoils it. Yes, no books can be banned.

[@panzerofthelake506]

If they want to ban a book for hate speech, then there's one book that inspires hundreds of violent hate crimes every year.

[@trishulmawa]

Loved the way you narrated the movie plot. Going to watch it right away.

[@Amarjeet1970]

Wowsters!! After that movie review, I'd want to watch it too. Especially with a young Barbara Shariff in it!!

[@balkrishnamudaliar3183]

I must say that you have perfected the gossipy image.

[@BHELISG-c5s]

"I"..."I"..."I"..."I"..."I"..."I"... Too many times using "I"...and "me" makes everyone sick. Please avoid it.

[@shubs3566]

Well it's his story, isn't it boss?

[@2010anilshukla]

Everyone? You can only speak for yourself brother so replace “everyone” with “me” 😃

[@BHELISG-c5s]

@@2010anilshukla Possibly you are vaccinated against listening to "I"s......😊😄😂😅😁

[@BHELISG-c5s]

@@shubs3566 Ya. Let him fill his whole session with "I"s only, Nothing else. No other content.

[@dkblaze9072]

It's still not available on Amazon.

[@vaidyasethuraman452]

Rajiv , typical grand son of Nehru, wired inside for muslim votes. Continues now with his wife and children , with more intent.

[@sam0760000]

Why are you risking shop owner's life 1:15?

[@rajeevgangal542]

For those calling it not to be banned, i agree. Let people decide but whether something is fiction or history should be made clear. Will we also allow well researched books on Shivaji and other historical figures to be made available too? Will people here support it? I hope so.

[@voicification]

Sense is finally prevailing.

[@sreenii5445]

Hope Congressmen buy copies of the book and understand what is freedom of expression which they always cry about and also allow sale of the book in few states ruled by them especially Telengana and Karnataka.

[@funtanu]

Loved this. A serious talk with light tadka.

[@thottankaraharidasannair6290]

A very good story and review after a long time apart from politics and policies. Good work indeed.

[@raghurampillarisetty7529]

With all of these experiences, how can Shekar Gupta still long for Aman ? 😮

[@Shva927]

The article on the film is unavailable

[@umangdesai4136]

Maine nahi kiya tha. Mujhe kuch nahi pata. Main Islam ke baare mein kuch nahi jaanta. Mujhe matt maarna!

[@bimkivi]

but where to get it from , no book seller no online store is willing to take the risk ,

[@TheKumarbharat]

Shekhar sir really comes into form when reviewing a movie 🤣! The cheesier the movie, the better!

[@saurabh9913]

Pls don't say "I love sports". if you need to, say I love "cricket"...its more organic. Bcz at moments you do give references to cricket, and not football, the biggest sport known on the planet. God bless you and I hope someday you'll cover what's happening in Indian football, and you'll be surprised with the findings, if you don't know already

[@RanjuS-u3q]

Bhai, what’s this, poora Pakistani movie ka plot bataa diya SG ne !! Waste of time. I came here hoping to learn something about the Rushdie magnum opus but no, SG had his bakwaas to share !!

[@IridiumFlare-wy1do]

I find it sad to observe that Shekhar Gupta is the least impressive anchor in theprint with meandering statements and not coming to the point at all. We can read the memoirs when they get published. Why must we suffer through them now. Your group of journalists are far superior to you sir. An unfortunate fact, but a fact nonetheless.

[@viswanathanseshadri1047]

Political secularist i.e. Mixing secularism and politics is worse than mixing religion and politics. Mixing politics and secularism was the reason you processing secularism couldn't bring yourself to take a stand against blasphemy then in 1989. Mixing secular and politics is the reason you were encouraging blasphemy madness today as in Nupur Sharma case because well, it is directed against your political rivals. The withdrawal of the ban on that book is not an arrival of a new principled stance. That book has just outlived its oomph factor. There are many other bogeymen and women today carrying the cross of blasphemy, encouraged and patronised by the "secular" forces. Including SG

[@a6hiji7]

Is not that contradictory? Secularism is about not mixing religion in politics.

[@rameshkhanna8150]

And what wrong Madhu Jain did that Salman Rushdi has stopped talking to her? Only a review with his permission.

[@abhinashkumar3161]

Is it available on amazon ?

[@stdew07]

Safai woh hi deta hai jiska guilty conscience hota hai. Pehle mujhe pata nahi tha lekin abb yakeen hai ki iss sabke peeche Coupta ji ka hi chicchorapan hai.

[@biharitrader8805]

Such an apt title

[@sekarb2102]

The Pakistani film story was more of a torture than the book itself.

[@andoird9452]

Stoking all the fires movie, book etc

[@saumyavinayak979]

Sir what is this hyphened journalism..please also call Madhu jain ..let's hear her side of the story

[@zigzagzog100]

Gupta ji has all knowledge except WAQF... Waiting for his CTC..on waqf...

[@nissinlilbabybeandoc1285]

ordering one book right now

[@anuprungta8181]

If one dispassionately analyses his tenure, there were very few pluses and lots of blunders during his tenure Congress likes to portray him as great leader and martyr Actually he was none I don’t want to use harsh language for the dead Greatness was actually thrust upon him, he was not

[@a6hiji7]

He started with the massacre of Sikhs. What more is needed?

[@ramp6287]

Its ok to reminiscence but what remains of the novel in question is just a skeleton. I will never read it.

[@ramp6287]

Modi is far more astute and statesman like in many ways than all the Congress PM's put together. Its not that he didn't commit any blunders.

[@rajeshdaviyal4602]

Salman Sir wouldn't like this but Madhu Jain somewhere responsible for making him this big. He would have been big on his own but not this big. There is no such thing as bad PR. He has become an household name thanks to Madhu Jain but no thanks bcz at the cost of his life threatening attacks

[@OhMyDawkins]

He was big, known and famous before _The Satanic Verses_ . Midnight's Children and Shame were both bestsellers. The fatwa made him rich and his life difficult. The fatwa made him known to people who otherwise had nothing to do with English Literature.

[@OhMyDawkins]

Your apology is as bad as you act was.

[@rajeshdaviyal4602]

This is not the way to do it SG. You can't spoil International Guerilla for me. At least give spoiler alert for god sake.

[@dattasaichukkaluru4124]

😅😅

[@prakashtiwari8003]

I would love review of The satanic verses.

[@gopaakrishnanmvenkataraman9129]

Mixing journalism with. Agenda is a paying profession

[@supdasaaf]

What a waste of an episode 😅...

[@a6hiji7]

Really 😂.... I don't know what I listened to 😂... Maybe less waste than watching that crap film!

[@MrArunbharatram]

How does one become a KZbin member of the Print Arun Bharat Ram

[@DurgaPrasad-ol6gy]

Very good movie, that International Gorillay 😂😂

[@AJAYSINGH-pw5qk]

U could be a film writer in the subcontinent

[@anuchugh31]

Coupta sir, you did similar thing in 1984 so how much ever you say, you can’t be believed. You have not changed even after becoming old

[@mamdhata1614]

You have to pay now to listen to propaganda, Mr. Coupta?

[@firstergurjeet]

You are a habitual offender. " REMEMBER YOUR STORY ON ARMY PLANNING A COUP during Gen V K Singh's time" So Ms Madhu Jain was probably not very far from TRUTH

[@drtirthesh]

Disappointing episode. No worth information offered. Nostalgic rants….

[@mamdhata1614]

No Guantanamo bay type?

[@gaganjits]

Oh gawd uff you need to stay on point .. unnecessary dribble about train story … am out

[@rgg1642]

In 28 min video you talked about for 4-5 min of amitav Ghosh which was not related to the core of the video!!!

[@a6hiji7]

All the talks on magic realism are also irrelevant. Rushdie is a footnote mention in the history of writers who adopted magic realism. He is nothing before the likes of Marquez who were also highly popular. Rushdie and Amitav Ghosh should not be used to talk about magic realism.

[@KantilalPatel-o1j]

Many good stories of your experiences You should think about writing a book about your life experience stories Thank you

[@RajeevSingh-lw3zq]

How innocent...😂😂😂

[@DeepakSharma-su6gc]

Too many I’s

[@nagbalkur1365]

Why single out banning of this book alone. I think you should cover banning arrest by all governments since 1947 all for vote bank politics and to protect the family. I do agree that acts in 1980s broke the camels back and new generation voters like me realized all this talk is nothing but vote bank politics and a whole generatons whose parents were congress supporters moved away from the party

[@idk-ll6yv]

Yeah

[@saradaramsatyavada4943]

Very interesting, thank you Sir👍🏽👌🏽

[@shamikbhattacharyya6265]

SEKHAR SIR , KHAN MARKET IS BECOMING TOO SEXY 😋 WHAT DO YOU THINK WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON ?

[@venkatiyer8505]

Shekhar ji, my story is I found a copy of the Satanic verses and read it in the early 90s. I struggled with the book, and didn’t quite know why. Today I heard about Magic Realism for the first time, heard your experience, looked it up and now I know why I struggled. I don’t have it in me either to absorb this style of writing…

[@OhMyDawkins]

Same, I loved his essay collections, both memoirs: knife and Joseph Anton, and i love his talks, binge-watched on KZbin. But his fiction is very difficult to read.

[@mamdhata1614]

It is a boring book

[@kallachi729]

Interesting story Shekhar…. You are battle hardened alright…. Gripping narration had got a copy before the ban set in…

[@gbhut]

Shekhar coupta explaining why he is so shit scared talking about islamic bigotry 😂😂

[@mamdhata1614]

Achha mother Teresa wali laser aakhanen? The filmy story is boring.

[@Prasad_S_Joshi]

Very funny, entertaining

[@shobhitkaul8076]

Dunno why women shirk responsibility and push blame on others

[@amehta1915]

Lovely introspection and reflection

[@indijones14]

First comment 😅

[@satyacharakani9497]

Second comment

[@Aditya_0211]

Fourth Comment

[@rishiraj5362]

Third Comment

[@1008apocalypse1008]

Fifth comment

[@mohammedsaifuddin-n1b]

In another 100 years, people will not know who was Salman Rushdie what was his criticism but will know Islam, because it will continue to grow. Maybe it will be number 1 religion by then.

[@AbuTahirQaramitahQarmatians]

Along with it people will come to know what unscientific, copied material, and ridiculousness it teaches also. 99% of muslims cannot follow islam because it is simply impossible because even muhmad could not follow it and many times could not pray or follow shariah and gave many exceptions. At the end of the day, muhamedanism is like a school bully, when you fight back , it will run away like a coward.

[@cogito9350]

Nice , better not to go after people's life

[@AbuTahirQaramitahQarmatians]

read the kyuran properly, and ask yourself, yajuaj majuaj iron wall, barak fly ing donn keey, sven sleepers sleeping for four hundred years are really true? even zul qarnan who is alexander was a zeus worshiper who drank wine and ate pfork daily.

[@abhimanyugupta9174]

Maybe after 100 years all become educated and leave cults and follow true religion that is humanity. By the way there is no proud in becoming number one in population. Don't you see what happens in Palestine by small Israel surrounded by islamic nations

[@AbuTahirQaramitahQarmatians]

even if thats true, you will not be spared , becaue history has shown us that new muslims always dominate old ones, like muawiya and khalid dominating ali lol

[@sudhirpandey263]

SG , you are also not doodh ka dhula. Just for personal ambition you people set the nation, this time world on fire