• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • REVIEWS
    • TRAILERS
  • BUSINESS
  • CELEBRITIES
  • HOLLYWOOD
  • REGIONAL
  • TV
  • MUSIC
  • TOP LISTS

Bollywood Presents

Exotic locations where popular Bollywood movies were shot

You are here: Home / Directory Listings / Sherlock Holmes Society of India (SHSI)

Sherlock Holmes Society of India (SHSI)

June 29, 2016 by BollywoodPresents Team

As monsoon clouds hover, do they put you in mind of a good Sherlockian mystery? The unforgettable detective created over a century ago is celebrated by the Sherlock Holmes Society of India

Fan clubs are not limited to sports and sportsmen. A colleague enlightened me about the Sherlock Holmes Society of India (SHSI) whose members are devoted to the legendary detective character created in 1887 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It stirred my curiosity and set me reminiscing about when my father read out “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” to me. Similar is the case of Sumal Surendranath, the founder and president of the society. “I fell in love with Holmes when I read ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’ as part of my textbook. Thereafter, I pestered my father to buy the entire collection,” said Sumal. His devotion can be gauged by his precise memory of purchasing the collection on April 4, 1988.

It was during his Army posting in Shillong, feeling a tad lonely and mess-bound in the heavy rains, that he launched SHSI online on May 28, 2001. “I decided to start the group to share my love for Sherlock Holmes with my countrymen,” he says.

“Initially the Yahoo group was confined to my friends and associates. With earnest discussion on Holmes canons (the original 56 short stories and four novels of Sir Arthur), more people joined. With SHSI featuring in Google search it gained traction,” explains Sumal, the society’s founder-president. Literary works by other writers featuring Holmes are termed pastiche.

The two-fold aim of SHSI is to propagate studies on Holmes in India and introduce him to a vast readership not familiar with him. It boasts 212 members of which 50 are active. “We attract passionate members, each having high scholarship. There are lawyers, businessmen, professors, school and college going students from different parts of the country,” says Sumal, a law graduate who works in the Indian Coast Guard as a law officer.

Interestingly, in the U.K. and Europe those well versed with Holmes are referred to as Holmesians and in the U.S. and other countries they are denoted as Sherlockians.



A bi-annual e-magazine “Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge” (see box) was launched in June 2013. The name was suggested by the senior-most member, businessman Kumar Bhatia, and accepted for the Indian connection. It was inspired from Conan Doyle’s second novel “The Sign of the Four” (1890) in which a key character Major John Sholto who retired from the Indian Army (34th Bombay Infantry) lives at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood, Britain. The magazine’s editor is Jayantika Ganguly. Plans are afoot to bring out a print version too.

Dr. Pinaki Roy, Assistant Professor of English, Malda College, joined in February 2005. He has received a doctorate for his comparative study between Byomkesh Bakshi and Sherlock Holmes in 2006. The study is available under the title “The Manichean Investigators: Postcolonial and Culture Rereading of The Sherlock Holmes and Byomkesh Bakshi Stories”.

“I was enamoured by his method of deduction and vigorous outdoor activities,” he comments, adding, “I write in local newspapers about the SHSI and goad my Facebook friends to join it.”

Delhi-based lawyer Satyajit Gupta became a member in 2009. “I had read online about SHSI and as I was a die-hard follower of Conan Doyle I decided to join.” He became a fan after reading the novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (initially serialised in 1901-02) that he received as a prize in school. “Gradually I read the entire collection. In fact, when bored still I re-read the stories.” As to why he loves Holmes, he said: “The combination of the brilliant mind, who is aloof, recluse and has been attracted to only one woman (Irene Adler, ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, 1891) — his entire package is enchanting.”

The forum discusses each story in detail, going down to the minor and smallest nuances, including trivia. A topic suggested by a moderator (there are six active ones) is debated by members. For example, the medical abilities of Holmes’ companion and chronicler Dr. Watson have been thoroughly scrutinised by the members.

Of late there have been many films, serials and pastiches which feature Holmes and Watson but these don’t stick to the original characters and plots. Says Sumal, “Though I am a conservative Sherlockian, the British Granada series (1984) starring Jeremy Brett was the truest depiction. The serials and movies have attracted new fans who, hopefully will go on to read the original.” Jayantika likes “Sherlock” (2010) the British TV drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and describes it as “the truest adaptation though set in the modern world”. She finds Robert Downey Jr’s character in the action mystery films as a “cross between Holmes and James Bond, but it is fun.” Satyajit says, “Some pastiches are good while others are not. Overall these are great motivators for people to go back to the original. I liked ‘The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes’ by Jamyang Norbu.” Pinaki Roy too supports these, as they help in popularising the original works.

The SHSI members met for the first time at Mumbai during its annual two-day meet in August 2013. Unfazed by the attendance of three members and around 10 non-members, the second edition is planned for one day in August this year in Delhi. “We will discuss the future strategies and plans for SHSI and also hold dialogue about our favourite literary character.”

SHSI is connected with the other societies based in London, France, Czech, Hungry, US and Canada and there is a regular exchange of discussions, material, photographs and articles with them.

Holmes was portrayed using cocaine and morphine. The members were unanimously stated that All the members spoken to were unanimous in their opinion that one, it was legal during the 19th Century and two he indulged in it only when he was inactive. Sumal says, “It was more psychological than physiological,” with Jayantika chipping that “Holmes used these to get over the boredom when there was no case and he never them when he was professionally busy.” Satyajit remarks that this showed that the character with such a brilliant mind was after all human. in weakness.

The founder summarised the devotion of the fans thus, “We do celebrate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but officially we believe that Holmes was a living character, Dr. Watson the chronicler of his adventures and Sir Arthur merely a literary agent.”

(The web link: www.sherlockholmessociety.in)

Lodged in Memory

The e-magazine “Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge” was launched with the objective of encouraging Indian scholarship on Sherlock Holmes. “The periodicity was pegged at two in a year since we could not get enough articles and contributions for either the monthly or quarterly version,” says Sumal. adding “though we get enough contributions, short stories, photos, sketches, drawings, poems, riddles, etc in six months.” The present Volume 2 issue one dated June 1, 2014 has 89 pages.

Jayantika Ganguly, a corporate lawyer based in Kolkata is the editor who joined SHSI on February 2013. “I was hooked on to Holmes after reading ‘The Adventure of Blue Carbuncle’ and within a week I read all the works in an illustrated book,” she said. When asked about her editorial responsibilities, she answered in a humorous vein, “nag people for articles and contributions”. Jokes aside, she compiles the contributions, short stories, photos, sketches, drawings, riddles, etc and does a fair amount of editing, with help from Sumal and some other members. A number of contributions are taken from other fraternal societies. “Sumal is in touch with the Canadian, Swedish, Italian organisations while I interact with the Czech, Hungarian, UK and US societies,” remarked the editor.

Jayantika has written “The Holmes Sutra” on the occasion of 160th birthday of the detective and it is a compilation of 160 aphorisms giving glimpses of memorable moments of investigations and stories. , some original, some canonical, some based on various print and media adaptations. The second part of the book has Holmes Mania Quotient which defines one’s addiction to Holmes.

She looks forward to attending the Delhi meet and has created a calendar to commemorate the event.

thehindu.com

Filed Under: Directory Listings

RELATED POSTS

Basis of Visual Art

Intro to Visual Art for wannabe art directors: Basis of Advertising, Painting, Architecture and Posters, an integral part of any movie / film making. How Do you Define It? Visual Art has long been a source of peace and prosperity for many people in this world. For years artists have observed the aesthetics, beauty, sorrow, […]

Bollywood filmmakers feel shooting abroad has several advantages, including being cheaper

We all know that most Yash Raj & Karan Johar films are shot at beautiful locations abroad, but now, more and more directors are opting to shoot abroad. Filmmaker Prakash Jha gets his music recorded abroad Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who’s known to make hard-hitting movies that are only filmed in India, agrees that it’s cheaper […]

Video: Geeta Phogat’s real gold-winning fight in Commonwealth Games

Watch wrestler Geeta Phogat’s real wrestling match in the Commonwealth Games that fetched her the gold medal. There’s hardly anyone who has something negative to say about the movie Dangal. Now that most of you have seen the movie, I’m sure you would love to see footage of the original wrestling match. Here’s the video […]

Salman Khan’s Facebook Page Offers Jobs: Traffic Surge Crashes the Site

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan loves going out of his way to help others, and he tried to do the same on his Facebook page. Apparently, the Khan, touched by the plight of his fans on his FB page, who had sent job requests, tweeted that he’s trying to get them placed through friends (if they […]

Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas wedding

Priyanka & Nick would often travel across the world to meet, even if it was for a day

travel across the world to meet Now that Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas are happily married, Priyanka Chopra revealed in an interview recently how the two maintained their relationship despite living in countries that are in different continents. The most important think is to make time for each other, says Priyanka. In this case, the […]

maldives

Bollywood movies shot in Maldives

Bollywood in Maldives

Mrinal Sen

Remembering legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen

While he may not be as famous as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen was a master filmmaker, and along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwick Ghatak, formed the three pillars of Bengali cinema. Sen, one of the pioneers of Indian newwave cinema, showcased contemporary realities of life through his films. Sen’s first Hindi film was Bhuvan Shome […]

burj khalifa dubai

Top reasons why Indians are investing in Dubai’s Real Estate

Indians have always considered real estate as a safe investment, and are ready to explore investment opportunities in realty. And Dubai has world’s fastest growing real estate markets, and has something to offer for everyone – holiday home, luxury apartment, and even affordable housing (for blue collar workers). Indians have always bought property in Dubai; […]

Bollywood Concert Celebrates UAE National Day & Expo 2020 Win

UAE’s Dubai’s biggest Bollywood concert of the year celebrates UAE’s National Day & Dubai’s victory to host the World Expo 2020. Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone & Madhuri Dixit were the star attractions of the show, which was held at the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium. Jacqueline Fernandez and Rapper Yo Yo Honey […]

karan johar

Karan Johar ‘regrets’ making his spat with Kajol public, wants to be friends again

Nobody would have ever imagined that one day Karan Johar and Kajol, once the best of friends, would cut all communications with one another. But the good news is that the two long lost friends have decide to let bygones be bygones. Karan Johar and Kajol have been best friends for years. They have worked […]

Primary Sidebar

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

RECENT POSTS

Tamannaah Bhatia

Tamannaah Bhatia: Lifestyle, Business and Net Worth

Tamannaah Bhatia is a well-known Indian actress who has made a name for herself in the film … [Read More...] about Tamannaah Bhatia: Lifestyle, Business and Net Worth

Saudi Arabia Tourism

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ is Bollywood’s first movie to be shot in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is keen to reduce its dependency on oil and has been promoting tourism, including film … [Read More...] about Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ is Bollywood’s first movie to be shot in Saudi Arabia

film making

Is film school worth it?

Do film schools provide value to students and are they really worth the exorbitant amount of money … [Read More...] about Is film school worth it?

Shah Rukh Khan on business

Filming Destinations of SRK’s ‘Pathaan’ Spans Europe to the Middle East

Shah Rukh Khan's film Pathaan was filmed at several filming locations in Europe, Russia, Dubai, and … [Read More...] about Filming Destinations of SRK’s ‘Pathaan’ Spans Europe to the Middle East

music cities

Top music schools / colleges in the world

Top music schools / colleges in the world to learn music performance under expert musicians, to … [Read More...] about Top music schools / colleges in the world

Bollywood in Poland, Country with Medieval Hot Spots & Energetic Cities

Poland is located in the heart of Europe and is well known for its history, which is reflected in … [Read More...] about Bollywood in Poland, Country with Medieval Hot Spots & Energetic Cities

movie trailers

Top Forthcoming Bollywood Movies (& Trailers): Upcoming Entertainers for 2021

Want to know when the next entertainer of your favorite star is going to be released? Want to plan … [Read More...] about Top Forthcoming Bollywood Movies (& Trailers): Upcoming Entertainers for 2021

National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC)

Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

Movies are one of the most influential tools of communication and society does learn a few things or … [Read More...] about Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

bollywood rapes

Representation of women in Bollywood Films

Women in Bollywood films have been subject to stereotypes and objectification, and appeared in … [Read More...] about Representation of women in Bollywood Films

Music Scene in Saudi Arabia

How's the music Scene in Saudi Arabia. Is it really frowned upon? Read more here. Young musicians in … [Read More...] about Music Scene in Saudi Arabia

Amazon Fashion

Useful Read

  • Who coined the term ‘Bollywood’?
  • Dadasaheb Phalke (Father of Indian Cinema)
  • Evolution of Hindi Films
  • Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

Footer

Upcoming Bollywood Movies

  • Love Aaj Kal Movie
  • Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele Movie
  • Hawayein Movie
  • Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Movie
  • The Hundred Bucks Movie
  • BHOOT: Part One – The Haunted Ship Movie
  • Haunted Hills Movie
  • 'O' Pushpa I Hate Tears Movie
  • Guns Of Banaras Movie
  • Thappad Movie

Bollywood Movie Reviews

  • Malang Review
  • Jawaani Jaaneman Review
  • Panga Review
  • Street Dancer 3D Review
  • Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior Review
  • Chhapaak Review
  • Good Newwz Review

Top Celebs

  • Ajay Devgn
  • Kajol
  • Saif Ali Khan
  • Shraddha Kapoor
  • Varun Dhawan
  • Deepika Padukone
  • Kangana Ranaut
  • Tabu
  • Aditya Roy Kapur
  • Disha Patani
  • Rajinikanth

About Us

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in