Flickers in the dark
Hindustan Times, February 11, 2007
The story of a search that cruches time, space and narrative styles (by Indrajit Hazra)
A FRAYED novel splashing about in narrative and imaginative surf can be so preferable to that perfect, chiselled novel set in delectable stone. German filmmaker and artist Merle Kröger’s Cut! unsurprisingly takes the written form and bends it into a shape that resembles the transcript — rather than a script — of a film. But it ends up being a short masterpiece of a rare genre: a book that smells of the noir novel, but tastes like an old-fashioned ‘search’ story. Kröger’s protagonist is Madita Junghans (“from Hamburg”) who, after the closure of her cinema house, fills the ensuing emptiness by hunting down her biological father, a mysterious proper noun by the name of ‘Anand Kumar’. Teaming up with her self-obsessed, rather infantile, binge-drinking boyfriend Nikolaus Ostrowski, Madita travels through a maze of geographical locations (streets, houses and rooms in Hamburg, London, Bombay...) and a whole universe of characters. In the role of Nick and Mattie (“Dashiel Hammett’s Nick and Nora or Maggie and Nick from P.M. Carlson” is the easily excitable Nikolaus’ comparisons), the two follow personal signposts that have been overgrown with historical ivy. German Expressionism raises its shape-shifting head everywhere. Whether it is Madita’s mother Emma who lives in the psychotic fog of her own mind; or her godmother Charlotte, who lives with her partner, the narcoleptic, exNazi Ludwig, who harbours some secret that involves the Indian Legion (comprising Indian prisoners of war during World War II who were trained by their German captors for the purpose of fighting the British and ultimately freeing India); or Mehmet Khan, a BritishPakistani journalist for an anti-fascist magazine; or the almost Bergman-ish figure of Hinnark Junghans, Madita’s ‘father’, the atmosphere is that of an overcrowded limbo. Rubaica Jaliwala’s translation does not stray from the über-subjective style of the original, where action and thoughts, descriptions and monologues, baroque stretches and straightforward narrative collide constantly. Kröger does well to keep the balance of the individual’s search story-historical background. A little more on Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian Legion, or on Bollywood kitschiness and Lata Mangeshkar songs, the novel could have teetered over to ‘Anglo-Saxon-style’ colonialpost-colonial photo-snapping. A little more Edvard Munch-like existential screaming and the novel could have slipped into pastiche. The interspersed cinema-making style (“Cut. The crowd cheers. It rains. Cut. Close up — Ludwig Hauser is in the crowd of people with umbrellas”), the protagonist referring to herself in ‘her’ chapters in the second person singular, the frenetic montage throughout the book, make Cut! an exhilarating novel where even the flaws take on a shimmering, siren-like quality of their own.

Cut to Bollywood
The Telegraph, Calcutta, July 22nd, 2007
When Bollywood beckons, the world responds. Among the latest to doff a cap is Merle Kroger, a German author who is on a visit to India. Cut!, a book by the Berlin-based filmmaker-author, has just been released in India by Delhi-based publishers Katha. The book is about a German woman who teams up with her boyfriend to set out on a journey to trace her biological father, who happens to be Indian. What ensues is a gripping adventure that takes the couple on a roll through Indo-Germanic history, with forays in and out of reel life. The book — say the publishers — is the author’s tribute to the Indian film industry, with which she admits to having a long connection. In fact, Kroger now happens to be on her way to meet “one young and very talented director” in Mumbai, to discuss possibilities of turning Cut! into a film. Let’s guess — Karan Johar?

Fresh Cut
Indian Express, Tuesday July 31st, 2007
A novel that speaks of Germany’s love for Bollywood through crime and Indo-German history (byAlaka Sahani)
New Delhi, July 30: As Rangeela engineered the rebirth of Urmila Matondkar as the oomph maiden, it also unwittingly forged Merle Kröger’s alliance with the Hindi film industry. This has only grown stronger over the years and resulted in Cut, a crime novel by the German filmmaker, author tracing one of the dark chapters of Indo-German history. Kröger was introduced to Hindi films in 1995 through the Ram Gopal Varma movie by a filmmaker friend while holidaying in Mumbai. Needless to say, like countless others, she too was fascinated by them. Hooked, she began watching Bollywood productions, the DVDs of which were mostly gifted by her Indian friends and the result was Cut. “My book is also an attempt to project the way the perception of Germans about India has changed mainly because of Bollywood. India’s image, as a rural country with cows on the road, has now been banished from the German mind. We perceive it as an urban and technologically -advanced nation,” the author says. The book, translated by Rubaica Jaliwala and published by Katha, is about a German woman who teams up with her boyfriend to set out on a journey to trace her biological father, who happens to be Indian. What ensues is a gripping adventure that takes the couple on a roller coaster ride through Indo-Germanic history, with forays in and out of reel life. They are sucked into a deadly adventure centred in a dark chapter related to the World War II. Though this “post-colonial fable”, deftly depicts the clash of the stark Hamburg reality with the Bollywood dream factory, it isn’t writing that’s Kröger’s first love. Filmmaking is. But in a delightful way, her filmmaking stint made way for Cut. “Its language is very visual.” Along with two of her friends, Kröger is planning to make it into a film. “But it would a laborious task. The book is quite complex. We have to break it down to simple plots to make it into a film,” she reveals. Once she does that, Kröger is confident of finding an audience both back home and in India.

India Monday, July 30, 2007
India, the muse of a German filmmaker (by Azera Rahman. Delhi, India)
She loves Ram Gopal Varma's film 'Rangeela' and her favourite place on earth is definitely Mumbai. And now German filmmaker Merle Kroeger plans to make her next movie in that city with an Indian director and an Indian cast. For 40-year-old Kroeger, India means much more than colourful forts, palaces and rich culture. It means the warmth and joy exuded by a close-knit group of friends who visit one another every year. 'I really don't want to use the cliched phrase that I love India because of its rich culture and the exuberance on the streets. Of course, it is all of that. But I love coming back to India year after year because of a close group of friends here whom I just have to meet at least once or twice a year,' Kroeger told IANS. With 20 films to her credit, Kroeger is a documentary filmmaker who heads a production house. Having travelled immensely across the globe to research various topics that form the subject of her films or for film festivals, Kroeger has met a number of Indians - and among them many filmmakers - with whom she immediately struck a chord. 'I have some very good friends in the Indian film industry whom I visit every year. These friendships go back 10-15 years. When I am in Mumbai, I travel by the local bus and train, go shopping with my friends and enjoy every bit of my stay. People find it hard to believe but I love Mumbai more than Berlin!' she laughed. Kroeger's love for the country was even more apparent when she penned her debut book 'Cut' on which her upcoming movie will be based. A thriller-drama, the book's protagonist, a young German girl, traces her roots to the Indian film industry. Although the book's German version was published in Germany in 2003 itself, 'Cut' was translated into English and published in India only last year by the Katha Publishing House. 'I have had to do a lot of research for this book which traces the relationship between India and Germany. The first part of the research was about Indian soldiers in the German army. The second was during the 1970s when India had donned a changed look, be it in books, poetry or music. Everything Indian was fashionable in Germany. 'For instance, I remember my mother was a voracious reader of cultural icon Rabindranath Tagore at that time. The third phase is that of the present, the similarities and the differences in the culture and cinema of the two countries which I am experiencing,' Kroeger explained. All the three phases, she said, have intertwined and formed the foundation of her book. Now planning to make the book into a movie, Kroeger has a number of Indian directors in mind. 'The film will be a co-production. I have seen a lot of work by Indian film directors. I like Ram Gopal Varma's work and 'Rangeela' is one of my favourite films. 'Besides that, I also like Onir's work and was there when he was making 'My Brother Nikhil'. Then there is Ashim Ahluwalia. We are still to decide on one name,' she said. Talking about actors, Kroeger admits that she really likes Sanjay Suri's work. 'But we are yet to decide the cast. There will be German actors as well,' Kroeger said.In India for the Osian Cinefan film festival which has been on in Delhi, Kroeger said she regrets having a short trip to India this time but is sure that she will be back very soon. 'Expect the movie by next year,' she smiled.By Azera Rahman (Staff Writer, © IANS)