Martin Booth & the Making of Carpet Sahib THIRTY YEARS ago, in the Summer of 1984, I received a letter written on the BBC letterhead, asking for help towards a film script based on Jim Corbetts life. The writer was Martin Booth, and that was first of numerous letters I received from him in the next few months asking about the Jungle warfare, haunted bungalow, his trips to East Africa, his business ventures, his family, life in Waziristan, visits to UK, his relation with Mathews (F.E.G. Mathews), name and addresses of Corbetts friends and relatives, and all the notes I have from R.E. Hawkins, Malcolm Hailey, Geoffrey Cumberlege and D.C. Kala, etc.etc. I supplied the information from my notes until he told me that the film script was ready, and the shooting would start in a few months. His last request was to send him my manuscript on the Corbett biography. He promised to send a copy of film script, photos from location shooting, address of his Corbett contacts and to do something about Corbetts neglected grave in Kenya. The film was shot and released through the National Geographic Society as Man eaters of India in 1986. On the same day of the broadcast in Britain, the book Carpet Sahib by Booth was also came out. This was news to me, as he made me believe that he was just writing a film script, and wouldnt interfere with the publication of my book. As soon as I heard about the book, I ordered a copy from Hatchards London. I was eager to learn more about Corbett. Now, those who read Corbetts books will have a general knowledge about his hunting the man eaters, and some details about the hunter as well. To me, I found that Booth used Kalas Jim Corbett of Kumaon unashamedly throughout his book without giving proper credits. Moreover, Booth committed numerous blunders in his book as well as painting a malicious portrait of Corbett. It was Booth who started the rumor that Corbett had an affair with Jean Ibbotson, wife of his best friend Sir William Ibbotson. Booth couldnt produce the sources to support this theory (see page 208-209 of the 1986 hardcover edition of his book). He called Corbett stupid for picking up Nightjars eggs while after a man eater. He then called him unprofessional when following the man eater, carrying a rifle with safety catch off )page 243-244). Booth continued his insults and stated that swinging around the rifle with one hand while carrying the eggs in the other hand was impossible, as Booth himself tried to imitate the action with a similar rifle. He couldnt do it. But his friend Phil Berry did! On page 208, Booth wrote Jim had a chi-chi accent, common to Indians. When I asked about it with Jims friends they denied it. They said Jim spoke perfect English without any so called chi chi accent. There is more. Jims senses were beginning to fail (page 219), His memory corrupted, he twisted tales to make it look good so readers get their moneys worth (p.247), He was buttering up Lord Linlithgow(p.218), Killed the man eating tiger in Ladhya valley in 1941(p 231)- Actually he shot the Chuka man eater in 1938. In 1928 he (jim) made his next trip to Britain by was of Ibbotsons in Kenya (p 208). Actually the Ibbotsons arrived in Kenya in 1946 after retiring from the Indian Civil Service. On page 149 Booth stated that Corbett shot the Muktesar man eater in 1907, shortly after killing the Champawat man eater. Jim clearly indicated in his book (The Temple Tiger and More man eaters) that in the year 1910, he shot the Muktesar tiger and the Panar man eater. He did not own a car while he lived in India (p 159). Corbett did own a car which he eventually donated to the Forest department). Booth questioned about the Bell and Howell camera Jim received from Lord Strathcona as a gift sometimes in 1928. Booth says Jim accompanied Lord Strathcona on a shikar trip but that does not account for why he should have given Jim something as costly as a movie camera (page 170), Jim learned to call up tigers from his friends in the forest dept. (p 172), Jim went to hospital wards to show his films (p 173), Corbett was un-sportsman like and used dirtiest tricks while hunting (p 185), he was on a first name term with governors of Kumaon (p 130)- In reality, Kumaon did not have governors, it had commissioners. Booth said Corbett failed in cultivating grape fruits,because the vines died. Grape fruit grow on Trees, not on vines. Grapes grow on vines. Mistakes after mistakes, and malicious statements are many. Why did he write like that. Booth answered that question..He (Booth) twisted tales to make it sensational so that his readers get their moneys worth I have refrained from telling this for the past 28 years when I first made notes about the blunders and malicious accusations. Booth never hesitate to step on to any one to make money. His promises to me were never fulfilled, and never lifted a finger towards restoring Corbetts grave in Africa. He acknowledged my help in his book, but afraid to tell me about his writing a book about Corbett. Always referred the project as the film script. Years later, when Oxford University Press agreed to reprint his book in paperback, I wished the Indian editors had read the book, before they approved it, and see how nasty he was towards the subject - Jim Corbett - the author who made millions for his publishers, and how wrong Booth was by contradicting nearly everything Corbett said. Booth not only lied his way through his biography, he fortified the tales with false accusations about a man who couldnt defend any longer. This was not by any means, a fair portrait of Jim Corbett. If you have a copy, read it and see for yourself and rate it. I tried to correct the BBC producers when they discussed with me about Corbetts affairs with Jean Ibbotson. But they chose the easy way out. My review about that film (Rudraprayag) is there to see at the Amazon website. Martin Booth died of cancer 10 years ago in 2004 at the age of 60, and I salute my old friend D.C. Kala once again for producing a wonderful biography of Jim Corbett of Kumaon.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 03:37:35 +0000
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