Launch of a book and a glimpse of an exhibition

The image of an X-Ray in a coffee table book means nothing for a lay reader. But on Saturday, Prince Azmet Jah revealed how that particular images was mailed to him by his father Mukarram Jah to reveal his sense of ‘gallows humour’ at the Hyderabad Literary Festival.

In conversation with architect and author Anuradha Naik where the book on Nizam VIII Mukarram Jah was launched, Azmet Jah shared information, anecdotes and revealed the stories behind the photographs of his father and family.

“Also in the book is a photograph of us walking down the street with my sister, when we came across this restaurant that said, Nizam Cuisine Takeaway. My father wanted us to stand there and get a photograph clicked,” said Mr Azmet.

With rare photographs from the collection of Chowmahalla Palace forming the backdrop for the session, Azmet Jah shared how his father loved luxury cars and not sports cars. “I would have loved to inherit sports cars but he liked luxury cars. If there was one brand that was his favourite it has to be Caterpillar,” he said referring to the American company that is known for earthmover equipment. Not surprisingly, there are images of the vehicles with Mukarram Jah and others with his children in the Australian outback where he lived briefly.

Azmet Jah shared how his father Mukarram Jah converted and used a World War II vintage wooden-hulled minesweeper Kalbarrie. The two other people who did something similar were American actor John Wayne and French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.