Time for Celebration

(The Afternoon Dispatch & Courier, Bombay, 20 May 2011)

Foray into English

By Aruna V. Iyer

Dhiruben Patel

She shot to fame with her very first novel, Vadvanaal, written in the early 1950s, and has since then been a beacon in Gujarati writing. Modelling major decisions in life around the belief that she would be a writer, Dhiruben Patel, today 85, has to her credit a number of novels, short stories, literature for children and young adults, scripts for radio and television shows and plays.

Her Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel Agantuk tells the story of a sadhu returning home in Bombay. It has been translated into English by Raj Supe, and the translated work marks her entry into the English language. Speaking about translations and how much is lost and gained in the process, the author feels that it is easier to translate works in one Indian language into another, because the cultural settings are similar. Achieving the same in a translation into English, she says, would be a challenge that can be faced well if the translator is versatile in both languages.

Children and young adults being her main readers, she thinks that the present generation, armed with the internet, has more information than a book can ever hope to provide. “But children will still remain children and if an author is able to win their hearts and splash some new color into their thoughts, they will take to reading,” she says.

Dhiruben Patel is the recipient of several awards and has served as the President of the Gujrati Sahitya Parishad.

Gouri Dash

At 85 year, Gouri Dash has behind her a literary career spanning over 30 years in Bengali and Oriya. Her works, aimed at the young reader, has been included in the curriculum of several state boards in the country. Her foray into English writing is with the series titled, Stories from Piplivan. The first story, Kuna Kuni Take Flight, is about how twin parrots Kuna and Kuni manage to escape from a cowherd who has captured them in Piplivan. Bright and colourful illustrations depict the different characters with Indian elements – like the red bindi on the forehead of Tuni, the mother parrot – packed in. .

Having had no formal education in English, Gouri Dash picked up English while bringing up her children and now her grandchildren. Though she is not yet comfortable in the language and her vocabulary is basic, the author is confident that with the help of her editors she will be able to continue writing for the series.

Talking about practical problems she faced while writing in English, she says, “The primary issue is to get as close to the original story, without losing the essence.” There is a huge list of stories that have rhymes in Oriya, which have been impossible to translate into English. “So, I had to leave out a few of my favourite stories in the Piplivan stories,” she adds.

Gouri, when she is not writing, enjoys cooking and narrating stories to her grandchildren.

Ambika Sirkar

Though fluent in English, Ambika Sirkar has thus far been content with translating writings in other languages into Marathi. Some of her translations include The Reader by Bernard Schlink, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and The Bodhisatva Ideal and other works by Sangharakshita. In her own words, the author’s two novels and two short story collections in Marathi have been acknowledged by the Maharashtra state government as the best work in the respective years of their publication. Her latest book, No Crystal Stair, was originally written in Marathi and called Eka Schwasache Antar, and has been translated by her into English. Ask her if it was difficult or easy to translate her own work into English, she says that every language has its idioms and to translate well, one has to have a good knowledge of idioms in both languages. “Proverbs from Indian languages are often impossible to translate into English. Finding similar sayings is difficult,” she adds. The novel received the Marathi Sahitya Parishad and was translated into Hindi as well.

(The Hindu, May 16, 2011)

Urban Voice 4: New Indian Writing

FEATURING

Priti Aisola

Anjana Basu

Kankana Basu

Priya Sarukkai Chabria

Malini Chib

Gouri Dange

Tishani Doshi

Divya Dubey

Ramachandra Guha

Manu Joseph

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

Meena Kandasamy

Tabish Khair

Sashi Kumar

T Padmanabhan

M P Narayana Pillai

Aakar Patel

Margaret Mascarenhas

Thachom Poyil Rajeevan

Kalpish Ratna

K Satchidanandan

Sudeep Sen

A J Thomas

Shreekumar Varma

Farzana Versey

Shashi Warrier

WHY URBAN VOICE

The Indian literary scene is in the midst of a radical transformation. Indian writing in English is attracting world attention. It is no more a curiosity that once tickled the British and is accepted globally as a serious business. Foreign publishers are coming to India to set up Indian subsidies. Likewise Indian authors / publishers are exploring international rollout frameworks to establish market leadership and reputation. This has transformed not only Indian publishing, but also Indian writing as global Indians have started targeting a worldwide audienc e.
With the developed economies closely following the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) battle, there is renewed interest in Indian slang/phrases through emergence of web3.0 tools such as wikis, amazon, podcasts and blogs. In this truly cross-pollinated flat landscape, something mysterious and exciting is happening to Indian literature in English.
As conversations and images get increasingly captured on the ‘fly’, the next generation of Indian literature will evolve across diverse media platforms dissolving old hegemonies and notions. It will impact writers in other Indian languages so that even
literature in Indian languages will aspire to reach global
audiences as publishers vie to translate works into the German, French, Chinese, and other emerging language platforms.
URBAN VOICE, in this fourth episode, aims to capture this thrilling transformation by creating a platform for thinkers to capture ‘next-in-line’ trends and go beyond. This lit mag is committed to publish thought-provoking pieces from all areas in different forms.
— Sunil K Poolani

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Provides a platform for the burgeoning mass of writing emanating from the new, changing India — Hindustan Times

Touches a chord of the city life — The Telegraph

A platform for new trends — TimeOut

An interesting collage as never-before angles loom to the fore, dark corners are lit and one is forced to pursue visions otherwise disturbing or baffling — DNA

Offers a great variety — The Pioneer

Urban Voice 4: New Indian Writing

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Priti Aisola has written a novel, See Paris for Me (Penguin, 2009). She is also a poet and has written a travelogue about her journeys to different temple towns in South India. She lives in Hyderabad. Contact pritiaisola@hotmail.com

Advertising consultant by profession, Anjana Basu writes short stories and poems. Her novel Curses in Ivory (HarperCollins) was awarded the Hawthornden Fellowship in 2004. Her second and third novels are Black Tongue and Chinku and the Wolfboy (both Roli).  She also works with filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh from time to time. Contact: anjanaorama@gmail.com

Kankana Basu is a Bombay-based writer whose published works of fiction include Vinegar Sunday, a collection of short stories, and Cappuccino Dusk, a novel Long Listed for the 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize. She illustrates children’s fiction and assists in translating the works of her grandfather, the late Bengali author Saradindu Bandopadhyay. Contact: kankanabasu@hotmail.com

Priya Sarukkai Chabria is a poet, writer and translator. Her publications include the novels Generation 14 (Penguin) and The Other Garden (Rupa) and the poetry collections Not Springtime Yet (HarperCollins) and Dialogue and Other Poems (Sahitya Akademi). She is currently translating the poems of eighty century Tamil mystic, Aandaal, and working on a collection of short fiction. She lives in Pune and is at www.priyawriting.com

Malini Chib holds two masters degrees, one in women’s studies and the second one in information management. She is the Co-Chairperson of Adapt Rights Group that fights for the rights of people with disabilities, and works as Senior Events Manager, Oxford Bookshop, Bombay. Her book One Little Finger was recently published by Sage. Contact: mchib66@gmail.com

Gouri Dange is a columnist and family counselor, and the author of two novels: 3 Zakia Mansion and The Counsel of Strangers. She lives in Pune. Contact: gouri.dange@gmail.com

Tishani Doshi is the author of two books — Countries of the Body, which won the Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection in 2006, and more recently, The Pleasure Seekers, a novel, which has been translated into several languages. Since 2001 she has worked as a contemporary dancer with the Chandralekha Group in Madras. Contact: tishani@gmail.com

Divya Dubey is an author and the publisher of Gyaana Books, New Delhi. Contact: divya@gyaanabooks.com

Ramachandra Guha is a celebrated Indian historian. He was named as one of the 100 most influential intellectuals in the world. His latest book, Makers of Modern India, has garnered worldwide acclaim. He is based in Bangalore. Contact: ramguha@vsnl.com

Manu Joseph’s first novel, Serious Men, is the winner of The Hindu Best Fiction Award. It is one of Huffington Post’s 10 Best Books of 2010, and has been shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2010. He is the editor of Open and now lives in New Delhi. Contact: josephmanu@gmail.com

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr is a New Delhi-based journalist working as senior assistant editor with the DNA. His book, Mullah Omar and Robespierre: The Politics of Ideas (Rupa), a collection of his columns, was published in 2005. Contact: parsa69@hotmail.com

Meena Kandasamy is a poet, writer, activist and translator. Her work maintains a focus on caste annihilation, linguistic identity and feminism. She has published two collections of poetry, Touch (2006) and Ms Militancy (2010). She lives in Madras. Contact: meena84@gmail.com

Acclaimed novelist, poet and critic, Tabish Khair’s latest novel, The Thing About Thugs, has been short-listed for the Hindu Best Fiction Prize and the Man Asian Literary Prize. He lives and works in Aarhus, Denmark. Homepage: www.tabishkhair.co.uk

Sashi Kumar is a journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker. He is Chairman, Media Development Foundation and the Asian College of Journalism (asianmedia.org), Madras. He founded the Malayalam satellite and cable channel, Asianet. His feature film, Kaya Taran, was showcased in festivals in India and abroad. Contact: sashi.acj@gmail.com

T Padmanabhan is an acclaimed Malayalam short story writer. His stories have been translated in almost every Indian language and into the Russian, French and the English. He received the prestigious Vayalar Award in 2001 and is also the recipient of the Vallathol Award and Lalithambika Andharganam Smaraka Puraskaram. He lives in Kannur, Kerala.

M P Narayana Pillai (1939-98) was one of the most phenomenal fiction writers from Kerala. He had worked with the Indian Central Planning Commission in New Delhi and was Senior Assistant Editor with Far Eastern Economic Review, Hong Kong, before he settled down in Bombay and started writing some of the best journalistic pieces in the Malayalam ever.

Aakar Patel is a writer and journalist. He was Editor, Mid-Day, Bombay, before he started Hill Road Media; he writes a column for Mint Lounge. He lives in Bombay. Contact: aakar@hillroadmedia.com

Margaret Mascarenhas is a novelist, independent curator, consulting editor, and the Director of Goa Centre for the Arts. Author of Skin (Penguin India) and The Disappearance of Irene dos Santos (Hachette USA) she is currently working on her third novel, Just Another Car Bomb, and running a prison writing programme at the Aguada Central Jail, Goa. Contact: margaret.mascarenhas@gmail.com

Thachom Poyil Rajeevan is a Kerala-based bilingual writer and poet. His poems have been translated into fourteen languages including the French, Italian, Polish, Macedonian, Uzbek, Croatian and the Hebrew. He is also an acclaimed novelist in Malayalam — his novel Paleri Manikyam was recently adapted into an acclaimed movie, starring Mammootty. Contact: rthachompoyil@yahoo.com

Kalpish Ratna is the pseudonym under which Kalpana Swaminathan and Ishrat Syed, both award-winning and best-selling authors, write. When not reading and writing they have a joint surgical practice in Bombay. Contact: kalpana.swaminathan@gmail.com & ishrat.syed@gmail.com

K Satchidanandan is a Malayalam poet, dramatist, essayist and translator and a bilingual critic. He has over 50 original in the Malayalam and four originally written in the English, besides several edited and translated works. Winner of 24 awards (including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award five times) he was knighted by the Government of Italy. Contact: satchida@gmail.com

Sudeep Sen is widely recognised as a major new generation voice in world literature. His prize-winning books include: Postmarked India: New & Selected Poems, Distracted Geographies, Rain, Aria, Ladakh, and Blue Nude: Poems & Translations. He is the editorial director of Aark Arts and editor of Atlas: A visiting scholar at Harvard University, he lives in New Delhi. Contact: sudeepsen.net@gmail.com

A J Thomas, formerly Editor, Indian Literature of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, is a poet, fiction writer, translator and literary editor. He is a winner of the Crossword Book Awards, Katha Award and the AKMG Prize. He taught English at Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya, until he was evacuated in March 201, following the Libyan revolution. Contact: tomsaj@gmail.com

Shreekumar Varma teaches Creative English at the Chennai Mathematical Institute. He was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award twice, and his novel Maria’s Room was long-listed for the inaugural Man Asian Literary Prize. He was awarded the Charles Wallace fellowship in 2004. He is the great grandson of artist Raja Ravi Varma, and grandson of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last ruling maharani of Travancore. Contact: varma@shreevarma.com

Farzana Versey is a Bombay-based columnist and author of A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian in Pakistan (Harper Collins).  Her columns, feature articles and interviews on subjects ranging from politics, communalism, culture, media, philosophy and feminism have appeared in several publications over a two-decade period. She also writes poetry. Contact: farzanavee@yahoo.com

Shashi Warrier is the much-acclaimed author of Hangman’s Journal, Night of the Krait, and The Homecoming. He is also an avid biker and has travelled around India on his Royal Enfield Thunderbird. He lives in Mangalore, South India. Contact: swarrier9@gmail.com

LEADSTART PUBLISHING TEAM

Chairman & CEO: Swarup Nanda

Executive Director & Head, Editorial: Sunil K Poolani

Executive Director & Head, Human Resources: Chandralekha Maitra

Design Chief: Mishta Roy

Head, Marketing: Anoo Kulkarni

Advisor Emeritus: Raj Supe

Associate Editors: Rhonda Lee Carver, Sharmila Ramnani, Sai Prabha Kamath, Paromita Ukil, Abhirami Sriram, Derek Bose, Shubham Gupta, Arjun Pereira

Sales & Distribution: Goutam Dass (Head, Eastern India, Nepal, Bhutan & Bangaldesh), Harjeet Singh (Head, Central & Western India), Manohar Chapa (Head, South India)

Business Operations: Iftikar Shaikh

Purchase & Sales Support: Rajesh Bale

Out Design Chief is among Best Entrepreneurs

Name: Mishta Roy

Business: DRAWATER is providing quality print graphic design to any client in the world. I design books, magazines and other primary products for publishing houses etc. I also look after various client design collaterals such as posters, tickets, banners, brochures, standees, press con banners, flyers, emailers, invitations, stage design, trophy design…the list can be as limited or as exhaustive as required by the client.

I hire photographers, illustrators, fabricators, technical people as and when projects require them thus keeping my overheads low and working with various people who are based all over India and even outside.

It’s an interesting system that works well in today’s internet connected world, where a group of creative people come together for a project, no matter where they are. For example, I have worked with a client in Mexico, a technical person in Bombay and a photographer in New York and I in Bangalore, all on the same project and this project process has been repeated every two months for three years.

The Woman behind the Entrepreneur:
I graduated First Class First in Fine Art from Delhi College of Art, followed by a Masters degree (MFA) from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London, which was funded by a Aga Khan Foundation grant and a Sarabhai Foundation scholarship. After working in various companies such as Tehelka, Macmillan, Saatchi&Saatchi, Explocity and Rave Magazine, I realized that a company working environment was not for me.

I always wanted to be associated with books, the arts, travel and film as these are my enduring loves and I finally decided to branch out on my own.

When did you first start your business and how did the business idea come about?
I started the business in 2005 when I had just moved to Bombay after getting married and the city offered many ideas and options. Fortunately I met up with prospective clients almost immediately and work came in and the company was born.

How much capital did you start with?
With my computer and a 1000 rupee a month internet connection.

In how much time did the business turn into a profit making venture?
Almost immediately because I had very few overheads. I worked out of my study. I would hire creative people as and when I required and the client would pay for them separately. I got my first big break from Mrs. Sangita Jindal of Jindal Steel whose quarterly magazine ArtIndia I have been designing for the last six years now.

What were the initial years like?
The initial years were tough but also immensely enjoyable as I started working with clients more and more involved with the arts such as India Foundation For The Arts. I think clients too realized that as a trained artist I was better able to handle projects on the Arts with more care, sensitivity and understanding and that helped a great deal.

What are some of the top challenges you faced and how did you surmount them?
It has been and still is difficult to convince clients that it does not matter where I or the team is geographically based and that technology allows for far greater control and communication than before. A lot of traditional clients have trouble with that concept. However I am able now to demonstrate to them that if a 120 page magazine can be designed and co-ordinated and published from a different city again and again, and, this system works. A Bombay based client Leadstart Publishing considers me their creative director. I handle every aspect of their design requirements from collaterals to book covers, based from Bangalore and meet them physically once a year!

What challenges do you continue to face and what is your strategy to tackle them?
The challenges I still face are clients who are uncomfortable never having seen me or any of the team. Being isolated too is a very real problem when one works almost always virtually. Networking becomes difficult as well. Also convincing clients that as a single person with a virtual team I’d be more cost and time effective than a larger branded agency.

What drives you?
I am an artist and what drives me is the need to create art in whatever form I can. I am also driven by the absolute enjoyment at being involved with the arts both as a creator and as a supplier of a service. The faith and trust my clients have put into my brand of working is an enormous motivator. Every year I try to do some projects pro bono so I can give back to the industry.

How many hours do you work per week?
No fixed hours, as and when there is work. I commit that to every client that I am always available.

What tips would you like to give to budding entrepreneurs?
Follow your goals but do not lose touch with reality, be practical, start small, dont get seduced by risky projects that promise a lot of money.
It’s better to have smaller long term clients who are steady.
Be honest with clients and yourself, work hard and you will achieve results.
There are no short cuts to success.

Paperback Picking

Rainbow at Noon (Celestial, Rs 145) by Dhiruben Patel is an English translation of a Gujarati novel, Agantuk, which had won the Sahitya Akademi Award. The story dwells on how Ishan, the sannyasi who returns to his home in Mumbai, is treated thereafter by the ‘material world’. Ishan can “navigate his soul out of the world and back into it”. Through Ishan’s spiritual journey, the novel delves into notions of sannyas and the self, and asks a stirring question — “what of the sannyasi who turns his back on renunciation itself?” Raj Supe’s translation is smooth, lucid and displays a rare sensitivity.

— The Telegraph, Calcutta, Friday , March 25 , 2011

Writer from your land: A Metro Nightmare

By Chandan, on 01-03-2011 10:53

Holding the tradition of being the culturally and literarily fertile land of great writers likes of ‘immortal wordsmith’ Sarat Chandra and others, the Anga Bhoomi continues to hold that tradition even now with Shiv Kumar, who is perhaps the first writer in recent times to come up with his debut novel from this great land. Since, the writer belongs to our times, his novel has full blend of romance, suspense and Love-enemical society. angvani interviews the writer on his book and also how did he manage to successfully write a book from Bhagalpur where most of the youths now struggle to compete in railway, bank or any other govt exams.

We are pleased to introduce Mr. Shiv Kumar on this online newspaper, who recently launched his debut novel – A Metro Nightmare. The book has been published by Leadstart publications

A brief background about Shiv Kumar – he was born and brought up in Bhagalpur. After doing his schooling from Mount Assisi , he went to Delhi for completing his twelfth from Modern School Barakhamba Road and then went to BIT Sindri to complete his engineering in Electronics and Communication. There after he joined BHEL and have served at various places in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand ,Uttar Pradesh, TamilNadu,  Kerla and now working in Noida office.
angvani: Hi Shiv, it’s great to have you on our online newspaper. We have read A Metro Nightmare and found it pretty interesting. We could feel the difference in the style of writing as the story progressed. The way suspense was built up in the initial chapters and it progressed subsequently was awesome.
Shiv: Everyone who has read the book said that the suspense in the story kept them glued to the book till the end. When I started to write the story I wanted it to be faced pace so that readers cannot resist reading it and I think I have succeeded.
angvani: The middle of the story seems to be your autobiography. Is it so?

Shiv: Some events of the story are definitely inspired by own life but overall it is a fictional story. In fact I believe every author gets inspiration from his own life.

angvani:The end of the story is unconventional. Why did you choose this ending?
Shiv: Well, I think everybody wants a happy ending to a story and especially a love story and so I tried to present a happy ending. Some liked it; some could not digest the ending.

angvani: The last few chapters are very fast paced, in fact like a bollywood film. Do you want it to be made into a film?
Shiv: Our films are expression of what we think. Many people have commented that they would like to see my story turned into a film.

angvani: Bhagalpur is famous for a literary genius –Sharad Chandra. Do you wish to be like him?
Shiv: I can never dream to be like him. But now a days Bhagalpur or we can say Bihar as a whole do not produce quality writers. In fact people all over the country know Bihar for all the wrong reasons. I just want to change this perception. In this novel I have tried to highlight reasons for our backwardness of our state and I will continue writing about Bihar.

angvani: The major theme of your story is love marriage. You have tried to justify it. Do you think it will be accepted in Bihar’s society?
Shiv: I have not justified it but have put my views about it. In fact I have devoted a chapter where there is heated debate between the police officer and the witness of the marriage and it has got lot of reasoning.

angvani: You have devoted one chapter to your spiritual beliefs. Do you think people will agree to it?
Shiv: Again it is my personal view. Readers are free to agree or disagree on it.

angvani: How do you take out time from your busy work schedule to write the story?
Shiv: I mostly write when I am at home in the evening. My wife is cooperative on this!

angvani: How did you get the inspiration about this story?
Shiv: Well I always wanted to write a suspense story. I had written a story in my class magazine in Mount Assisi. I found some of the events of my life fascinating enough to be told as a story. I combined my life experience to my desire of writing suspense story and got this story. Now a days most of the novels written by Indian authors are based on their campus experience. I wished my story to be different.
angvani: Dont you think the pricing of your novel will hurt the sales of your novel. Now a day’s novels of good writers like Chetan Bhagat  are available in less than Rs 100.
Shiv: I believe if my story is good readers will read it even if it is priced at Rs 200. Even this is not more. As I have already said in my promotion material this is less than a price of Pizza or a bottle of whisky!
angvani: This is your first piece of work to get published. How do you feel regarding this lucky break? Can you tell us how you approached Leadstart Publications and if any other publisher, and the process that followed? A lot of aspiring authors struggle to get noticed and your answers will definitely help them.
Shiv: Well, this is a long story. Nobody wanted to touch A Metro Nightmare as it was the work of a first-time author. I had finished the manuscript about a year  ago and approached many publishers but none responded. Finally, Leadstart publications agreed to publish my story. This publication values the worth of new authors and hence gives them a chance.
angvani: How did you come to choose the title “A Metro Nightmare” for the book?
Shiv: This is indeed a strange name. Some people think it is related to nightmares people face in metros or a ghost story. But the meaning of the title is also a suspense which is revealed only in last chapters.
angvani: Apart from the love story you have also touched other issues in it like- unmindful completion to get into IIT or IAS , regionalism, dowry and other issues. How did you balance these issues in a single story?
Shiv: I have introduced various sub plots to highlight these issues and it has merged well with the main story.
angvani: What is the response of your novel?
Shiv: People have enjoyed reading my novel. The greatest compliment I got was in Bhagalpur where someone told me that he has written a line from my novel on his working table for inspiration. The line though not a part of the story is- One gets what one deserves and if anybody thinks that he has not got what he deserved it was because God wished it like that.

angvani: What kind of works do you plan to publish in the near future?
Shiv: I am working on another manuscript which will be a political suspense thriller. The setting of the story again will be in Bihar and Delhi. There will be lot of suspense and action in the story. The story as usual will be fast paced with a message and a short but cute love story.
angvani: Is your book available at Bhagalpur?
Shiv: Yes, it is available at all the major book stores at Bhagalpur. Leadstart has a good distribution network and it is available at all major stores in India. It has also attracted fairly good reviews.

angvani: How do you feel about Angvani?
Shiv: You are doing a great job. You are the first online newspaper of Bhagalpur and your news and articles are very informative.

angvani: This concludes our interview. Thanks Shiv for agreeing to come on our website. We hope that you become a successful author.
Shiv: Thanks. I enjoyed answering your questions. Special thanks to your editor Mr. Chandan for inviting me for this interview.

Book Rack

The Ancient Book
Parikshit Rane
Frog Books, 2011, pp 81, Rs 95

A fantasy fiction, this book is about the magical world of Angdom and the colony of Satan called Lyncastia.

Broken Hearts
Shrenik Mutha
Frog Books, 2011, pp 44, Rs 75

A teenage love story, the book depicts true life and the sorrow of dreams not coming true.

A chance meeting
Romaan Shaikh
Frog Books, 2011, pp 107, Rs 95

In this romantic medical thriller, a doctor tries to save the life of a woman with neurosis.

Blossom Showers: A novel
Giselle Mehta
Frog Books, 2011, pp 440, Rs 395

This novel is centred on three generations of a family, resonating with social history and psychological insight.

Deccan Herald; 13 March 2011

Review: A Metro Nightmare

The novel is one of the few books available in the market which deals with the problems of today’s generation without giving lengthy sermons. The story as a whole is a fast paced suspense thriller which keeps the reader glued to the novel till the last page. The author has used his life experiences to make the story real and interesting. The story is primarily based in Delhi and Bihar but the author has described many cities in the novel like Kochi,Trichy ,Jamshedpur and Kolkata which appeals to the people who like to travel.

The story starts with a suicide of a young girl named Gauri who jumped to her death in front of a Delhi metro train. The investigation of the suicide is carried out by two police officers –Yahsvardhan and Arjun Singh. At first they suspect that she has killed her husband and then committed suicide. With the help of an ATM card found with the deceased girl they trace the company where her husband Siva worked. They visit the company –NHEL and got the address of his flat. In his flat they found a laptop and some diaries in which Siva has described his past life. They found that he had married to Gauri in a court in presence of two witnesses- Pooja and VPN Singh . Arjun tried to trace the witnesses to know the real story. In the meantime they also found a police report against a person named Rohit against whom the couple had filed a report of harassment. Yahsvardhan delved deep in Siva’s life to find out the truth. Meanwhile in an another plot, Pinki-Yahsvardhan’s daughter is in love with a boy Mithilesh who happened to be college friend of Siva. The past story of Siva dealt with how he had to deal with the parental pressure to succeed in the competitive world but he could not fulfil the wishes of his parents who had very high hopes for him. The story proceeds when he joins NHEl and start preparing for civil services.

Meanwhile there were two love marriages in his family. His eldest brother succeeded since he was a highly paced officer but his other brother had to succumb to the wishes of his parents. Siva also fell in love with a girl who happened to be the sister of the Bhavi just elder to him. However he faced severe objections and also failed to qualify civil services. They married secretly but soon his mother died in mysterious circumstances. When he went to his home he also died and later on his wife committed suicide. While Yahsvardhan was going thorough the investigations he found out the love story of his daughter and Mithilesh. Meanwhile Pooja and VPN also narrated their version of the story to them. Mithilesh and Pinki were hounded out of Delhi. At the end Yahsvardhan and Arjun were able to solve the mystery behind all these deaths and Mithilesh and Pinki managed to convince their parents.

Although the story is a thriller, the author has put forward his views on the love marriage(both inter caste and intra caste) , the undue pressure on the child to succeed in the examinations, the backwardness of his home state Bihar and resurgence of Bhojpuri culture, the reasons behind Saas Bahu friction and male chauvinisms in the society. The story has its own share of love, drama, comedy and action – a perfect material of a bollywood film. All the characters of the novel are well described and all plays important role in the story. The only weak point of the story is its ending which is abrupt and could have been better. Also some part of the story could be cut short to make it a compact story.

Nowadays market is flooded with the novel having the same old plot- campus love stories with a little twist. The author has tried to do something new in his maiden venture.

Zee News; March 8, 2011, 23:32

Review of two kids’ book

The Asian Age / Deccan Chronicle; 8 December 2011