Sholay The Making of A Classic - Anupama Chopra (Book & Movie)

Book: 24/52
Sholay The Making of A Classic - Anupama Chopra
My Rating: 5/5

I have never read a single review so far from Ms Chopra due to her usual controversial opinions (Example: Dhurandhar), and no way I would have picked up a book from her as I had no idea if she had written anything other than this one. For me, she was more of a celebrity wife enjoying her husband’s fame mostly, but this book changed all that for me and has certainly upped her respect a bit, too, in my eyes. Now, this one happens to be on the making of one of my all-time favourite movies, coincidentally, it was released the same year I was born. If I go by my mom’s records, this and Big B’s other movie, “Zanjeer”, were my first two movies on the big screen. And if I am not wrong, I must have seen Shoaly at least a good 25 times by now, with thrice on the big screen, once when it was re-released in the 90’s, second time a decade back in Mumbai when they released its 3D version with my dad and mom and a few months back when they released the Director’s cut version. It is always amazing to watch the movie on a big or small screen, as I know all its dialogues by heart, as Dad had an LP version of its dialogues, which was a rage back in the 70’s, and we would force him to put it on our record player almost every Sunday. With two tower speakers kept at a distance of a good 20 feet in my living room, we ran from one to another as the legendary dialogues boomed from one to another. It was a crazy experience till we watched it for the first time on a big screen. This is one of those very few movies that has aged so well that even today it is able to keep me engaged throughout and still arouses my emotions to a high degree with that classic ending. Now reading this book on the making of the movie was an eye opener of sorts, and I finished reading it two days back and trust me, for the last two days I have been pakaoing my wife and daughter with so many stories and facts about the movie that they have given up on me :). 

I guess Ms Chopra had solid access to the classics’ archives, and who in the world will deny her an interview when it comes to her contacts being terrific in the industry? Although I am way too late to read this one, as it was first published in the year 2000 on the movie’s 25th anniversary, and I have read the same on the movie’s 50th anniversary, can you imagine how late one can be :). The entire movie’s journey from four sentences in the minds of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar to a full-fledged movie was one heck of a story captured in almost 200 pages with some fantastic pictures thrown in as a bonus, although in the paperback edition, the pictures are black and white, and some are not as clear as we expect. I guess one should have got a hardback, assuming it will be better in that. And then, when it comes to gathering star power for the movie, Director Ramesh Sippy tried to get hold of Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna, and Amitabh Bachchan for the pivotal two characters, which will become legends in the long run. So many replacements and final selections were a topsy-turvy story, and then the final selection of the actor who was supposed to play the baddie, which will become an iconic name in the Indian movie industry - Gabbar Singh, choices were from Danny to Dharmedra himself to lesser-known Amjad Khan. How he selects, later regrets half the way and around the movie’s release and later settles for him with a terrific outcome, which takes its own sweet time in culminating. I couldn’t believe my eyes to read that the movie was a flop initially and later on the public turned back to the movie and never left the theater’s, if the facts are to be believed it ran 5 years straight in some cinemas and kept on running the mattinee show for another few years after it finished its run time and even Ramesh Sippy had to request his distributors to remove it and put his next stylishe James Bondesque movie “Shaan” on big screen. So many stories behind the lovely characters of Gabbar Singh’s right and left-hand men - Sambha and Kaaliya were hilarious as well as heart-touching. Imagine Viju Khote, who plays Kaaliya’s character, his son hated it when everyone around them used to call his father Kaaliya :). I am sure that as he grew up, he must have felt proud of the same. 

While the movie was being made, there were multiple love stories going on in real time around the set and location around Ramanagram (near Bangalore), where they set up the whole village for the movie for the duration of almost two years. Sanjeev Kumar had promised Hema Malini and was promptly rejected by her. Dharmendra, too, was in love with her but was already married; his histronics to win her heart were superb stories, and how they made the lightmen rich in those days was hilarious to know. Dharmendra requested Ramesh Sippy to let him play Gabbar, but later, when he was told that in the end, the movie, his nemesis would get Hema, he promptly accepted the main lead role just to get her in the end :). Story writing process from four lines to a half-hour affair, final movie coming out close to seven hours, with a terrific editor at the helm of things, making it a perfect movie. Music Director R D Burman, another legendary figure from the film industry, created music that was never heard before, from the villain’s signature sound to the sound of terror and thrill. It was fantastic to read how he created it. One song which they recorded first but had no space in the movie to shoot it, how it became almost the first item song in an Indian movie and again, Salim Khan wanted to participate in the song because he too was in love with the woman playing “Mehbooba” was super fun to read, what happened in the end - we all know already. I mean, after reading the book in flat 2-3 sittings, I had to follow it up with the movie as that totally changed my perspective of how I had watched it so many times earlier but watching it after this book gave me such a deeper meaning and connect with the classic, I can’t thank enough Ms Chopra for actually writing one amazing book and giving us so many insider stories on the much loved classic. And guess what, I can keep talking about it a lot more, but will stop it here and recommend it big time, especially to those who have loved the movie and still watch it again and again.

Do let me know if you have read this one and loved it. And I need to find out if she has written any other book on the making of any other classic Indian movie. I would definitely look forward to it at the earliest. 

Mother Mary Comes to Me - Arundhati Roy (Book).

Book: 23/52

Mother Mary Comes to Me - Arundhati Roy

My Rating: 4/5

After loving her “The God of Small Things) twice, once in college and again last year, I had to get this one at the earliest, but it was too pricey, so I waited for discounts, but then got it in our library last month and gladly grabbed it at a throwaway price. So far, I have read one more from her, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”, and haven’t yet read any of her non-fiction because I am not too much into politics. Now, after reading this sort of Autobiography and knowing her real story in her own words, I feel like getting all her books in publication order and reading them back to back. Do let me know if you have read more of her, and if that's going to be a good idea for me or not. Now this one was totally terrific, the rags to riches story of Arundhati, right from the start of her life to writing and the grand success of God of Small Things, and so much more going on in between. It covers almost everything anyone would like to know about her in the first place. I didn’t know that he acted in movies and was even a part of a few that she made with her then partner, who later became her husband. Coming from a broken family background with a good-for-nothing alcoholic father who vanished pretty often from their life. Although she kept mentioning and talking about him in a very loving manner, his histrionics were laugh-out-loud affairs, bringing so much delight to her life story. Her mother (Mary) was a fighter, who not only fought for her own two children (with her husband too), her own brother and parents and even fought a furious battle with the state of Kerala for women’s right in paternal property, you’ve got to read the book to know the totally amazing outcome. Mother Mary started her life as a single parent with no support, even from her own parents or siblings, and she faces animosity as she starts her own school and takes it to the next level. How she does that was incredible to read. Loved the way she has captured the mother-daughter relationship, at times it had me in splits, and at other times it not only made me emotional but brought tears to my eyes. Reminded me so much of my own mother with a stiff back, full of self-respect and a head always held high, come what may attitude. I believe we all had those kinds of parents back in the day, and now God doesn't make them anymore :). 

The entire book and the story behind the making of Arundhati Roy is a roller coaster ride of a totally different kind. Her language is so good, easy on the eyes, and pretty connecting on heart front, I loved it right from the very start and was initially shocked by the way she kept calling all the names without a thought, especially her days in college, first few assignments, making adjustments with no money, no fallback plans, and so much more. The book is hardly 350+ pages, but it reads like a charm for only the first 250 pages till her struggles continue. But the moment it crosses the God of Small Things chapter, and she starts with her opinions on the political front and all the current issues, it simply becomes very tough to read. Of course, India is a democracy, and everyone has a right to his or her opinion, nothing wrong in that, but the way she takes the fascism head-on, it is scary even to think, let alone imagine how she was or still is doing it, and her ideologies, again, nothing wrong in that, but to what extent she takes it was totally unbelievable. Reason enough for me to pick up a few of her non-fiction books now to get into more details of all the episodes that she has touched on in this one, briefly. I loved the book cover and back page as well, as you can see the front has her own younger self smoking a “bidi” and on the back page is her current picture with almost no expression on her face. The book jacket, for some reason, is half the size of the book and makes it tough to hold while reading the book, but my smart librarian has solved the problem by taping the jacket from the inside to make it stick to the hardback. Undoubtedly, the book will be remembered more for her mother than herself as she has written it for her mother with so much love, affection and unresolvable differences with her (I guess we all had that with our own parents at one point or another). I, for some reason, still find it tough to handle them (Mom, if you are reading this, please don’t take it to heart, but you are one tough cookie to break, you know that, and you only made me, and let’s not even start about Dad, more when we meet at the end of July). 

Do let me know if you have read this one and how it turned out for you. Also, let me know if you have a personal favourite non-fiction from her. I will be starting with her first book in publication order and will read it at the earliest. 

 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - Kiran Desai (Book).

Book: 22/52

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - Kiran Desai

My Rating: 3/5

After reading and liking her “The Inheritance of Loss”, I had to get this one at the earliest because the opinions of readers on this one were totally poles apart, some liked it, some loved it, and for a few it made no sense too. Now, I am somewhere in between, of course I finished the mammoth 670+ paged book; it took me close to one full month, though and yet I can’t claim that I liked it. Somehow, I wasn’t able to connect with Sonia or with Sunny in their journey and life in the US of A, and even when they come back and live a little in India too. The story is set between the mid-90s and flows into the early 2000s, too. My first problem (why I couldn’t like or love it) with the story was that upto the half way mark, they don’t even meet, post the point they actually meet for the first time, so many sidey unnecessary stories kept me boring to no end, their uncles, aunts, parents separation as both were from broken families, grand parents story and so much more. I just couldn’t make out which direction Kiran wanted it to take, and whether she was successful in doing that. I‘ve got to do a little more research on the book and find out if she herself is satisfied with the outcome, because I totally am not, hence the low rating. As was the case in her previous book, her stories are more of a perspective of immigrants or say non-immigrants (temporary visa holders in search of green cards) and their struggles in making ends meet. I could understand and sympathise with the characters on that front as I myself was working with an American firm in the same period of time and was taking care of the visa stuff for a lot of our employees and trust me, I still am in touch with a few of them who haven’t got the citizenship but very hopefull that in very near future they might get the final stamp. 

What turned me off at times, or rather made me sad, was the state of India that she has captured through her story. No denying, it still goes the same way even now, nothing much has changed that we have crossed a quarter of the 21st century. But she balances the whole act out by showing the true picture of American life too, that too in great detail. Guess what, she lived only 16 years in India and then moved to the USA permanently. I am sure she must have kept coming back to India, as her character’s experiences are too personal when it comes to sharing them as a story with her readers. No one can write that perfectly without having first-hand experience, for sure. Sunny and his friend visiting India to get married and find a perfect girl was such a heart touching affair, Sunny’s animosity with his own parents, their further internal indifferences, and on top of that terms with their neighbours, whose daughter he was supposed to marry in the first place (Sonia), you’ve got to read the book to know the reason why that propsal comes through in the first place (hilarious) and the outcome. Both Sunny and Sonia live in relationships with their partners, and the back stories were totally believable, too. The one thing that worked big time in favour of the whole book for me was the life and times shown in Allahabad (Galawati and Kakori Kebab stories), times and life in Panchsheel park (New Delhi) and Lodhi garden :) (I still remember how was that rated back then), and the goings on, which were a fantastic pulling me back to the book stuff that I loved. Typical Indian relatives with their stories, family disputes related to property and jewels, how it all ends for Sunny’s family was totally believable, and I must say an apt ending to the saga. Also, the detailing of the life of Sonia’s boyfriend, the artist, was fantastic. I didn’t like the way it ended, and I am surprised by not finding many details on Sunny’s girlfriend in the book. I wonder why she was partial to her :). She has also captured the volatile episodes not only from the Indian political situation but also from the USA. If you see the period, you can guess what I am talking about. I don't want to give out any spoilers. But again, what didn’t work for me was that she barely touched those episodes and takes a sidey shortcut, gives no personal opinion or verdict, it's like those things just happened while her characters were going through so much in their own lives. Otherwise, it had the potential to actually become and read like an epic. I would rather give the book a few years and wait and watch to see what mark it makes in the near future. It for sure won’t read or make me feel like the way her earlier “Inheritance of Loss” did. 

But I must say that she does capture and showcase the essence of a non-immigrant’s life abroad, saying it from my personal experience with so many family and friends who are still going through the same in today’s time. It is all so genuinely written that it doesn’t read at all like fiction. Also, it takes guts for an American to write a story like that and comment or accept on something like the 9/11 attack as “it was time someone did that to us to make us understand how it feels”. Do let me know if you have read it yet and liked it or hated it? 

 

The Summer Book - Tove Jansson (Book).

Book: 21/52

The Summer Book - Tove Jansson 

My Rating: 5/5

As I mentioned earlier in my posts, I have started forcing my friends and relatives from foreign lands to get me books, only that too from the local writers of the country they are coming from. And this one turns out to be a lovely book that my nephew returning from Helsinki, got me last year. I only got to read it now, as my mom hijacked it in the first place, and I practically had to blackmail her to give it to me after she finished it. It’s a heart-touching story written by a granddaughter, dedicated to her Grand Ma. I felt like I was reading my own adventures with my lovely Grandmother. Her histrionics were no different than the one captured in this story by Tove Jansson. Totally missed my Grandma with every anecdote and every story that I read in this one. Jansson is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, pretty famous not only in Finland / Sweden but in the entire Nordic region. Her stories have been published in multiple languages. The Summerbook was one of the ten novels that she wrote for adults, and it is regarded as a modern classic, and now I know why. This was about an elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter during the summers together on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland. Both of them learn to adjust to each other’s whims, fancies, stories and even superstitions :). It is full of humorous stories and their adventures. On top of that, Tove Jansson accepts that this is more of her own experience and spirit in the book, which she has captured as her niece’s point of view and a lot of her grandmother’s character she has picked up from her mother, which makes it even better and gives us an amazing insight into the author. On top of that, this 50th edition includes an afterword by Tove’s niece, Sophia Jansson, which was incredible to read once I finished the novel, and it has a Foreword too by Esther Freud (As you can guess by the name, she is Sigmund Freud great grand daughter). Can it get any better?

This book sent me back in time when I was six or seven years old. I would follow my grandmother everywhere she went. Our house was the last in the lane back in the day, and beyond that, there were acres of farm land, followed by deep dark wood, which ended on the slopes of a huge hill that had a temple on top. Sometimes my grandma will go to the middle of the woods to look for some tree’s bark to make a medicinal brew for my grandpa, and in the process of going so far from home, she will take a few bidis and will smoke while no one follows us. Of course, my dad and his brothers knew of her smoking habit, but no one questioned her, as she was very tough to handle. As time passed and I grew and got into a job, I used to visit her once a year, and she would ask me with her expressions if I got her a pack of cigarettes and trust me, she used to share one with me on the rooftop every time I visited her and promised that she smoked only with me. After her death, I found out that the same promise was made to all my cousins and my own elder brothers too :). Now, Sophia’s Grandma used to smoke, but usually she won’t smoke in front of her son, and she will pick up a few flowers, roots and whatnot to make a brew too, just like my Grandma. She would walk with a stick but was tough like a rock when it comes to sailing her boat to other parts of the island or even crossing into other territories, she even onces goes and breaks into a house across the shore which she doesn’t like much as it was destroying the beauty of the island and you’ve got to read the book to know what happens when the owner of that house catches them red-handed breaking into his house. 

I must tell you this, too, that the book has a beautiful cover, as I am sure you can make out by the picture I have posted. It isn’t a hardback, but the thick sheet that makes up the cover is folded inside and on the last page of the book detailing the writer and story, both on the front and back respectively. It was so amazing to hold it and so soothing on the eyes because of the beautiful island picture on top. As I started reading this, my nephew actually cycled to the island captured in this one and sent me a picture in real time, and I must say, nothing much has changed on the island in the last 50+ years of this book's writing, as it still looks the same as in the book cover. 

Now that I have read the Summer Book and loved it, I am super keen on getting her “Winter Book” too and reading it ASAP. I may blackmail my nephew now to send me a copy soon from Finland as he ain’t coming back before Christmas. On top of that, this one has been adapted into a beautiful movie too, which I need to find and watch at the earliest. Do let me know if you have read this one or anything else from Tove Jansson. 

 

Favourite Stories - Premchand (Book).

Book: 20/52

Favourite Stories - Premchand

My Rating: 5/5

Just finished my 4th Hindi book of the year, and that too from one of my all-time favourite writers - Premchand. I’ve read almost all his books and stories back in school and college time, as my mother had most of them. All his stories and novels are based on the early 20th century and show us the true face of typical Indian society back in those days. Heart-touching true-to-life stories always reminded me of so many movies based on similar subjects and stories by my favourite movie director, Satyajit Ray. On your face, the straight truth is always on the right mark. This book too had a collection of 17 short stories, which sent me back in time when I actually used to play the game of Gulli-Danda with my friends and cousins. After reading the heart-touching story of two friends who meet again after decades of separation, where one has grown to be a big shot, and his friend remains the small-town guy with almost no life to claim any fame for. How they end up playing one last game and who wins is the story to read. This one made me actually call my cousin to understand how we played the game and what the penalty was for the loser :), Do you remember playing a game like that in the past? Then comes another terrific story of an untouchable woman, who wants to get inside a temple to pray for his dying son and to my shock and amazement, the then society won’t allow her to enter the temple, let alone touch the statue. How his son’s life ends without her prayers brought tears to my eyes. Thank God that this isn’t done anymore in today’s time, and we have come a long way on that prospect at least. But from all these stories, my favourite was the one called “Dhokha” where a prince goes in search of his would-be life partner without anyone’s knowledge, just to see who he was supposed to marry. Fortunately, without her knowledge, he leaves a very deep mark on her with his mythological singing, which he performs for her. Later, they do marry, but since she doesn’t know who she married, she keeps looking for that unknown singer. How the story ends was totally amazing. 

And then there are so many stories touching the typical Indian subjects with such ease that I can call his words magical; reading them in Hindi actually makes it special. Of course, after reading four back-to-back Hindi books from Jai Shankar Prasad, Sarat Chandra and even Tagore, I will say Premchand’s Hindi is the best and simplest. I actually didn't have to Google any words that made no sense to me this time. Most of his stories are either based on the women’s plight, untouchability or about those who were too poor to fight for their own rights one way or another. One of the stories reminded me of my own grandmother, who used to tell me about a very old superstitious story (not for her, though) about a girl who had three brothers. They used to call her “Tainter” (in Hindi), and she usually brought trouble to one of the brothers by just being born in the family. Can you believe that? Unfortunately, in our neighbourhood, one of the kids actually died in an accident, and since they too were three brothers and one sister, they blamed the girl for it, and since then, she was called a Tainter in our little town for the rest of her life (till we lived there). 

After reading these gems from the master storyteller, which I felt were too short with hardly 200 pages, I am looking forward to reading a few of his novels again. Do let me know if you have read anything from Premchand in recent times or if you have a personal favourite. I have so many that I don’t want to list them, but rather get them soon and read at the earliest. 

 

All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare (Book).

Book: 19/52

All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare

My Rating: 2/5

A few weeks back, I was wondering why I hadn’t read anything from Shakespeare after college. Even after loving a few adaptations of his acclaimed plays (read: tragedies), I never actually picked up anything because, first of all, reading a play is a cumbersome act anyway, and so I thought. Till last week, when I finally downloaded a legal copy of All’s Well That Ends Well from him, which was supposedly a comedy. Unfortunately, this one didn’t even make me smile, let alone laugh out loud like I always do with a PGW, my favourite comedy writer. This one was totally unreadable, and might just have become the first DNF for the year, but since it was a Shakespeare, I had to give it some respect, and it's due to this, hence I ploughed along and finished it in 3-4 days, much to my dismay. If you haven’t read it already, let me tell you it's a very simple story of one fine man who doesn’t want to get married, is forced into marriage by his own mother, empowered by the then-king, King who he works for. How they tricked him into doing something totally untoward with a woman, whom he was supposed to marry without his knowledge and in the end, he had to marry he,r much to his annoyance, just like the way I had to read this one and finish it too. Now imagine all that done some 450+ years ago, and the language, by God, it seriously was tough to read, and I had to read certain parts again for it to make any sense to me. Having said that, I have never judged an author by just one book, so I will be reading another serious one this time, followed by my personal favourite, Macbeth, for sure. If those too do not work, I will call it quits for Shakespeare and bid my adieu to him forever. 

Do let me know if you have read Shakespeare in recent times and how it fared for you? I am totally surprised by the outcome, though. 

 

21 Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyaan - Ravindranath Tagore (Book).

Book: 18/52

21 Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyaan - Ravindranath Tagore

My Rating: 5/5

The third book back-to-back in Hindi amongst the last five that I have read in March / April so far. What surprised me big time is that they are all from the Authors of the same era, Jai Shankar Prasad, Sarat Chandra and Rabindranath Tagore, but the language is the same or even identical, with so many common words used by all three of them. Or this might be the case of a common translator, unfortunately, none of the books mentions the translator’s name,e as I am sure Sarat Chandra and Tagore must have written their Stories in Bangla originally. Still, they all turn out to be heart-touching stories depicting late 19th to early 20th century life with the then women as the central core. Here also, marriage is a big subject for girls as young as 12 or a little more; someone turning 19 and unmarried will be treated as a bad mark. That made me think what has changed in the last 150-odd years after these stories were written. Last month we attended one of my cousins' marriages back home, and my daughter,r who turned 20 this year, was the apple of everyone's eye in that marriage, and I did hear so much hush-hush talking of her coming of age and that we might start looking for a good match for her :). Practically nothing has changed in our part of the world, for sure. Among the 21 stories covered in this book, my favourite will always be the “Kabuliwallah”. Little Mini is playing around with the man from Kabul who comes to her city to sell his dry fruits. His own back story as to why he never charges her father for anything that she takes or eats from his bag is totally super emotional. On top of that, when he gets arrested on the charges of murder, making sure he will never go back to his country, and his own little daughter will know nothing of him. How he keeps her memory with himself actually made not only my eyes go wet, but this time, actual tears rolled down my face. Imagine the impact of these emotional words on my fragile heart. This must be the nth time that I must have read this story and have seen a few adaptations too, but never had this impact earlier. 

The second story that touched me deep inside was “Aparichita”. Where a girl’s father breaks the shackles by agreeing to dowry, but when the moment comes and they get publicly embarrassed by the groom’s family (one particular maternal uncle), he still entertains them and serves them food, etc., but refuses to marry his daughter to the man. What happens next is predictable, but the way it ends is totally unbelievable. One has to read the story to know the outcome, as it actually shocked me by the ending and kept me quite in suspense. There are so many other short stories with open endings too, which kept me thinking for a long time, and some with such shocking and abrupt endings where the author plainly refuses to go any further. Just like the way Jai Shankar Prasad and Sarat Chandra did earlier with me in their stories. This is almost my first ever book from Tagore in a long, long time, but now I will have to look out for some or all of his works that I should read at the earliest. Do let me know if you have read anything from Tagore in recent times, and also, if you have a personal favourite that you would like to recommend. 

 

The Rosie Result - Graeme Simsion (Book).

Book: 17/52

The Rosie Result - Graeme Simsion 

My Rating: 4/5

Finally finished the Rosie Trilogy from Graeme Simsion, as I have read the earlier two parts, “The Rosie Project” and “The Rosie Effect” earlier, this one too was a quick read, just like its earlier counterparts. In the first one, Don Tilman, the Geneticist with Autism (Asperger’s), falls in love and ends up getting her in the end. Followed by the second one, where his wife Rosie, another PhD, impacts his life, and they move to the USA. This one follows the additional story of their Son Hudson, who again is autistic, and they try to make him adjust to the world around him after they move back to Australia. I believe the best of the series was the first one, because of its unique premise, but post that second one still read like a good story again, with so many twists and turns in Don and Rosie’s life once they moved to the USA. This one on the other end provides a perfect closure to the story once they move back and settle in Aussyland with Hudson, who is a replica of his Dad and equally intelligent, thoughtful and hilarious at times. Enjoyed reading his histrionics from high school days, where almost every kid goes through the same rut, and I could draw so many parallels from my own life back in the day. But I must say that the way Graeme has not only touched the Autism subject but also provides the fantastic details and deep insight into their lives, was totally terrific, and I am glad to find that it even worked with the Autism community globally, as they approve of it. I was touched by the way he has portrayed an eleven-year-old kid’s life and struggles. Of course, I end up falling in love with Hudson, the kid who is so smart and so human to the people around him. Not only his own age kids but also people double his age or older, the way he not only supports Don once he takes a break from his Career (or rather forced to) and ends up opening a Bar, it was rocking to read what the kid does for their venture and how it all turns out beautifully in the end. Graeme Simsion has definitely come very close to my favourite current author, Fredrik Backman, in heart-touching storytelling. I love Don almost as much as I loved Backman’s Ove. You’ve got to read the books to know more about the characters and stories.

Do let me know if you have read any of these from Simsion or any other works. I guess he wrote two more independent novels other than this Trilogy. And yes, he has sold the rights to his books to Sony Pictures, and very shortly, we might have the first adaptation on screen in the form of The Rosie Project movie. I will be super keen to watch it. 

 

Anmol Kahaniyan - Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (Book - Hindi)

Book: 16/52

Anmol Kahaniyan - Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (Hindi)

My Rating: 5/5

Second Hindi book of the year, yeah, I know I am slow when it comes to reading Hindi literature, call it less availability in our library or me not buying books for my over-stuffed book rack. Again, this one was a little easy on my vocabulary, but it definitely helped it grow with leaps and bounds. I can now write a few sentences or paragraphs without fail, and I am not exaggerating at all :). Terrific stories from the legendary writer from our part of the world, some were so heart-touching that I had to actually take a break and think about what I had just finished. One of the best was “Anuradha”, I am sure if you have read this one, you will agree with the roller coaster ride of a life story for poor Anuradha and no respite at all from the society as well. An unmarried woman with a brother to take care of, no family, no home, only a survival solution for her to marry an old man, and even that doesn't come any easier for her. I was not at all surprised by the subjects Sarat Chandra’s stories cover or the era he showcases for us in the current times. It was unbelievable to read what the then people were going through, especially the women in India, or say the untouchables. I actually had to Google to know the timeframe, as the Author passed away a decade before our independence, so you can take a clue what year he must have written these stories. He practically refuses to give out the exact time, age of even years, just like one of my favourite Murakami does too, a lot of times. The best thing about his stories is that they are all written in first person, and on top of that, the narrator practically talks to the reader. It is so beautiful to read where I felt like he was talking to me, some of his stories start like “Let me tell you about a pandit from our village, I am sure you dont know nothing about him…..” and a lot of instances where he leaves so many things unexplained claiming he has no words or heart to mention what happened next. In one of the stories where a bridge is being made on a river and for some reason the bridge asks for a human sacrifice, on top of that it has to be three kids no less, how story takes shapes and how it all ends was hilarious to read but then it touches a very well known myth from our part of the world, thankfully which isn’t in practice anymore. 

Having read a collection of superb short stories, I am now actually looking forward to a few of his novels in the very near future. I still remember that I read his acclaimed “Devdas” followed by the recent blockbuster movie, which was quite a turn off in comparison to the simple story. Maybe this time I will get Parineeta or Charitraheen for a change and will not watch the movies at all based on them. Do let me know if you read anything from Sarat Babu and if you have a personal favourite too. 

 

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Book & Movie)

Book: 15/52

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

My Rating: 5/5

My first from Andy Weir, and I am surprised how I haven’t yet read The Martian yet, even after the super success of the movie. That has to be my next from him for sure now that I have loved this one big time. Project Hail Mary is now more famous, all thanks to its big screen adaptation, where Ryan Gosling plays the lead character of Micro-Biologist cum Scientist, Ryland Grace. Do you see the similarity in the names? I guess Andy actually wrote this with him in mind, as it works wonders for the book; you will agree if you have read the book. The subject the book is written on is a beaten-to-death topic of Humanity coming to an end, an apocalypse is about to come, and only one man can save the planet from the same. There comes our hero in the form of Ryland Grace to save humanity, who goes out to check why the sun’s light is dimming with two other astronauts. The woman behind Grace, Eva Stratt, is the most powerful in the world, with immunity from all the superpowers to get to the root cause and solve it by hook or crook. She is so amazing, and I loved their interactions big time. How she convinces Grade to take the journey is another matter, which kept me hooked right till the very penultimate chapter of the book. The journey to the point where he can fix the problem is going to take 13 years, and it's a suicide mission, as they will not have enough fuel to return to Earth. Will he be able to save seven billion people and the only blue planet in the universe from extinction, or not is the rest of it. But the way it is done was a totally new way, very exciting and engaging to say the least, I was hooked to the book from the very first page and had to dedicate time to it to finish it in four flat days, so I can go ahead and watch the movie this weekend. Right from the word go, where they realise that there is a virus killing the sunlight slowly and gradually, the way it is calculated how long it will last before the disaster actually hits, its repercussions and how they plan to solve it was a totally out of this world experience, super suspenseful and anything can go wrong at any time. 

What I loved most about the story is that multiple tracks are working at the same time and the original story is told in flashbacks, back and forth as the team travels out to their destination, how they get to it and what it takes to make a spaceship that fast and efficient plus the selection of the astronauts who will go on the death mission was totally terrific. And especially the interactions between all the world’s scientists coming together to save the planet, seeing Russians, Chinese and Americans on the same table was hilarious. I want to talk so much about the story, but there is no way I can do that without disclosing something important, which I don't want to do in the first place. Oh! Before I forget, I loved the Beatles connection too and had no idea that there was another drummer in the Beatles' group before Ringo Starr. How Beetles help Grace to save not only our planet but another one where actual life exists is why you need to read this book. But I must say it has so much science, especially physics and maths, that it became a turn off for me at times, and even the ending looked a little over stretched to me just for the thrill sake, but the twist in the end wasn’t predictable for me, and it kind of shocked me. I am not expecting a sequel, but if he actually writes one, I will be the first to get in line to get the book at the earliest and read it. 

Having said all that, I have huge expectations from its movie adaptation, which was released this week in our part of the world, and I have booked it for Saturday morning, first thing, that too a 4DX version to enjoy the space travel. Do let me know if you have read this one and loved it too. I am so much looking forward to reading the Martian soon followed by Artemis from Andy Weir. 

Movie: Again as it always happens, movie isn’t half as great as the book was especially when it comes to detailing, character development and story going places. Eva Stratt’s character is such a huge let down, I wouldn’t even call it half baked :(. Ryan Gosling does full justice with the author backed role, totally in the character and suits it big time. Visually I didn’t find the movie that appealing as the Martian was and we have seen way better movies based on space.  Even when I watched it in a 4DX theatre just for that zero gravity feel and all that. I had huge expectations fro its length of two and half hours or little more but it wasnt upto the mark. Rocky’s character was the best part of the whole movie but it takes quite a while to get to that mark in the first place but from that moment movie goes on a different high and I loved the way it ends. One thing I must say that the movie doesnt have that much science thrown on its audience face as much the book does and makes it a little too much. Overall a pretty average flick nothing special that one should check it out on the big screen only. I will rate it a generous 3/5. 

 

The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri (Book).

Book: 14/52
The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri.
My Rating: 5/5.

This is my second book from her after the much-loved and admired "The Namesake", which went on to become a superhit novel and almost equally good movie, to say the least. I read it long back and still remember it as a terrific immigrant story which revolves around Kolkata and Boston, in the same way as the story of The Lowland goes around. Unfortunately, I have visited Kolkata only once, and that too very briefly, for one night, but the way she has captured the essence of the city in her stories is simply unbelievable. I was glad that her characters find the city exactly how I found it back in the late 90s, as smog-covered, quite polluting, with stunning visuals and a typical Bengali lifestyle, which I loved. Let's not even talk about the Music, books, and plethora of Cinema that the city offers to an outsider who is in love with those art forms. I missed driving through the Hawda bridge, but I will fulfil that wish pretty soon in my next long drive, taking me to the North East via Kolkata this year or next, maybe. Lowland covers the life of two siblings born a little before India's independence, while the country and city in question go through so much tumult of their own. They are superb companions and almost do everything together, and I assumed this will be another terrific story of two siblings fighting the world together, but to my shock and surprise, the way their lives take a turn because of the then politics, one moves out of India to pursue a better future, whereas the other gets involved the burning situation of his city. The younger one gets married much to his parents annoyment, leaves a pregnant while when he gets shot dead for the revolution that he becomes a part of (how and why, you need to read the book for) and as it happened in all of our 70's movies and life-times, the other brother's life takes a solid turn to face the life ahead for himself, his parents and his brother's young pregnant widowed wife. 

Mesmerising is the way she has captured the life near the lowland, which is across from their ancestral house, on the border of Tollygunge club, where the brothers once jumped the boundary to see for themselves, right next to a Mosque, there is so much going on in every page of the book that the very chapter kept me hooked to the narrative. It again took me back in time to my own life back in the day in the sleepy town of Bhopal, where life wasn't much different growing up in the 80's. Incredible is the way she captures so many emotions through her characters, the mother who wants her kids to be together, and she doesn't like the way either of them gets married. The way a widow was handled back in the day was heart-touching. The way elder brother's life changes after he goes to the USA, gets into a relationship too reluctantly, and it was so beautiful to read the detailing, but how unfortunately he gets married, and the way his wife takes him for a ride was something I could never predict. My heart and mind kept on asking so many whys without getting any answers till it all ended. I will say that in the most intriguing 400 pages that I have read in the past few years totally kept me hooked to it, but the way it ended was so amazingly convincing and fulfilling in a way. The way she touches the delicate topics of the Vietnam War and gets into the great detailing of the Naxalite movement or the political scenario back home was incredible. Also, the way she has captured the life of NRIs who return briefly to their motherland was totally a believable experience that our relatives go through even now, as when they return, I will say nothing much changes in our part of the world, but the geography may be a little bit different. This was an emotional fest from all angles, but the best was done by or through her younger brother's wife's point of view, as how she gets on with her life and takes drastic steps after a decade living in the USA with her husband and daughter was mind-blowing. 

Now, after reading this, I am too keen on getting her story collection "Interpreter of Maladies", which was not only her debut book but also got her a Pulitzer in fiction. Unfortunately, she has written only three novels, including The Lowland. I am looking forward to her other works big time, provided we have them in our library, and maybe I will read The Namesake yet again and follow it with the superb movie. Do let me know if you have read this one and loved or which one is your favourite Jhumpa Lahiri book? 

The Illicit Happiness of Other People - Manu Joseph (Book).

Book: 13/52
The Illicit Happiness of Other People - Manu Joseph
My Rating: 4/5

Author and his book’s title attracted me this time :), I have read a few reviews of his other books and actually wanted to try one of them myself. I expected a pretty easy going book with tongue in cheek humour typical Indian kind or call it South Indian but how wrong it turned out to be. Although it starts on a lighter note but the way story develops and ends, blew up my mind totally especially the last 100 pages. A typical Malayali Christian family stuck in Madras in the early 90s with two kids Unni Chako and his younger brother Thoma Chako  followed by their mother Mariamma who happens to be an economics post graduate but serving as a house-wife and her anarchist husband Ousep Chako who is good for nothing but somehow ploughs along in his Journalist job. One fine day something leads Unni to take his own life by jumping from their third floor terrace, and the intriguing story starts when Ousep leaves everything aside to find why his 17 year old son did what he did. Gradually he covers a few clues in the form of Unni’s comics that he was writing, he hides them from his wife so he could uncover the truth behind his son’s death. In the quest of uncovering the truth he becomes enemy number one of all the kids he wanted to grill or parents of those who happened to be his son’s best friends. How he uncovers and what was the final reason is disclosed on the very last page of the book much to my shock, surprise and heart-break too. 

There are subplots in the story too in the form of Mariamma’s flash back from her childhood who she unfortunately narrates to her son before his death and he vows to take a revenge on her behalf. Her suffering is next level because of her drunkard good for nothing husband who threatens of committing a suicide and how she handles it with her younger son in toe was totally amazing. There is so much going on in the initial 250 pages and Author captures the then life in the Madras neighbourhood so beautifully that he actually took me back in time to my own younger self back in the day and I could draw so many parallels from my own life with my parents and siblings. Unni and Thoma’s story terrifically sounds so genuine and doesn’t read like a fiction at all. Especially the love and sensual angle in it, couldn’t believe that someone could write it so beautifully as what a teenager goes through in real life. You’ve got to read the book to know more as I cannot tell you anymore without disclosing too much. On top of all that it reads like a proper thriller or I can say at least most of it, till the point where the story takes a psychological turn and that’s when it faltered at least for me with so much science thrown in the last 100 odd pages and with that unpredictable yet a simple ending from my point of view. I expected a bomb blast in the end which never comes but having said that I will maintain that it takes nothing away from the story as it still was a 350+ paged book that I had to finish in flat four sittings as I just couldn’t keep myself in the suspense. 

On a side note, this became another book from my recent reads which talks a lot about meaningless life and its futility or man’s search for a purpose or deeper meaning of life. Unfortunately I am not picking these books to understand the meaning of life or any deeper theory as such but somehow they all touch that topic one way or another, some in a very shallow way but this one takes it to a totally new level, if you have read it, I am sure you will agree with me as the kind of enlightenment that Unni Chako gets finally was something which made me actually think and take a note of. I was like WHOA, I didn’t expect this from the book or the Author or the story at least that he was telling. 

Do let me know if you have read this one or any other from Manu Joseph which you would like to recommend. I am definitely looking forward to a few more from him in very near future.  

 

Sarvshreshtha Kahaniyan (Hindi) - Jai Shankar Prasad (Book).

Book: 12/52
Sarvshreshtha Kahaniyan (Hindi) - Jai Shankar Prasad
My Rating: 4/5

Last month, I received an Amazon Gift card worth 1000/- from my credit card bank, and guess what I did with that :). Bought a pack of 4 Hindi books from the iconic literati of Jai Shankar Prasad, Tagore, Sharat Chandra and my personal favourite Premchand. I believe my Hindi has gone way too weak, or shall I say below standard, when it comes to reading (let's not even talk about my writing skills), hence I have decided to at least read 30% of my yearly quota in Hindi to keep up with the language. And on top of that, I vow to impress my parents by sending them the same books once I am done reading them, and give them another reason to be happy that I haven’t forgotten my roots yet ;) If you know what I mean. This was a terrific read from Jai Shankar Prasad, which took me back in time as most of the stories are from the mid-19th century, some as long as 30 pages long, while some were as short as one page (back to back though). But I must say a lot of them will remain in my memory for a long time to come. One of them was a young widow who hosts a warrior in her humble abode as he somehow gets lost from his own men. She feeds him and lets him rest one night in her hut. Cut to 47 years, his associate comes looking for the hut and realizing that the lady had passed long ago, makes an eight-sided temple in her memory (as ordered by the warrior), but couldn’t name it after her as he had no clue what she was called. Now, guess the warrior she hosted that night? None other than Humayu. And many more such gems he has penned in this collection of stories. 

One thing common to all his stories is the beautiful flora and fauna from across India. It took me quite a while to understand the city and state that he was capturing through his character's stories so beautifully, yet not at all easy to read for me, the fragile Hindi reader with almost nil vocabulary. This will surely qualify as the first book in my reading history that actually made me Google some chaste Hindi words so I could get to know them better and draw the relevance in the story. No doubt he made my vocabulary stronger with each story, and I was surprised to read so many old school names that stood for so cool references that I could never imagine. There is another memorable story that I will never forget, which was based on the last few days of Shah Jahan when his son took over the kingdom and put him under house arrest. How his own daughter Jahanara takes care of him till his last breath and how he pleads with his own son to spare him, but in response, he reminds him of their own history when it comes to taking over the empire was totally heart-touching. But I wonder, even after the story taking place in Agra, that too very near the Yamuna river, he deprives the reader of any mention of the great Taj Mahal, I can’t say for what reason. And a top third favourite will another terrrific story of a Nomad woman who falls for a married man just because the man who she asks to read his letter to her mentions that that the guy was in love with him whereas the letter says otherwise. How the matter gets resolved as the man in question visits the letter reader with his family and what happens to the woman, you need to read the book and find the story :). 

Do let me know if you have read this one or any other works of Jai Shankar Prasad. Although I am not much into poetry, otherwise I would have given his Epic Poetry collection - Kamayani, a try for sure. 

 

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera (Book).

Book: 11/52
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
My Rating: 4/5

Sometimes I surprise myself with my own naivete :) As it happened, when I picked up this book thinking it was from another Indian writer (welcoming brickbats for not knowing anything about Mr Kundera till yesterday). The first page introduction opened my eyes to the fact that he happened to be a Czech writer who had lived in France since 1975 (precisely when I was born). I should have read his name more like the Italian city I love big time, I guess. His books are translated into English by various elite people, as it goes, and they still make it any easier for mango people like me. And guess what, this book was banned for quite a few years after its publication, as Milan is not only very straightforward when it comes to writing from the heart, I can debate that he never wrote this one, at least from his head. His own theory of meaningless life is told through four of his protagonists, who go through so much in their lives in the mid 20th century, while the world goes through so many tumults. Especially the Russian invasion of a nearby country, one of which happens to be my favourite character, a surgeon whose life’s mission was to go through as many affairs in life as possible. On his last count, he had as many as 200 women in his life, other than ofcourse his wife, who herself wasn’t as faithful as you might think. Why? There is no reason why he does what he feels like, just like the author himself, who believes in questioning everything and doing what your heart tells you to do without any regrets. Ofcourse there is so much more going on in his love and life story that kept me surprised with each chapter. After Russion invasion, they simply forbade him from practising medicine as a punishment for something he wrote against the regime, and he went on to wash windows for a living around Prague and Vienna for a change.

What I loved about this book (merely 300+ pages) which was too short for the subject it covers and Milan’s theories. Almost all four of his main characters are unfaithful to their partners at one point in time or another. One of the author’s theories, which I will never forget, is when he makes his characters debate God’s existence. He says if there was a God (he says Jesus precisely), he must have a mouth, so he for sure will have intestines and certainly will eat and poop too, right? Now, can we beat that in any way? And let me not get into details anymore, as you get the drift and can read it in great detail in the book for yourself. I personally don’t believe in God and feel I am more of a science guy, so I totally agreed with his theory, dunno how my parents will read this one, and it will be very interesting to know the names they are going to call this guy :) If I send them this book. But no doubt I totally loved his theory of meaningless life, where we actually get no feedback, as there is no coming back from the dead to know if we lived it well. Or as if life is going to give us another chance to relive and do it any better this time, as one life passes into an unknown abyss. He justifies the title in a simply amazing way through his character’s stories so well that I was totally sold on the unbearable being myself, but is there alternate to it? Need to pick up a few of his other works to know if he offers any solutions in any of them.

Do let me know if you have read The Unbearable Lightness of Being or any other Milan Kundera book. I would love to give it a try.
 

The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh (Book).

Book: 10/52
The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh
My Rating: 5/5

I am in love with Mr Ghosh’s writing after reading his Sea of Poppies last year, although I must say his books are not easy to read, but as much as I could grasp from them, they are turning out to be beautiful reads. This one was no exception as it gives a terrific account of life in Burma (now Myanmar) from 1880 till the late 90’s and in between 20 years from our own town of Ratnagiri too. Unbelievably detailed account of an Indian expat Rajkumar’s life in the then Burma, where he falls in love with a teenage maid Dolly of the then queen who he meets only once. The most important character of the story is the Glass Palace itself, where the royal family resides. How this young guy's life takes a turn from working on a ship which lands him in Rangoon in late 19th century, after doing odd jobs how he becomes a man of substance and ends up finding his love after all is the rest of the story. The way Mr Ghosh has shown the life of the King and Queen who get ousted by the British Empire in search of Teak wood and how they end up living their life in Ratnagiri under house arrest, also what happens to the princesses, was totally heart-touching. Another important character gets involved while they are under house arrest in Ratnagiri: the collector and his wife. It's not only the rags-to-riches and back to rags story of Rajkumar, but also of the three generations of his own family, parallel to the royal family too. Fortunately, I had spent a few weeks in Ratnagiri a decade ago, and this book took me back to that town with its beautiful visuals, especially the jetty mentioned in the story, as a lot of the story takes place around the rivers and sea too. One of my close friends great grand father was the then Governor of Ratnagiri. I kept looking for a known reference in this fictional story, too. Mingblowing is the way he has captured the politics of war, imperialism and the British invasion of so many countries, the plight of the people affected by the same and the politics of ever-changing loyalty of the Indian army was shocking. And he does all that with half a dozen characters only from all walks of life, an expat Rajkumar from India, Saya John a local from Burma who comes to his rescue, Burma’s last King and Queen with their two daughters and third on the way, an Indian Civil Servant taking care of King and Queen in India and last but not the least his Wife followed by three generations of all of them, while so much goes in the world around. 

What I loved most about his storytelling is the way he refuses to give a clear timeline of the story but lets you capture it through his love of cars back in the day :). I consider myself a very passionate car guy, but after reading this book and the way he showed the beautiful cars from our own history, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard a majority of their names, let alone the details he shares of V6S or V8’s, trucks and the much important Daytona too. Post India’s independence, he started giving the years. The entire story is spread between Burma, Ratnagiri and the Malay region with terrific detailed accounts of what locals wear, eat, their houses, work culture, dialects, and so much more. No doubt Mr Ghosh is a genius, as the way he has woven this story with so much going on in India back in the day, but he never makes it so political that it loses steam and goes away from his characters. I was totally engrossed in both the central characters as they and their generations go through so much with the tumultuous times. Ofcourse it all was spread over 550+ pages and it took me a good 15+ days to finish it, but loved it to no end. I am definitely looking forward to reading so much more from him now and will come back to his latest outing the Ghost Eye, by year's end, I guess. 

Do let me know if you have read the Ghost Eye and loved it too. Also, let me know if you have a favourite Amitav Ghosh book too. I would love to read it at the earliest. 

 

Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë (Book).

Book: 9/52
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë.
My Rating: 5/5

I had to read this one very fast because I wanted to watch the much-awaited adaptation on the big screen, which came out last weekend. And what a treat this one turns out to be for me. Now the latest adaptation has Jacob Elrodi playing Mr Heathcliff, and I totally loved Jacob in his last outing on the big screen as Frankenstein’s Monster, yet again with a totally new take which touched my heart big time, as the Monster always does, as many times I end up reading the Mary Shelley book. This one was no different, as I am sure you will agree if you have read Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is no less than a monster when it comes to this harrowing story of what he does to the family who adopts him in the first place as a good deed. How he rips apart the family in its entirety was totally shocking to me, as I guess I had forgotten it after I read it for the first time when I was in school. How shrued and cunning the man turns out was beyond me, the way he falls in love with Catherine and she for him, making me think this will be a rebellious love story of sorts but the way Cathy takes a stand to get married to someone else (why? you need to read the book) and then Heathcliff vanishes for a few years but as soon as he comes back the revenge drama of sorts starts. The entire story takes place between two mansions a few miles apart from each other, with the majority of it taking place in the family owned Wutheing Heights, the haunted mansion to say the least. I loved the way Emily carves out the house as a solid character in itself. The whole story is narrated as a flashback to one Mr Lockwood, who becomes the latest tenant in the second house and visits Wuthering Heights to meet and greet his landlord. A very simple yet totally intriguing story kept me hooked to the very end whereas the ending is dislosed right in the first chapter itself, but it works beautifully to know how and what all happens in the first place.


Do let me know if you have read and loved Wuthering Heights or if you have liked any of its earlier adaptations, as the current movie is getting a lot of negative reviews as of now. I am certainly going to watch it as soon as I get back to my town after a short vacation.