Book Review: RIP - Mukul Deva

It's raining books. Literally. So much so that I've had a shelf full of brand new books lying unread for a while now, and yet I have no time to even touch them, as the BlogAdda folks have gotten super generous lately and are showering more and more books on this poor soul. But I've stopped applying for any more reviews now, for some time at least. This one's going to be my last book review for a few weeks to come.

So finally I had a really good read after a long long time. Probably after Shantaram (sigh). It took me a little over 4 days to read it through, and given the amount of study pressure looming over my head currently, this is equivalent of my finishing a book in less than one day. FTW. But this book, RIP, was good. Real good.

Here's how the cannonball of a plot goes.

RIP - The Resurgent Indian Patriots, led by Colonel Krishna Athawale - is a team of six ex para commandos of the Indian Army who're tired of watching the country continuously being raped and looted by the gang of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. They thus form RIP, and go about executing carefully chosen targets out of the many corrupt men in the recent news, and warn the government to take concrete action to bring the corrupt circle of men to justice and to bring back the country's money, else they would keep killing more and more people of significance. The threats and the flawlessly executed killings take the nation by storm. The government balks, the public comes all out in favor of the RIP, and every corrupt official runs for cover.


Now while the CBI is on their toes looking everywhere for the self-appointed vigilantes, in comes another ex para commando gone rogue, Raghav Bhagat, who is secretly hired by the home minister to hunt down the RIP and kill them before the CBI nabs them alive. The fact that the head of the RIP, Krishna, is getting dangerously close to Bhagat's soon-to-be ex-wife makes up the necessary fuel for him to vow to bring them down, no matter how. Thus begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse, only, the cat and the mice here are all highly trained commandos who know how to do their job well and to leave no marks behind. In this battle of wits between genius minds, who perishes? And who makes it alive to taste victory? More importantly, is justice finally served? Makes for a delicious, nail-bitingly fast-paced novel.

Sample this:

All these years, no matter which party came to power, they all survived because all of them were in cahoots. All of them aware that if they kept quiet about the others, they in turn would keep quiet about them, and everyone got to milk the nation. That is how the Indian politician had survived all these years. That is why no Indian politician had ever been found guilty of any wrongdoing or convicted by any court. RIP had threatened the status quo in a manner that had never happened before. 'That is why we...you have to find them and stop them.'

Powerful words, and every bit true.

Mukul Deva is widely lauded as the best Indian military thriller writer, and a pioneer in that genre of literature in the country. And quite rightfully so. The USP of the book lies in a number of things. One, the author's fast-paced yet lucid narration. It doesn't confuse you, despite the insane amounts of intricacy this particular genre can involve. At the same time, two, he blends all that gripping action with an underlying emotional track involving the main characters. It helps you instantly connect with the characters, no matter whether you even understand half of the military imagery or not. The way he narrates the events, you can actually see the scenes unfolding in front of your eyes, like an action film. But best of all, according to me, was the way Mukul Deva has fashioned most of his characters based on political figures of note - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sadhu Yadav, Anna Hazare et al - and cleverly disguised them under telltale names - Sheila Kaul, Ranvijay Kaul, Lalit Yadav, Sheru Yadav, Arvind Hazarika - spot the uncanny resemblance? It's outright suggestive and at the same time politically correct.

All of this, combined with very simple yet powerful language, makes the novel a totally worthy read. I kept aside my studies to finish it, and that speaks volumes in RIP's praise. More such books should be written. They'd sell like hot cakes, and may also bring more awareness about our country's sorry political state to the people, maybe serving as fuel for widespread indignation and rebellion against the corrupt pigs. Or maybe I'm just day dreaming. Well, that sure is a whole lot of maybes. But then, what's wrong with being an eternal optimist?

I guess I just liked the book a bit too much. I'd give it 4 stars out of 5.


(This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books yourself.)

Book Review: Alchemy (edited by Sheba Karim)

Most of us have read the occasional love story. Some even swear by the genre. And yet not many an average reader, more so of my age, has read a full-blown erotic story or novel. Admittedly, not even I had, till about a week ago. It isn't a commonplace genre of literature in the Indian society as yet. You see, sexual awakening is a total hush-hush process in our country. Most of it stems from visual aids and information available on the internet. Literature in the form of an aid in sex education or sexual awakening is not well known to the Indian society as far as I know.

But now I can boast of having actually read an erotic anthology. A collection of 13 short stories, Alchemy - The Tranquebar Book of Erotic Stories II - has been put together and edited by Sheba Karim, with sex as the central theme of each one of them. The contributors are accomplished writers from different platforms and geographical regions and the stories range from the oh-so-moving to the out and out disgusting.

I am, too obviously, a novice in this genre of reading, so reviewing such a book is a rather tough one for me. How does one review an erotic piece of writing? Do I recount how it made me feel while reading? Well, let's do it then.

Some of the stories - Clay, A Foreigner, The Monk, and Next Year at The Taj - are really touching. In the metaphorical sense, of course. Sex is a part of them, and yet there's much more to them than that. They highlight the deep sadness, longing, frustration, fear and lack of sensitivity that prevails in people's hearts. Some of these emotions erupt during the act of lovemaking, while some are given birth to because of it. In any case, lovemaking is an act of passion and is an amalgamation of a whole lot of emotions and feelings that one might not be able to express otherwise. The stories, in a lucid way, highlight just that part of the psyches of a number of different individuals in different situations.

The other lot of stories - The Farmer's Daughter, Abandon, The Matinee, The Marrying Kind, The Periscope - they're the more interesting ones. The gripping, intriguing kind that lays more stress on the events leading up to the end of the story rather than the lovemaking alone. And the stories are good. Like really good, with intriguing plots.

But then there was also the kind of stories that really grossed me out. Sanskrit, Mouth - the ones that could easilly gross out any average reader. They sure did that to me. Extra vivid, extra imaginative, futuristic and only meant for the bold hearted. Or maybe it's just me. One will have to read it to judge for oneself. As for the other two, one of them was about gay sex, so it served as a much-needed eye opener for me.

In hindsight, it was a one-of-a-kind experience reading this book. A 3 on 5 I's give it. How I came down to actually reading it is a funny tale, but a tad out of context here. Bottomline: If the book interests you, go grab a copy and read it, take my word for it - you won't regret it. And if you find it gross, grow up, maybe?

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books yourself.

Book Review: Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai - Rishi Vohra

Every now and then a movie based on a novel is made. But not many books are written to recreate the charm and magic of the 70 mm reel on paper. No sir. Not that often. And this is where this book takes away all the brownie points. So much, so that even though I am not a sucker for Hindi film romances, this book touched a chord in my heart.

Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai, much like its lifted-off-a-movie-yet-creatively-modified name, is a formula-based filmy story with a filmy plot and a befitting filmy ending, but with a unique flavor to it. Its uncanny protagonist is a schizophrenic 24-year-old youth, Babloo, whose life revolves around the railway tracks twisting and turning through the length and breadth of Mumbai. He is misunderstood by his family and the society. His parents, instead of caring that little bit extra for him, act impatient and shower their attention and affection on their younger son. Enraged and alone, Babloo prefers spending his time watching B-grade Hindi cinema at cheap shady theaters, running along the railway tracks behind his colony or talking to Vandana. Now who is Vandana? She's the quintessential Hindi film heroine - a decent yet ambitious girl with dreams of making it big in life, visiting 'America' and finding her Prince Charming before her orthodox parents get her married to a dork. Vandana seems to be the only person who has patience enough to try to understand, befriend and get along with Babloo. Quite inevitably he falls in love with her.

Now all that is missing in the tale is a villain, that shady character who makes the hero's life difficult and casts a wrong eye on the heroine. So in comes Sikander, the local cable operator guy who decides to score with Vandana as part of a sleazy bet with his minions. At the same time, Babloo, in his slow but determined demeanor, decides to win Vandana's heart by becoming famous and respected. And to be all of that, he dons the title and get-up of a new-age superhero - Rail Man. How all of their lives entangle and work out in the end is the major premise of the story. Needless to say, it has a happy ending that leaves you feeling good.

The plot might look mundane and run-off-the-mill at first glance, but the highly lucid manner in which the author describes the inner workings of a schizophrenic-autistic person's mind is what makes the story unique in itself. It serves as an eye-opener for a majority of average readers who have no idea about the thought process going on inside a mentally challenged individual's mind. All the characters have been etched to perfection, and a number of issues have been touched upon. Add to it all a sub theme that throws light on the menace of increasing crime in the local trains of Mumbai, and you have a racer of a book which can be read in one go without the slightest sensation of boredom. A simple yet powerful book, and certainly a sensational way to make a debut in the literary world. I'd give the book three and a half stars.

The book is conveniently priced at 175 rupees, so as to clearly distinguish it from the league of Rupa's 99-ers (and I shall make no efforts here to disguise my dislike for them) yet make it purchasable for everyone. Total win-win!

To know more about the book and the unbelievably multi-faceted author, visit the official website.


P.S. 100th blog post completed. FTW! \(^_^)/

Now Featured on The Independent, UK!

I've been meaning to write on a number of subjects ever since the new year took off. But time does not permit me any more. And it's gonna remain the same for a month to come. I'm missing my blog already. So much to write, all of a sudden, and so little opportunity. Sigh. A book review has been long due, then there's a fiction story, and I guess I haven't even wished my dear readers a happy new year yet. On that note, here's wishing a very happy and prosperous new year to every one. I hope you all have a joyous, successful and satisfying year lying ahead of you. Let us wade through it together with hope and faith in our hearts, and only bitch or gush about it when it turns into 2014. Till then, for better or for worse, bear with it, shall we? Yes, you, the non-believers too. Hold up as good as you can, it's gonna get better.

So the reason why I've taken the trouble to wield the pen (or keypad) today is to share something. Good news, actually.

A couple of days ago I assisted a well-known freelance journalist and writer, Mridu Khullar Relph, in preparing a story on the Delhi Metro and the safety of women in the city and its public transport. Apparently the lady had liked my article on the Ladies coach in Delhi Metro, written in early 2011. It was back then that she had interviewed me for a story in Elle magazine on similar lines. As fate would have had it, Elle sat on the story for far too long and it ended up not being run. I'd given up on it long ago. But apparently dear Mridu did not forget about it, and when she was asked to do a similar story for The Independent, one of UK's top newspapers, she sought me out again. It was all a quick process - her approaching me, my replying to her, her preparing the story, and the story being run on the paper within a day. Now the article isn't quite my handiwork, it's the writer's; but major parts of it are based on my inputs and I have been quoted at places. Good enough, eh? Here's the online edition of the story: 'I've jumped off a moving bus to get away from an attacker...' Life for women on India's public transport. It was a good experience. *proud moment*

It is anyway always fun for me, writing anything for anyone, as long as it's not an exam paper. That sucks. Do read it through, and let me know your views, if any!