Tamarind City by Bishwanath Ghosh

Title: Tamarind City
Author: Bishwanath Ghosh
Publisher: Tranquebar Press (Westland)
Pages: 315
Price: Rs 295
Genre: Non Fiction / Travel
Rating: 9/10

Chennai is usually never on the radar of city hoppers - too hot, too humid, too far, too conservative, and so on and so forth. Friends who visit the city for short periods like for training, want to get away as fast as possible. I always thought their prejudices were unjustified.

I have been to Chennai a couple of times. First as a tourist, visiting the usual beaches and temples. The second time, I stayed in Chennai for 4 months while I was preparing for MBA entrance exam. My brother was working with an IT company there. I finished my graduation, and joined him for coaching and big city exposure. It was certainly my first brush with city life. And thankfully it started with the conservative Chennai, because coming from a small place I would have been more scandalised by other cities.

Staying there, even for a short duration of time, I never had a problem with Chennai. In fact, that period has been one of the high points in my life. I didn't mind not listening to enough hindi, I didn't mind the idli-dosas ( I love them), I didn't mind the extreme climate much. Getting up very early, with the sunrise, getting 'The Hindu' at my doorstep, and watching women draw kolams on their porch was as much my routine as it were theirs.

However, 'Tamarind City' is a different experience altogether. Bishwanath Ghosh opens my eyes to a fascinating Chennai, which I now regret not exploring enough. His 300-odd pages book captures the essense of Chennai for an outsider - from history to historical relevance, from culture, religion and social set up to political history, from distinguished people to ordinary, from temples to beaches; he has covered almost everything. The history part was a little overwhelming for me though.

Throughout the book we meet different people, learn about important events and places, and each provide a window to understand the city better. To give a few glimpses, the book dwells into the historical importance of Fort St. George and its connection with illustrious men from the East India Company; the rise and fall of the once successful Appah and Co.; how religion is part of everyday living; the feud between Iyer and Iyengar Brahmins; the apparent Dalit and non Dalit segregation; the delectable South Indian food at Ratna Cafe owned by a North Indian; Susie, the transgender, who is forced to take up the world's oldest profession because the society does not offer any other option; Dr. Narayana Reddy, a much sought after sexologist in an otherwise conservative city; the increasing old age homes; Gemini Ganesan, the film industry's king of romance, who took his title seriously in real life too; Chandamama and its famous illustrator Sankar; S. Muthiah, the passionate historian educating people about the city's rich heritage and culture, and author of several books on Madras; the beaches, Tsunami, the Music festival and Carnatic Music, medical tourism, manufacturing hub and so much more. But eventually for me the line that describes Chennai best in comparison with other metros is:
"In a place like Delhi, you'll have to hunt for tradition. In Kolkata, you'll itch for transformation. Mumbai is only about transformation. It is Chennai alone that firmly holds its customs close to the chest, as if it were a box of priceless jewels handed down by ancestors, even as the city embraces change."

The book does not adhere to any strict format, so occasionally the author takes the liberty of digressing a little. But that does not impact the narration, rather makes it interesting.

The title and cover page are apt. The language and narration work for me, wherein occasionally the author takes the voice of people who he meets.

As an outsider, I cannot judge whether he has done complete justice to his subject. I don't know Chennai that intimately. But the fact that his book inspires a curiosity in me, and makes me want to visit the city again, explore those places, see those structures, meet those people and take in the surroundings, so the book definitely succeeds in its purpose. It helps an outsider to look beyond the stereotypes.

Reading Tamarind City for me was illuminating as well as nostalgic. I recommend it to everyone who loves travelogues or reading about culture and people.

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The Newsroom Mafia by Oswald Pereira

Title: The Newsroom Mafia
Author: Oswald Pereira
Publisher: Grey Oak Publishers (Westland)
Pages: 259
Price: Rs 245
Genre: Fiction / Thriller
Rating: 6/10

Though I am sure this book draws inspiration from the real, yet it is hard to overlook its strong Bollywood appeal. The main characters also seem to come alive straight from an underworld movie - a Hindu Don, Narayan Swami, ruthless and astute in his dealings, has a heart of gold for the poor and the needy. He puts together a coterie of shrewed and promising scribes as his advisers, for channelising his money as well as for handling the politicians and the police; a supercop, Bombay Police Commissioner, Donald Fernandez, who takes it upon himself to finish the Don and his empire. And the usual right hand men, side kicks, corrupt politicians and police thrown in good measure. The story even has a moll in the form of Stella Kutty. But over and above these cardboard characters from a hindi movie of the 70s or the 80s, the most interesting aspect about this book is the insight it offers about the media.

The naive common man assumes that the role of media is to report what goes on in the society but this book opens our eyes to how easily media can orient public opinion by planting stories in collusion with benefitting parties, timing the release of news articles which can deviate our attention from important issues to even preconceiving a scoop.

Oswald Pereira, veteran journalist and author, conceives a fast-paced crime thriller in 'The Newsroom Mafia'. The book begins at an interesting point, when a huge inside scoop goes awry. The Bombay Police Commissioner, Donald Fernandez plans to capture Narayan Swamy with much planning and secrecy. But his plan falls flat when the Don trumps him by sneaking away to safety from under the nose of a huge police contingent. This event sets pace for a story full of twists and turns where one trumps the other every now and then. Meanwhile, the story also charts Narayan Swamy's efforts to transform his image from an underworld Don to a charitable, social worker. Aiding both the parties in this game of cat and mouse are journalists. The narrator Oscar Pinto, a journalist, sides with Donald for exclusive stories, while a slew of scribes jump on the Don's bandwagon for money.

The cover page and the title are fitting, but the language and narrative are too flat for the theme of the book. The dialogues on several occasions are too filmy and cliched. I also felt that the end was a little let down in comparison with the high drama in the rest of the book. The book could have been much shorter as some details and events seemed irrelevant for the total narrative.

The book may not merit to be a part of literary hall of fame, but it can certainly give you good company on a journey or a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Image source: http://www.westlandbooks.in 

Hot Tea Across India by Rishad Saam Mehta

Title: Hot Tea Across India

Author: Rishad Saam Mehta

Publisher: Tranquebar

Pages: 191

Price: Rs 195

Genre: Non Fiction / Travel

Rating: 7.5/10

‘Hot Tea Across India’ is a collection of experiences put together by travel writer Rishad Saam Mehta, from his many road trips across India. The stories are not in any particular order or about any one particular journey. The chapters – some really entertaining, some interesting while a few inconsequential - are independent of each other. ‘Tea’ acts as the common element in all these stories, as the writer reminisces about various cups of tea he had - of all tastes and compositions!

I have a thing for travel stories from India. I am particularly fond of stories from road trips or small, little known places; which provide opportunities to discover many more facets of India that I am oblivious of and also to smile fondly at Indian idiosyncrasies and stereotypes. I believe India is a dream for any traveler, in terms of what she has to offer. Go to any place; its flavour, its culture and its people are unique.

I am particularly fascinated by forts and palaces. It is exciting to walk on the same path which had been frequented by completely different kind of people, centuries ago. The author also puts it across very well when he says: “….I consider any ancient monument a time cell, a little module that has frozen an era within its walls for eternity. Life may go on at frenzied pace all around its periphery, but within its ramparts or its carved walls, history looks you in the face as you stare at a legacy of talent, art and architectural science left behind from centuries ago.”

When I saw ‘Hot Tea Across India’, it offered 2 things I love - Indian travel stories and tea. I am addicted to Tea.

The title of the book is interesting and very catchy but the focus on ‘tea’ in the title could be misleading because the book is less about tea and more about experiences. The cover page is quite apt and fetching. It beautifully captures the essence of various stories narrated by the author. I did not like the font used on the back cover though. It was difficult to decipher.

Author Rishad Saam Mehta is among those lucky few who have converted their passion into profession. He is passionate about traveling and has been writing travel features for several publications. His travel stories in this book are diverse - from hitching a ride on a truck from Mumbai to Delhi, to almost losing his beloved bike in Kargil, from negotiating his way alone through some of the most dangerous terrains to experiencing unexpected kindness of government officials in getting back his misplaced bike. Unexpected turn of events and interesting people, are the two things which make every travel story interesting, and the author has packed in enough of those in this book.

‘Hot Tea Across India’ is an easy read. I was particularly impressed by the author’s effortless writing style – witty and articulate. Sample these:

 “… They were three foreign tourists riding hired Enfield Bullets: one of them was shirtless, another was shoeless, all three seemed clueless about the consternation they had caused by jumping barriers. They rode towards the policemen exuberantly calling out, ‘ Juley, juley’ – Ladakh’s happy word for hello – not realising that Ladakh was a few hundred kilometres behind and a very sticky situation lay ahead.”

“…He, of course, thought his voice was as smooth as silk and could carry the same strain of sorrow that Mukesh was so good at – when in fact it had the abrasiveness of heavy-duty factory grade sand paper.”

 “…Zubair, unaccustomed to transportation that moved so fast and turned so rapidly within such a small radius, was fighting to keep his morning tea within the confines of his stomach and was going green in the process.”

The piece where he recounts his Maruti Van’s story in its voice (chapter ‘Automotive Love’) is quite funny, while the chapter ‘Unbiased Bullet’ was another laugh-out-loud part of this book.

This book is not so much about information about places mentioned but interesting experiences of a traveler. Over all, the book will appeal to anyone who loves reading travel stories or travelogues. The only thing which I felt missing was a few pictures, perhaps!   

Image source: http://www.westlandbooks.in 

Mafia Queens of Mumbai : Stories of Women from the Ganglands by S. Hussain Zaidi with Jane Borges

Title: Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Gangland

Author: S.Hussain Zaidi (with Jane Borges)
Publisher: Tranquebar
Pages: 290
Genre: Non Fiction / Crime
Rating: 10 /10
Source: Review Copy (from BlogAdda)

Vishal Bhardwaj begins his foreword with “Crime is juicier than spirituality”. And isn’t it so? I read an article somewhere recently (as Bharadwaj also laments) about the dearth of literature on crime in India, something on the lines of ‘In Cold Blood’ by Truman Capote. Incidentally, I recently found a new book, which deals with the Neeraj Grover Murder case called ‘Death in Mumbai’ by Meenal Baghel.

To digress a little more from the book, I recently read an article here that says how unimaginative the word ‘Non Fiction’ is. It does total injustice to the talented lot of writers who do not dwell in fictitious stories and yet create nothing short of excellent pieces of literature. Why bunch them all together in a highly non-creative word called ‘Non Fiction’? It takes away from the whole effort.

Finally coming back to the book, it is an outstanding and fascinating book – in its unusual subject, extensive research, deft story-telling and engaging pace. The cover page is highly apt and sets the mood for the book. I finished it in 4.5 hours flat.

S. Hussain Zaidi (who has also written the exceptional ‘Black Friday’) alongwith Jane Borges, creates vivid imagery of 13 women who enjoyed a lot of clout in the Mumbai mafia.

Though little known to the general public, unlike their several infamous male counterparts, these women have been singled out for their close involvement with underworld or power enjoyed by them. From wives and girlfriends of Dons to a Bollywood starlet, from a much sought-after bar dancer to women fueled by their ambition – each story reads like a movie script. The fact that the stories of these women are not easy to piece together, since little has been known about them, it makes the authors’ efforts far more commendable.

Following are glimpses of 13 women featured in this book:

• Jenabai –known for her closeness with the underworld dons Vardharajan, Karim Lala and Haji Mastan, and she was quite sought after for her advice.
• Gangubai – a girl who ran away from her small village, goes on to become the much-respected matriarch of Kamathipura – the red light area of Mumbai
• Ashraf or Sapna didi -  a wife who did not have any knowledge about her husband’s underworld connection till he gets killed in an encounter, trains herself with single-minded determination to take on the people responsible for his death
• Jyoti Amma and Mahalaxmi Papamani – Poverty and responsibility of taking care of family lead them into drug peddling, and over time they became powerful
• Monica Bedi – Her closeness with a Dubai business, who was actually Abu Salem, got her into the wrong side of the law, and she paid the price heavily
• Asha Gawli, Neeta Naik, , Sujata Nikhalje, Padma Poojary – Wives of Hindu Dons who went on to handle the place of their husbands while they were absconding
• Mrs Paul, Rubina Siraj Sayyed – Girlfriends and associates of Chhota Shakeel
• Tarannum Khan – the most (in)famous bar dancer who minted a lot of money in cricket betting
• Archana Sharma – a Ram Leela artiste from Ujjain becomes  a hardcore criminal, responsible for kidnapping, extortion and murder

It is definitely an interesting book, for who is not fascinated by the many stories of the underworld. Several movies have been scripted over the years, and it would continue to be portrayed on the celluloid with as much interest and drama.

It is definitely a must read for all book lovers, and I would go on to say that it would also appeal to people who like Fiction. After all, these are also stories, only real!

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

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The Muddy River by P.A.Krishnan

Title: The Muddy River

Author: P.A. Krishnan
Publisher: Tranquebar
Pages: 248
Genre: Political fiction
Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Review Copy (from BlogAdda)

In contrast to the unassuming cover page, the book was quite impressive.

‘The Muddy River’ almost seems to be a real story - multi-layered, multi-dimensional and complex (which also reminded me of Shashi Deshpande’s books).

Ramesh Chandran is a Delhi-based bureaucrat, who is transferred to Assam when he starts asking for Contract files of his Corporation (Power Transmission Corporation) and has a few uncomfortable run-ins with senior people in his organisation. It is meant to be a punishment posting. Sukanya is Ramesh’ wife, and they are both trying to come to terms with the untimely death of their only child Priya in a freak incident. They love each other but the incidence has developed a strain in their relationship. (To digress a little, I read somewhere that the death of a child leads to a lot of divorces because husband and wife have different ways of dealing with the loss and many times they are not able to understand the other).

Ramesh is an upright person and while he thinks he is a Marxist, he is also majorly influenced by Gandhi (who keeps coming into the narrative every now and then).

In Assam, Ramesh is chosen to negotiate the release of one of his company’s senior managers, who gets kidnapped by a militant outfit for a ransom. In his pursuit of this case, Ramesh meets Anupama (his subordinate who has strong views about Assam’s fight for independence from the rest of the India), Bhuyan (the Deputy Inspector General who comes to like the sincerity of Ramesh), Bura (a practical Marwari Contrator who is chosen as a contact between the militants and Ramesh), Rajbankshi (the Gandhian) and Mrs Ghosh (the kidnapped Mr Ghosh’s unthankful and untrusting wife). The story dwells on two main issues –the release of Mr Ghosh is certainly the main issue but it also deals with the levels of corruption in a government organisation and the resistance one faces when he tries to take it on. Ramesh goes out of his way, sometimes even putting his life in danger, meeting a number of people who can be of even a little help in ensuring Ghosh’s release. Ramesh’s pursuit of unravelling corruption within his organisation gets him into trouble and he also gets suspended but he never bucks to the pressure.

The language is illustrative. I admit, I had to look up quite a few words, but it is always a pleasure to read such books which enrich your language, while at the same time narrating the story well! English is a beautiful language.

The story moves forward in the form of a main narrative, and the manuscript written by Ramesh for his book, but it never confuses you between the real and the fictional (in terms of the book). Sukanya sends the chapters from Ramesh’s manuscript to their friends Subir and Herbert for their comments. The interaction between Sukanya, Subir and Herbert is interesting and clarifies a few doubts which one may have about the story, as to why the author had written an incident in a certain way.

I was hooked to the story from the beginning and did not lose interest till the end. The book has as much pace as a thriller. It dwells on the corruption and bureaucracy in government organisations, empathizes with the voice of people of Assam and while doing so keeps coming back to the relevance of what Gandhi has said!

It is a well-written book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good story. There are a few technicalities related to workings of Power companies but if you don’t understand them, you can move one, and it is only for a short while. It certainly cannot be a reason to put you off because I can assure that atleast this book is not difficult to read. It is lucid in its narrative.

I just hold back one point for a little rushed and dramatic ending, but it might appeal to many.

I am impressed by the writer’s story telling and I look forward to reading his first book as well. I also could not stop myself from reading about Mr Sanjoy Ghose, to whom this book is dedicated.

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

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