Book Review

Bombay Duck is a Fish
Kanika Dhillon
Westland
Rs. 195

If someone told me I’d be reading a book titled Bombay Duck is a Fish, I’d probably have looked at them, convinced they were delusional. But it seems that the universe has a funny sense of humour. Well for one thing, I did end up reading the book and for another, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

The story revolves around a girl Neki Brar, an aspiring film-maker trying to make it in Bollywood. Now, the plot doesn’t scream “prize winning novel” but then again, let’s not be hasty whilst judging. Keeping aside the clichéd story line, what drew me to keep reading was the simple fact that this book, though fictitious, might still be privy to what really lies behind all the glamour and make-up of a film set.

And Dhillon delivers. Slowly but tactfully she snakes her way right to the belly of the beast, where all the dirty, dark secrets of film-making lie. It does help that the author has first-hand experience since she worked her way up the ladder, having started as an assistant director and is now a screenwriter. Although, I wonder where the autobiographical elements of the story end… the protagonist hails from Amritsar, so does Dhillon. Neki managed to bad an AD position in a on a Fiza Kareem movie in the story while Dhillon assisted Farah Khan on Om Shanti Om… it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out the inspirations for her characters but the piercing question is how much of Neki’s life ties in with Dhillon’s rags to riches story. But that’s beside the point.

Dhillon’s characters have quite a bit of bite to them. Every detail she spent in spinning the story only makes you sink deeper into the journey Neki makes. From a naïve young girl to someone who manages to find her place, make an impression but then sink into an abyss of irrevocable desolation – ultimately leading to her ruin. The book has many colours to it, serving as an American dream of sorts (here more like the Indian equivalent of the American dream) to an example of how too much of a good thing can sometimes be bad.

Nearing the end of the story and completely caught up in Neki’s life by this time, you really don’t know what to expect. I have to be honest, the way Dhillon chose to end the story left me a bit confused. I don’t know if Neki goes through with what she sets out to at the beginning of the story or if she just fades into nothingness as most people who enter the film fraternity do. All I know is that it left me wondering about what really happened.

My take 

Though not ground breaking, Bombay Duck is a Fish is gripping and will have you glued till you’ve read it cover to cover. Steer clear if you want to make it in Bollywood though…

By Charlene Flanagan

Book Review

Chocolate_Guitar_Momos
By Kenny Deori Basumatary
Tranquebar
Rs. 200

Never judge a book by its cover. Well, in this case, that’s exactly what I did. Completely intrigued by the name, it was no surprise that I dropped what I was reading and began skimming through the pages of my new fixation. The book kicks off with the protagonist Joseph, a struggling musician, getting dumped by his third girlfriend, after a five-year-long relationship. What transpires next is Joseph’s downward spiral into depression and self-pity, followed by a wild goose chase of a girl he believes to be his soul-mate, hilariously presented by Basumatary. Though he misses his mark on strong character development, there are some amusing individuals we come across – Joseph and his friends, Moon the Internet Café owner and even Babu the bodyguard-cum-driver. He merely paints rough sketches of the persons they are, especially Joseph. I would have preferred a more compelling personality in the protagonist. After all, a story is only as strong as its characters.

An emotional rollercoaster entwined with back-stabbing friends, match-making sessions and an overly romantic male character is somewhat reflective of the chic-lit genre but Chocolate_Guitar_Momos presents a guys version of a break-up and what it means to take a chance on someone else. Filled with pain and disappointment and interspersed with a few moments of happiness, the novel breaks its narrative with intermittent comic relief. The story of Joseph’s quest is a laugh riot, as he ‘pokes’ around on Facebook looking for his soul-mate. It makes a profound decree on love and how life is never how we expect it to turn out.

The book perfectly portrays Guwahati and the bordering states in the North East. Having grown up there, Basumatary is familiar with the place and the cravings of the Assamese youth. However, the ending is not what you might expect, in keeping with the optimistic tone of the story. One might wonder if the author himself is happy with how the novel turned out. Honestly, it looks like he rushed through the last few pages, maybe in his hurry to meet a publishing deadline but the urgency in which he ends the novel is a clear indication that there is still a long way for Basumatary to go. Maybe he did not have a Pulitzer in mind when he set out to write this.

My take 

Read it for some frivolous fun and interesting anecdotes on travelling in the North East. Chocolate_Giutar_Momos makes for a fun read but plays out more like a light-hearted travel guide considering Basumatary’s familiarity with the place.

By Charlene Flanagan