Born in 1979, Karan Bajaj is an Indian American author whose debut novel Keep Off The Grass (2008) became a bestseller. His travel adventures have greatly motivated him to write. Following the success of his debut novel, his second novel titled Johnny Gone Down came out in the year 2010. Both his books have together sold over two lakh copies in India itself. After completing his engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, in 2000, Bajaj went on to graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore in 2002. He has worked as a Brand Manager for Procter & Gamble, and as a Management Consultant for Boston Consulting Group. He is presently a Brand Manager with Kraft Foods, New York and continues to write as well. He has been given awards for his professional endeavours too.

Summary Of The Book

Keep Off The Grass is about a brilliant 25 year old Non Resident Indian (NRI), who is stuck with an identity crisis. A Yale graduate who makes half a million every year as an investment banker at Wall Street, Samrat Ratan chooses to return to India to discover his roots,happiness, and everything else that seems elusive.

His quest in his homeland starts with one of the most popular business schools in India, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Bangalore. Contrary to the person he was before he enrolled himself into IIM-Bangalore, his grades and self-esteem fall as he gets high on marijuana frequently. His life becomes nothing less than a roller-coaster ride thereon.

Samrat remains perpetually stoned and experiences bizarre adventures, including sharing a smoke with and being almost consumed by flesh-eating Aghori saints on the banks of the river Ganges in Benares, meditating on the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, and indulging in a one-night stand with a Danish hippie in Dharamshala.

This hilarious and introspective debut novel by Karan Bajaj traces Samrat’s journey and keeps the readers intrigued till the very end.

Keep Off The Grass was a semi-finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and was also nominated for the Indiaplaza Golden Quill Award.The film rights of the book have been sold to Mosaic Media Group, and Ben Rekhi has been signed up as the director for it.

Coming to the author, the above paragraph itself tells how class a story-teller he is. Recently, I saw his pictures on Internet where he captioned how he went to travel to Himalayas with his foreigner girlfriend and got married there. He, his girlfriend were the only two people present in this certain-kms-above-sea-level marriage. After seeing this, I got excited to read this book as soon as possible which got released in 2008. In the initial paragraphs itself, you get an idea that you are going to read something that shall remain with you for a long time in life. I was definite, then itself, that this book is going to give a peaceful and meaningful climax and yes, that’s what I got in the end.

Author has not over-done anything. He has kept all the incidents short and up-to-the-mark. He has made it sure that every time a page is turned, a reader does not continue with the same thing that was going on the previous page and he gets something new to read. Story is itself quite unique, that you would have read above in the summary of the book that’s being taken from Flipkart. The confusion and decision initially to leave for India from Manhattan gives a fast paced start to the book. Once, he comes to India, people’s question to him regarding how can he leave his job from Manhattan and come to do MBA in India makes us laugh every time imagining him giving a confused explanation.

His initial friendship with 2 boys isn’t the same typical friendship shown in every another book in India. In his story, the chase towards excellence can be easily seen in the IIM environment which pressurizes a youngster too much. The trip to Himalaya is short but its the turning point in the book. The internship in Benaras and his learning there, is also written awesomely. In the end, the way protagonist takes his final decision throws many said/unsaid messages on reader. Every chapter’s title is the same as the last sentence of the previous chapter. An amazing style, Karan Bajaj. In all, I would give the book 4/5. Definitely, try this one.
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S. V. Divvaakar an alumnus of the IIT Delhi, is an international Monitoring and Evaluation specialist and serves on the boards of a few international companies. He is now in the process of a gradual transition, re-balancing his professional work and his creative interests: writing and music. He composes music, sings and plays the key board. His music addresses matters of public interest, such as: Corruption, Delhi’s traffic, and Commonwealth Games. He writes a blog Life Purpose and Happiness and has now ventured into writing, picking up the genre of realistic fiction. This is his second novel. Divvaakar lives with his wife and son in New Delhi.

The synopsis of the book says:-
I m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book thats better than Indias greatest writer Dr. Bhagaths blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challengers journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from inside the ring, Beaten by Bhagath is a gripping tale the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.

Coming to the author, as I have said above, S. V. Divvaakar has definitely tried something which not many writer will dare to. I have known many authors, who after getting a new publisher, wanted to write a satirical on their previous publisher or its CEO. But none have been able to do this. For this attempt, I would like to salute S. V. Divvaakar. If he continues this face-off with the reality, he will be an awaited-author for the reader-base that loves reading such books. And there’s something amazing about this book, though its noted down under the Fiction category but while reading, I found that its as much a non-fiction as much it’s a fiction. This is something that I find very rarely in books.

Coming to the story, yes, its about how BB’s boss motivates him to write a book and tells him that he can beat Ketan Bhagath, the bestseller author of India. As BB turns out to be the classmate and college-time friend of the author, he feels that if he can be an author, why can’t he beat him. With this ego and competitive attitude, he completes writing his book. And with this, he discusses what problems he faced while writing the book and how after the book gets completed, he has to face rejections and how even after he gets published, he does not enjoy the status of the author as he has imagined. There’s a tale at every step of the story. To know the complete story, get the book.

As its obvious that it was no one other than Chetan Bhagat whom author has continuously talked about in the book, it was fun to imagine his tryst with him during the college time. Then the poem that is being written about how one friend reach heights while other is still struggling is also beautifully written. Then the unsocial life of the writer and the problem he faces because of cutting-off from his family and relatives is rightly described. Later on, the Ghanta Singh part made me laugh like hell. There are some moments in the book which are too funny to stop laughing as you start comparing them with real-life examples which are exactly as same as they are described. The middle part of the story is the best according to me. Then, in the pre-climax, the revolutionary idea that a party brings towards the writer is something I didn’t expect the way the story takes turn lately. It’s a surprise.

Now talking about the drawbacks- Initially as the story starts, it seems as if its going to be a childish tale of how a writer will face rejections. Though after few pages, I realized that its a mature tale which tells about the reality of the publishing industry in India. Then I didn’t like the part where writer tells about how the protagonist tears his book out of frustration. Also, I felt that the climax was too dramatic after a time. The book could have been written in a much better way but still whatever the author has pointed out, I will recommend everyone who’s thinking of entering the industry with their manuscript ready or are about to write a book to read this book before thinking of being a Successful and Bestseller writer in India. Even the cover page does not synchronizes correctly with the story. In all, I would give this book 3.75/5. Just a bit of better execution could have fetched 4 stars but for now, its 3.75 which means you can definitely try this book for once.
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Gyandeep Kaushal is a 17-year-old student of class 12th from Hazaribag, Jharkhand. Just like any other boy of his age, he is usually deep inside books with extra tuitions to take care of. His love for books is so much that he enjoys sleeping with his head into their pages almost every time he opens them. As a result, he has been a top-notch academic achiever in his class 10th examinations with a CGPA of 10 out of 10 of which he has no clue how he achieved that. Despite the high marks, he is not the nerd of the class. He enjoys taking regular breaks (rather long ones) from studies with his friends and hardly misses a new movie! When he is not with his books or friends, he would usually be disturbing neighbours with either his guitar or drums for he also plays those musical instruments. Well, the bad part for his neighbours is that he sings too.

The synopsis of the book says- Love can make you do anything, absolutely anything. It can make you run out of your house in the middle of the night to save the girl you love, it can make you not fear anything, not even death when you feel you have been forgotten by someone you can never forget, it can make you choose to live in isolation for a complete year just so that you don’t risk her peace; it can make you choose to wait for her forever, and it can make you choose to be awfully selfish so that you can see your whole life being ruined, at the cost of seeing her alive and breathing.

Coming to the author, I would say that I never ever assumed that a 17 year old boy can write a novel of 591 pages. Secondly, the kind of maturity that is being reflected from the writing of Gyandeep, it can be easily said that we can get an epic story by him in the years to come. Normally, when a <20 years old authors write, they normally write something that's too cliche or sentimental but there are very rare authors who really touch heart. Some of them for me are Durjoy Datta, Sanchit Goel, Prateek Verma etc. I can literally say that Gyandeep Kaushal is Durjoy Datta in making. The kind of words that he has chosen, the way he has taken his story forward, the incidents that he has included- all are being done perfectly. Even when the book is too thick to handle, as I have said above, I didn't get bored much. I liked his work very much and I am just looking forward to read more from him.

Coming to the story, I would say that the way book has been started is perfect. I got intrigued into it as soon as I was done with first 10 pages. I learnt that this is going to be a phenomenal journey. The character of Ravi is given a good shape. Even I felt that I make the same mistake as him and I will have to improve it soon. What I liked the best is that author hasn't given the physical description of any character. Even when this is a hardcore love story, the physical outlook of the lead girl- Nikki is not discussed. It is left on us, the readers to imagine how the characters look. And again, as this is a love story, I was expecting lots of unwanted love-making and sex scenes but there isn't a single one. Author has done good justice to the title of the book- The Teen. He has maintained a dignity that when in this age, it should be pure love and no physical involvement. Awesome!!!

The plight of both the brothers seeing their parents' continuous fighting is something that made me be grateful of having parents who never raise a voice against each other. The maturity with which author has handled this part of story made him the winner for me. The love between Ravi and Varun, both the brothers is another beautiful part of the story. In Indian books, teachers are being given funny names by the lead characters and that particular names are being used throughout. Author, once again, showed how the teachers are meant to be respected in any case, even when they promise us something and goes against it. The twists and turns that author keeps introducing incessantly is another USP of the book that keeps us interested in turning the pages. The first half is exceptionally commendable.

Now its time for some drawbacks- As I have continuously said in the review that 591 pages weren't much for me as this story had the power of keeping the reader intact with it but still, I would say that the story could have been summed up in 400 pages or something. But still it's fine but I request author to not write his 2nd novel this lengthy as people don't really like picking up a 600 pages novel when a love story is beautifully said by some other authors in 200-300 pages. Or else, plan a sequel if your story is really very long. Then, I was expecting some melodrama with which Ravi would have brought his parents together but it didn't happen till end. One scene in which the protagonist humiliates a girl in a get-together party after exam, according to me, was overdone and unfortunately, cliche too. And yes, I wanted climax to be the opposite of what it is. Happy endings is preferable, at least, when 600 pages are being read. Haha! And yes, it's very rare that I say 1st half of the book was better than the 2nd and here, I say this. I also felt that 2nd half was dragged too much. In all, I would give this attempt of author 4/5. It would have been 4.5/5 if the book would have been summed up in 300-400 pages. And yes, Gyandeep, I want you to write something else now. Not a love story again. Please.
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Lavanya Sankaran is the author of The Red Carpet, the bestselling, critically acclaimed debut collection selected for Poets and Writers magazine’s Best First Fiction Award, Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers, and Borders Original Voices. The tile story was first published in the Atlantic Monthly. Her work has also been features in the Wall Street Journal, the Times of India and Outlook among other publications in America, India, Italy and France, as well as in numerous television appearances in a social and political commentator. Lavanya studied at Bryn Mawr College and lives in Bangalore with her husband and daughter.

The synopsis of the book says:-
An international event: a remarkable first novel of modern India, weaving together a rich tapestry of social manners and mores, ambition, greed, and love, which will establish Lavanya Sankaran as one of the most gifted and original writers of fiction today.

Bangalore: where innocence, deceit and love collide

Anand is a Bangalore success story: successful, well-married, rich. At least, that’s how he appears. But if his little factory is to grow, he needs land and money and, in the New India, neither of these is easy to find.

Kamala, Anand’s family’s maid, lives perilously close to the edge of disaster. She and her clever teenage son have almost nothing, and their small hopes for self-betterment depend on the contentment of Anand’s wife: a woman to whom whims come easily.

But Kamala’s son keeps bad company. Anand’s marriage is in trouble. And the murky world where crime and land and politics meet is a dangerous place for a good man, particularly one on whom the wellbeing of so many depends.

Lavanya Sankaran has a very good command over the language. After a long time I got to read a book by an Indian author written in a way that it seems as if its by an English author. He has given full justice to the story she has picked up. She has tried to express her views on the problems that a class of people in India suffers with. She has not tried to show an industrialist, entrepreneur or a working class person based in abroad and returning India to see how problems cover him from all the 4 sides. In fact, the story is kept quite realistic.

I loved the way both the stories goes simultaneously. Its about two families and I love how a same scenario is being showcased from both the point of views. It is quite visible that not only a servant is dealing with poverty and crisis but the situation of the boss is no less than that. I loved how every character is being built that we get attached with them. We know the characteristics of each of them. The dialogues are so deeply written that some of them made me remember some days of my struggle and pain. The second half of the book is amazingly written and every thing that this book should be complimented for is in its second half.

Coming to the drawbacks of the book, first is the slow pace and no suddenness in the plot initially. Secondly, I would say that according to an Indian audience, the cost of book- Rs. 550 is too highly kept. The similar names of the character becomes confusing at times- Anand and Anantmurthy. Also as there are many characters in the book, it’s better to write them on a piece of paper and then read. In all, I would give this book 3.5/5.
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Let’s come to the synopsis of the book-
When Arjun, who had fallen head over heels for his colleague Anita, realizes that she is engaged to his close friend, who knew her by a different name at a different place, all hell broke loose.

As Sam Chacko investigates, he ends up uncovering a baffling mystery. He tries hard not to panic and soon understands that when hormones take over the intellect, it can ruin your life.

Coming to the author, its his 2nd book while his first was also being released by a self-publishing firm. Author believes in writing a novel of less than 150 pages as he knows that there is no need of dragging a story which already has its plot very short and direct. I liked this approach. The first half isn’t that good as its an average attempt to tell how a boy falls in love with a girl amidst friendship being a part of life simultaneously. But the second half is truly surprising and a total page turner because of the suspense that the author adds to make the book spicy and sensible. At least, its a good version than many such type of books which starts with a love story, shows some break up points and ends up either giving the couple a happy or sad ending.

See the trailer of the book here!!!

I loved the sentences in italics that author has used many a times in the first half of the book. Some of them made me smile for a long time while some talked expressions of the protagonist which was again helpful in making this book a level up than usual fiction love stories by Indian authors. The character of Sam Chacko is the most interesting while the climax is been ended with a hope that there can be a sequel to this book. It’s nice.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book, I would say that the language isn’t that crisp as it should be. Even the plot of the story was quite different, author failed at many a times in bringing the kind of expressions that could have come up if written in a better way. The narration is also very simple. When a book has a story, one should not keep the language this easy, it should have some complexity because it adds to the quality of the story. I just want to suggest author to go through some of the books in the genre that he writes and improve his narrating style. Else, I would give the book- 2.75/5.
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Suresh strongly feels that the youth need to play a leading role in shaping up the future of our country which presently is plagued with alarming proportions of corruption, malpractices and declining moral values. The intent behind this book is to kindle a sense of awareness amongst the youngsters on their possible role, encouraging them to be creative in finding solutions and inspiring them to translate their thoughts into action. Suresh writes regularly to express himself on a variety of issues. His writings are generally inspired by his life experiences and keen observations. Suresh does not wish to confine himself to issue based books only; he is keen to experiment with different genres and capitalize on his knack for storytelling.

Synopsis of the book says-

One bizarre vacation marked a turning point in the lives of four teenage friends. It dawned upon them that corruption and malpractices had become rampant and deeply ingrained in our culture. They felt anguished and shocked at the shameful state of affairs. They pledged to redeem and change the destiny of the country. They had only two weeks of vacation left to take some big initiatives. The pressure on them was immense. Status quo or failure was not an option for them. Read the inspirational story of a unique movement masterminded by youngsters through innovative ideas and creative thinking. Not a single family could escape from its unrelenting onslaught. It was a rewarding outcome for their persistence and hard work, as they nostalgically recall in 2030.

Coming to the author, Suresh Taneja does have a great ambition of spreading message through his writings and it can be clearly seen in every page of the book as he does not leave the focus from the subject/issue. He also has good imagination. The only problem that I feel is with the execution of the stories that are in his mind. It’s either because of no hand in writing before or bad command in the language. The story that he has written has almost everything that should have been in a book that is based on a group of friends trying to eliminate corruption from India but there’s an X-factor which is missing throughout. There are moment that excites you but because the language isn’t as fluid as it should have been, you don’t jump off from your bed but read the whole sequence with just a smile on your face.

Book is written with a good style of going into a flashback while the current year is said to be of 2030 where 1 Rs=100$. Though it makes us greedy to experience such a moment but it seems to be so unrealistic that we sit down again. India is being talked of as superpower in 2030 according to the author. And then he goes to the flashback where he tells about how it all happened because of just 4 young college students who lead the scenario. The first incident of road accident that enlightens the brain of these 4 Indians is given a good justice. Later on, the conversation that makes this children take a step forward towards eliminating everything is also exciting. Then how the whole thing comes up is wonderfully written. The part of the media and Zarine is discussed briefly. The family tree of the protagonists shown in the first page of the book is a very good idea. I liked it. Else everything is fine.

Coming to the drawbacks, as I said that initially everything looked exciting but the book failed to create that feeling of extravaganza because of bad execution. Though the story selected and plot chosen could have been favorite of Indian readers as its inspired from one of the movements that took place recently but its kept too simple for a book that lies in a genre “Fiction/Drama”. Even when this book is re-written and released with a new title, I still think that there are many limitations. I would rate this book a strict average- 2.5/5. If this would have been a Non-fiction, I would have given it 3.5 but as its a fiction book, we expect some drama, twists and goosebumps-giving sequences.
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Coming to the synopsis of the book-
Hasil is a young businessman, who had everything he wanted in life. He had married the girl he loved, and the business he had started with his friend Nitin is going well. Then, his world turns upside down when he is involved in an accident in which he loses his beloved wife, and also loses his memory.

The story of That Kiss In The Rain..: Love Is The Weather Of Life begins when his friend Nitin visits him at the hospital. Talking to him, Nitin soon realizes that Hasil has lost his memory and does not know that his wife is dead. Nitin decides that it is better not to reveal that fact to him. He helps Hasil realize who he is and comes up with various explanations for his wife’s absence.

Meanwhile, Hasil has to get on with his life. But his life is different as he keeps wondering about Palki. Two other women enter his life. Pallavi, a girl who was adopted by a rich family, and Swadha, who was rejected by her family because she is a female.

These two women could not be more different, and their contrasting characters are highlighted by the author.

Pallavi had loved and lost once. This failed romance makes her believe that it has killed her capability to truly fall in love again.

Swadha is a simple girl with modest ambitions. She just wants a job that will take care of her needs. And then, she meets Hasil.

Meanwhile, Hasil is still puzzled about what happened to his wife. When Pallavi and Swadha enter his life, it just gets more complicated. He knows how much he loves his wife, but what happened to her? And what about the two girls who are in love with him?

The personalities of the main players in the story are well developed, with background stories providing the reasons for their attitudes towards life. The three main characters drive the story as the author unravels the romantic tangle they have got themselves into.

Coming to the author Novoneel, I would say that yet again with this book, he hasn’t surprised me as he again delivered his best. It seems as if he has millions of thoughts in his mind which he has to put in a book and he ends up putting only 1% of it. The desperation of giving the best can be seen in every sentence that is a part of his stories. With this book, I am now done with all the three books of Novoneel and I can undoubtedly say that he is one among the rare authors who love to write a character-based novel where we are told everything about the characters since their birth. It gives us an insight into the characters of the people involved in the book which makes us understand their state of mind before reading what they actually think during an important scenario of the book. His language might seem difficult for some starters but its as smooth as the flowing water of river. Oops, even I started writing like him. Haha!!!

This book is an exceptionally well-written story where the character of each of the three main characters is portrayed descriptively which makes us feel attached with each and every sentence. Again, I would say, the way Novoneel narrates the teenage love does not make the part look cheesy and childish but even that has so much of philosophy and deep meaning involved in it. As a youth, I also got to learn as to what shortcomings a parent goes through while nourishing a child which I’ll have to take care when I will become a father. This book consists of everything- a boy losing his memory, he forgetting everything about his wife and wanting to meet her, his friend trying to fool him, his childhood admirer coming back to his life, a new girl wanting to get close to her, the changes that a girl feels when she attains puberty, experience of a girl during her first period, feeling during the first sex encounter, a family’s outlook towards a baby girl, how a girl gets physically abused by a respected member of the family just because there’s no respect for girls involved in the family’s culture, what consequences an ambitious model faces in the Bollywood industry, how a girl saves herself when a MMS of hers is recorded etc etc etc.

This book is full of twists and turns and everything that you want in a book. Though, I felt that the second half gets stretched too much. Or to be precise, the pre-climax part of the book. The climax is once again not satisfying as it does not happen the way we predict the story to end. And I am also doubtful about Novoneel C’s style of closing a story that you feel something is incomplete. He leaves the end for the reader to decide. This is something that may be his specialty but I find it very contradicting to my choice for the climaxes of the beautiful stories as of those Novoneel C writes. In all, I would give this novel 3.75/5. Waiting for the 4th novel of the author to release soon.
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The synopsis of the book says-
A Thing Beyond Forever – The Reward For Every True Love Is Not Love presents Radhika Sharma, a doctor who has an aura of being arrogant and unemotional. Yet, she is a sensitive woman, who still deeply feels the pain of the loss of her one true love.
She fell in in love with Raen while they were both at high school. Raen, however, is attracted to another girl, Savera. But eventually, Radhika’s bold expression of her feelings for him turns him towards her. Yet, he still seems to remain attracted to Savera.
It is now 15 years since that time. Radhika is now a successful doctor and seems dispassionate and free of any softer sentiments in her life. Yet, an innocent enquiry from a boy at the hospital sets in motion a series of events that prompt her to reexamine her attitude towards life.
Radhika, by her own confession, has not even looked at a picture of Raen for years. But, she has always kept his personal diary through the years. She hadn’t read it, but the boy’s question prompts her to do so now.
The story then unfolds in the form of a personal journal. The plot takes many strange twists and turns, going into philosophy and the idea of rebirth. For Radhika, the answer to her questions about life and love are slowly revealed. And now, she has to make a decision about her future based on these revelations.
The book goes beyond chick-lit romance and explores deeper questions. The author attempts to answer some of those questions, while the rest are left to the readers’ interpretations. The interesting, complicated story line and the well-crafted characters are the highlights of this love story.

Coming to the author, Novoneel has been one of the young authors who have been favorite of many readers who like reading love stories. But I find him more matured than just a chic-lit author. I read his 3rd and the most recent book- How About a Sin Tonight? and I found him a good intense writer who tries to bring out the secret and back ground of the whole movement that he is writing on. There he wrote on Bollywood industry and it made me read this novel that is his first. And I have found this love story a book on philosophy and some one-liners that can give you answer of some confusing questions about life. Hence, it can be easily said that Novoneel is not just a story teller but is helping youths through his writings. Just after this, I am going to read his 2nd novel with which I would have read all the 3 novels written by him till date.

A Thing Beyond Forever does not seem to be a work by a debutant writer instead you will feel as if its written by someone who has experienced a lot in life. It’s hard to believe that its by a writer who is as young as me. Book starts with a love making scene which turns out to be dream of Radhika. A good way to start a book by giving an erection to male readers and equally orgasmic sensation in female readers. Haha. As soon as the Raen’s diary part begins, the story becomes interesting as we come to know how Radhika’s past has been and what connection does Raen has with her. Then the way Raen’s confusion over two girls is been narrated confuses us because we find his dilemma obvious. Story makes us sympathize with Radhika. Later on, as soon as the diary parts end, a shocker comes which gives reader an unwanted sensation as he expects a good event. Later on, the little adventure which Radhika goes through also makes us curious to know about what relation does she have with a 9 years old boy. In the end, I would say I was expecting much with the climax but it wasn’t up to the mark. In all I would give the book 3.75/5. A perfect read.
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As you read the novel, over a period of time, you do not even realize when the protagonist and you have become one! The emotion of love is always interpreted differently depending upon the experience one has gone through. And, every person in love undergoes a unique experience. Rahul’s experience is exactly that. Pining for one’s love, recollecting the happy memories, longing for the days gone by, re-living the good ol’ times – Faraaz Kazi has practically lived it all as the lines in his book reveal.

“Rahul softy closed the diary between his fingers and laid down his head on the hardbound book, the scenes replaying in his head. He did not enjoy them because he wanted to relive them, yet he appreciated them because they were all he had. It was like watching a movie being played on the blank screen of his mind; the only difference was that he did not get bored, no matter how many times he watched it.”

In a way, the protagonist’s journey through life with and without his lady love, Seema is like the journey most of us have to take some time or the other in life. It is a journey of reflection with thoughts of the beloved. It is a journey of realization that life does not always run the way we want it to. It is a journey of desire, with the will to carry on despite all odds with hope and love in one’s heart.

I truly and deeply liked Faraaz Kazi’s ‘Memoirs of a broken heart’s first love’ because the grace with which the author makes the protagonist go through life is beautiful. The same is to be said of the author’s style of writing.

“Love never comes with a brochure of rules and regulations, a prospectus with guides of what is acceptable and what is abominable. It’s a standard to follow your heart and that’s what I did and if doing that hurt you, then I’m sorry…sorry for coming in your life and wasting your time, for causing you an anguish so great that you cannot bear the sight of me. Today, I am proud to stand up and honour myself and proclaim to the world….yes, I loved someone more than myself. I loved someone truly, madly, deeply!” Rahul trailed off, his voice cracking.

A lot has been spoken about the book in literary circles already. Proof enough that you need to have a read of this book!

Tales like ‘Not The Only Peanut Seller Who Hasn’t Heard Of Osama Bin Laden’ and ‘A Familiar Stranger’ are narrated simply and you know that yes, you have seen people like these in your life too. ‘The Beautiful People’ and ‘Bringing Sunset Home’ are some other stories that are moving and touch the heart within. In between, nature and the environment are described aptly and beautifully.

“The sun looks tired, hanging dopily over the tiny village precariously perched on a mountain slope.”

How often we have seen the sun like that but it takes a Kulpreet to describe it so!

“Water invaded everyone’s lives. Schools were shut down, giving children a chance to splash collected rain water by jumping in the puddles. Traffic crawled on the roads like depressed insects queuing in their long pursuit to their destinations where perhaps food waited, a stinking odour swam around everywhere from the rotting garbage islands like pheromones seeking more garbage. Frogs, centipedes and millipedes and sometimes even snakes began appearing in houses like unwanted guests. And my favourite leather belt and shoe began to grow fungus on it.”

This description of the monsoon season is just so apt. All of what Kulpreet has mentioned we all must have experienced some time or the other in our lives. That’s what makes the connection with the stories in India Unlimited all the more intimate.

Abstract images, natural human fears, poverty, sloth, deceit, desire – all figure in the stories that seem to have been taken from the lives of people all over the country. India Unlimited is a beautiful read. It is representative of the lives of the ‘aam aadmi.’

Don’t miss the book!

Devayani loses Kacha’s love to his Dharma….

“His soul wept to deny her – and to deny himself that pleasure, and instead to stick to the original plan for which he had been sent here, sacrificing his own desires and love so that he might fulfill his dharma.”

….. and when she falls in love with the handsome King Yayati, she is confident that the Gods have finally given her due. Unfortunately, that is not to be as her arrogance becomes an obstacle in the path of love and King Yayati loses his heart to a more demure Sharmishtha, a friend and later slave of Devayani.

“Is it not said by the learned that he who refuses to sire a child upon a woman who desires one is no less than a murderer of an embryo?”

The story of Devayani, Sharmishtha and Yayati is highly entertaining and engaging reflecting the trends in society that existed then and even exist now. The secret charm of Ashok Banker’s style of writing is that it appeals to readers irrespective of genre and age.

I highly recommend reading his book.

The last I had read in detail about the Mahabharata was C. Rajagopalachari’s book which till date is one of the finest books in English about the Mahabharata. So, when I came across Ashok Banker’s take on some of the love stories that figure in the Mahabharata, I was quite eager to know what he had to offer.

By the time I had completed No. 4 of the Epic Love Stories titled, ‘Amba and Bhishma,’ I realized there couldn’t be a more compact, fascinatingly descriptive, interesting and simpler version than this. The book not only makes reading a part of the grand epic easy, it makes it interesting too, so much so that my 14 year old son picked it up and enjoyed it too especially the battle scenes!

In the book, ‘Amba and Bhishma,’ the story begins with the King of the Puru Dynasty, Shantanu’s marriage to the fisher chief’s daughter Satyavati. The story has been described well and the part where Bhishma is on his mission to get back three princesses (one of whom is to be married to his step brother Vichitravirya) can only read to be enjoyed thoroughly.

“Before the shower of metal fletches could reach their chariot, an arrow shot from beside her raced to meet them, splitting itself into as many pieces, each of theses pieces obstructing the fletches and dropping them harmlessly to the ground. She turned back to stare at Bhishma, who was lowering his bow, still looking ahead to watch the road. She understood that his aim had been perfect but how could the metal pieces in his arrow have perfectly blocked every single fletch coming at them? Could anyone loose an arrow with such a precise degree of skill?

That was when she first began to realize that Bhishma was no mere mortal. And when she first fell in love with him.”

Ashok Banker’s narrative style shines as usual bringing alive episodes from the Mahabharata.

The synopsis of the book says:
Rita works as Tax Consultant in Best Tax Practices being from an Human resources background. She loves her professional life but her personal life does not excite her anymore after her first heart break. Running away from love she falls in love with Aryan, a Media consultant residing in Delhi.The story is about how they fall in love, the vows they make, and at the end where it leads. Will they be together forever? Well may be, may be not.

Coming to the author, I would say that it would have been easier for her to write this story because its very simple without much of an unexpected twists and turns. Her writing language is something that we use when we write our personal diary. She has not impressed me much with her first book as there’s lots of room for development. I would suggest the author to at least read 50 books by Indian authors before attempting a second book. Because the story that she has written in more than 150 pages is something that seems to be a forcible expansion of a 1000 words short story. She can definitely try her hands in Short story/anthology section but she is yet to discover herself in a full-fledged novel writing.

As every debut Indian author, even she has scribbled about a love story that has lots of excitement about the love involved. The book starts with a description as how the protagonist is still into the depression of her first break up but still goes out for second love affair as she finds conversing with him attractive. I had lots of problem in reading the Google Chats that’s been shown as conversations between both the protagonists. Why would someone spend Rs. 250 on a book just to read Google Chats between two lovers? A better narration could have done wonders to the book. In the same way, writing “Hahaha” in the conversation part isn’t a good literature. It should be described separately that the character laughed. Similarly, author herself exclaims “Huh!” at many events. Rather than generating exclamations forcibly upon the reader, the story should have emotions imbibed in itself.

In all, I would say someone who has not read more than 5 Indian love stories can go out to read this book and compulsorily, the audience should not be more than 20 years old as this novel is not quite mature for the adult audience.
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ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

It’s the third Srishti Publication’s book in the series. This time I am done reading Sid Bahri’s debut novel- “The Homing Pigeons” which also has the tagline “Not all love stories are perfect, but then, neither are people”. It’s 318 pages thick. The book is covered in a very beautiful cover page. The pigeons flying in the sky and the font in which the title of the book is written is in itself so compelling that one would pick up the book. Sid Bahri is a hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self- proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel.

The synopsis of the book says:
In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar. Little does he know that his life will change forever.

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it.

They say homing pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. The Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

I would say that few authors makes us, Indian light-book readers, stand proudly and tell the foreign book-lovers to try them and see if Indian author are any less than their writers. Sid Bahri is definitely one of such writers. In the first 10 pages itself, he made me love his writing style, narration and the imaginations. I, after completing the book, wants to go and meet him wherever he is and personally thank him for making this 2 days journey so wonderful which has been passed in reading his work. Undoubtedly, he is in my Favorite Authors’ list. And I am looking forward to read the sequel of this book as he has already written it.

The way Sid Bahri has narrated a same plot from the point of views of both the protagonists- Aditya and Radhika builds a great interest of reader in the book. Once you start reading it, it becomes hard to stop even for a 5 minutes breakfast. Only I know how I have stopped myself from continuing it further yesterday evening as I had to watch IPL Final Match. But I waited for today’s morning desperately to begin the book again. And now as the book is completed, I am sad. Yes. Because I wanted to read more of this story and from the very same author. The way story of both the protagonists meet at different points is a very creative aspect of this book. I would say the USP. Every time you want a reasoning as to why did this happen and the chapter ends, you find it somewhere in the chapters following this chapter and you understand why author didn’t express the whole reason of the specific happening before when it got its first mention in the story.

The way story begins and Aditya has to turn gigolo is exciting. The way Radhika is being shown as a villain initially and then suddenly you get to know about her past, you start feeling bad about what happened to her in the childhood. The past of Aditya’s family too is intensely put. Ok wait, let’s stop here. How many such parts of this book am I going to list down here? There’s so many of them. This book is the perfect thing in which one can invest all his money that’s in the budget of book-buying. And without any second thought, you can gift this book to anyone as its assured that the person is going to thank you immensely for giving them something which teaches so much about life. This book has every thing about life. As stated in its tagline, its not a cheesy love story as we presume it to be as its from an Indian writer. It’s about life. It’s about how we take decisions and later regret for it and then how life makes us go back to the starting point and repair every thing but this time the person for whom we wanted to change does not want the change. And its about many other perspective about life. You can see how speechless I am while writing this review that I am unable to understand as to which of the 100 good things about this book should I talk in a review that has to be short. Ok let’s end this then.

I am simply giving this book 4.5 out of 5. YES. RECOMMENDED LIKE ANYTHING. DO INVEST IN THIS BOOK. Your trust in Indian writers will be rebuild. My favorite book of this year till now. And Sid Bahri sir, do release your 2nd book soon.
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ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

The synopsis of the book says:
Surprisingly the modern day arranged marriage institutions still in vogue. Girls and boys continue to give up their dreams for their parents happiness, yield to their family’s demands and end up snuffing all joy out of their lives.

Some of these couples have the luck of the draw and a happy story to tell, finally. Others seek comfort in compromise. Yet others fall apart and eventually go their separate ways. Why do they part ways? Who is to blame?

Vineet Hariharan and Meera Madhav, a couple trapped in a mismatched relationship, have decided to call it quits. The story begins with their relationship coming to an end.

The story in narrated from both Vineets and Meeras perspectives, with some scenes described from the point of view of both.

Stumbled Upon Destiny is about their loveless marriage which gives rise to many issue lack of communication, complacency, unresolved arguments..

Coming to the authoress, I would say that Jolsna Rajan has skills that can be sharpened with more writings and experience. Currently, while reading her first work, I found that she was trying to build the book on an interesting line but it didn’t happen at every place. She sometimes touched the perfection while sometimes she lost it by a very less margin while sometimes she went totally off-track. The first half of the book wasn’t very captivating but the second half was surely catchy. She could have been little more innovative with the part when she tried to narrate the story from the point of view of both the protagonist. I, personally, feel that after 2 more books by the authoress, we can try putting her under the category of Preeti Shenoy-types but currently, she needs to work little more.

The topic on which she has written has been the favorite topic of the married authoresses. The interesting part of the story is that it begins from the point where this couple has already filed for the divorce. The husband- Vineet Hariharan starts as a protagonist initially and tells how his life changes after the divorce has been filed. He also tells how he wanted this to work but his ex-wife, Meera Madhav wasn’t interested in giving it a try. The problem is that Vineet speaks as a protagonist for only 36 pages. Better than this, authoress should not have created this part at all. Meera’s speaking as a protagonist right from the first page would have been better. There’s already nothing special in first 36 pages. When Meera’s part begins, initially, its too cheesy and suddenly I started feeling that the first 36 pages were fine.

But, right from the Page No. 98th to the last page of the book i.e. 177th, book goes to a very superior stage where you find the maturity that the writer has. She just wanted her best to be displayed in the second half of the book. I just wanted to ask author personally during that part as to why didn’t she start the book with the same maturity and energy. From 98th page, the story is about what happened post-marriage that lead to the conditions where both of them had to part ways. The incompatibility shown between both the characters makes us think about why is it going wrong between them when both are a good character. I also liked the part when one of the protagonist realizes the mistakes that he/she has kept committing and apologizes on his/her behalf. I also liked the meetings that are being shown of both the characters in pre-climax and before that too in post-divorce scenarios.

I liked the Meera’s character a lot in the end. And Vineet is equally highlighted. When the book started, I never knew how authoress is going to build the whole story around such plot and where the climax would intersect but it is beautifully done. The parts where the condition of parents of both the protagonist is described is also done sensibly. Meera’s mother’s conversation with her in the pre-climax is another beautiful piece. In all, the authoress has beautifully displayed the life that both- husband and wife goes through when they take a mutual decision such as of divorce even when they don’t have any better specific reason for it except that they are totally different personality. Author has shown how things can be managed even if there are two different personalities getting into a marriage if one learns to accept mistake, apologize and correct it. I would give the 1-97 pages of the book- 1.5/5 and 98-177 pages, 3.75/5. In all, I would say an okay attempt with 3 out of 5 ratings.
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ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

It’s almost 2 months since I am writing a book review. A long time. I have finally completed reading Ketan Bhagat’s debut novel- Complete/Convenient. I have been one of the promotional partner of this book since it was in its editing stage and after reading this 373-pages book, I am satisfied that I chose a good product to promote/market. As said several times by Ketan Bhagat in his interviews, this book is exclusively about every NRI or everyone living in India and continuously thinking of shifting abroad because of unwanted chaos here. The clarity of thoughts regarding NRI life is what I appreciate the most about the debut author. He does not seems to be confused over the topic that he has selected to write a story about.

Ketan Bhagat, on his website, introduces himself as- Professionally, Ketan joined Satyam Computer Services (the company that Mr Ramalinga Raju made both famous and infamous) post his MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute in 2001. After a 1.5 year stint of trying to learn programming and Tamil, destiny finally took mercy on the young, frustrated North Indian and made Satyam show him little bit of the world – 2 years in Malaysia, 9 months in NZ and 4 years in Australia. About 2 years ago, he moved back to India. Currently he works as a regional sales manager at an MNC in Mumbai. Creative at heart, Ketan has done stints in Television (anchor, script writer) and Print (articles in national dailies) during his college days. Few years ago, he helped his brother script a Bollywood movie.

The synopsis of the book says-
“Have you ever heard of any NRI who:
Hasnt washed dishes and vacuumed carpets
Hasnt missed any of his friends/ family members wedding in India
Doesnt watch Indian movies, no matter how long he has been outside India
Hasnt been to a striptease
Doesnt indulge in Indian food whenever he visits India on a vacation

Do you know any Indian who:
Hasnt thought of moving out of India for a better, safer life
Isnt fed up of the scams, traffic jams, filth, noise, crowd and crime that are part of everyday life
Isnt tired of attending endless weddings, festivals, birthdays, farewells, parties, lunches and dinners that happen almost every second day in India
Has never envied (secretly or openly) his friend / family member living outside India
Hasnt wondered what makes NRIs return to India

Welcome to the world of Kabir newly married and newly arrived in Sydney, hoping to live the glamorous and sophisticated life he has always dreamt of. After all, a life without frantic competition, traffic jams, queues, dirt, corruption and social obligations (read evils) can be refreshingly convenient. Professional success, new friends, a sincere boss… everything seems to be going just fine. But doesnt this sound too good to be true?”

Coming to the author, I would say that Ketan Bhagat has done a great job in his debut novel. A book that’s made up for a light read is written wonderfully with good narration, easy vocabularies, funny one-liners every now and then (it seems as if this part is in his genes ), relative scenarios and yet something that is intense and makes us think about our plans and life. When in one interview I read Ketan Bhagat saying that his stories begin where Chetan Bhagat’s ends, I didn’t take it seriously but now I can say that this book, at some point, seems to be a sequel to “2 States” where a couple is being married after too much involvement of families and then rather than “And they lived happily after”, book discusses what exactly happened to their lives. In short, Ketan Bhagat is someone whom you can’t ignore. If he is not very good, he is definitely not someone whom you would ignore.

Coming to the book, let’s talk about good points first. Book starts with a very good set up where this boy working in an Indian MNC suddenly gets an offer to shift Australia. His college-time girlfriend immediately talks to her parents and decides to marry him before he shifts to Australia and forgets her. The initial family drama while the talks of marriage and while marriage is something that made me laugh as much as 2 States did. Later on, the initial settling in Australia is also shown with okay-ish narration. Then the kind of involvement an abroad job demands is also powerfully and aggressively discussed. The problem that a boy is unaware of before marriage is clearly shown when Kabir’s tussle with newly-married wife begins. The differences shown between wife and mother can make any unmarried boy like me get scared of marriage. But Ketan Bhagat has done it well by filling the scenarios with funny statements and expressions of Kabir. Some of them are still making me chuckle.

The second half of the book is better than the first half. Kabir’s situation when he comes to know about a mishap that his sister creates in India is where the book attracted me the most. How even after giving his limbs and arms to his job, he does not get his deserved credit is another pity scenario. The way he got distanced from his father made me weep. How even his mother does not invite him for a function makes me feel bad. Later when his sister invites him, made me more emotional. How he starts finding his Indian friends more emotionally connected than any in Australia (after 2 years). How he starts finding India better than Australia in every term warns us, not-yet-NRI team. How he and his wife, Myra understands each other’s situation is another wonderful moment in the book (in the pre-climax). These are some of the few incidents that I have put down in the review else there are many which will drive you crazy when you would be reading this tale yourself.

Coming to the drawback, the major problem that I have with the author is that even when he promoted the book as a tale about a confused NRI residing in Australia and thinking of India as a better option always, the book is less about it and more about the differences between husband and wife after getting into a love marriage. Rest, if the author isn’t talking about Kabir, his wife and his mother-in-law, he keeps on talking about Kabir’s working culture and scenario. Though author has tried to give enough of Australia and its life but still, it is something that I was expecting more. I wanted to know about how, as soon as Kabir lands up in Australia, he finds difficult to adapt to the new environments and how he also finds every system far better than India. But all I got to read was stories blocked between the four enclosed walls of his rented flat in Australia. Also, the book could have been easily summed up in 250 pages.

Well.. but still this book is something that one shouldn’t miss. And it is particularly for the people who are NRIs or are thinking to shift abroad for dollars or for systematic life unlike India’s. To the first half of the book, I would give 3/5 and second half, 4.25/5. In all, 3.75/5 what I would give to the first attempt of Ketan Bhagat.
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ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

While his brother is the unarguably the most popular author of India. He, himself never wanted to be an author. Being an NRI, he underwent some different experience that he never heard of. Is it same as captured by Karan Johar on-screen or has he something different, unique and more to say?

Ketan Bhagat better known as Chetan Bhagat’s brother has more to share – completely different from his brother’s. While his debut novel Complete/Convenient is about to release on 15th of May 2013. During an interaction with S. Anupam, Ketan avers, “Complete/Convenient is a beautiful mix of my life’s real experiences and my imagination.” Excerpts…

What did inspire you to become an author?

Even though I have been always creative, I never wanted to be a writer. Was too lazy and adventurous to sit alone and type endlessly. I was happy cracking jokes and making humorous presentations amongst friends and office events. In any case I was too busy travelling countrie and collecting memories – bungee jumping, scuba diving, yoga, sky diving, snorkeling, etc.

Then few years ago, I went through a transformational experience. Something extremely intense and yet surprisingly common to my age group. Yet, I was totally unprepared for it. Had never read, heard or seen about it in books or movies. No one from family had told me about it as well.

A thorough-bred NRI like me gave up a luxurious comfortable dollar-centric life and came back to India.Why? How? This was a story I wanted to tell.

Easiest way was to write a novel as 1) it is cheap 2) it is practical (your boss thinks you are doing office work on the laptop) and 3) at least in my case, there was a writer in the family so it wasn’t considered a crazy idea J

Is Complete/Convenient a fictional work or real story? How much it reflects your life?

It is Fiction. However, it is based on real-life people and incidents that either happened to me or my friends, colleagues or customers.

It is a reflection of what every NRI man goes through especially in the first few years of moving to a new country. I can’t think of any NRI who won’t be able to relate to the situations that Kabir, my main protagonist, goes through.

Book Cover

How much time did it take to finish?

Little over two years. Mainly because I was neither a writer nor a reader. Till two years ago, probably Chetan Bhagat was the only writer I had read. On top of it, I could barely write a proper email.

So even though the story was clear in my mind, it took a lot of rewrites, reviews and rewrites to get the content, flow, language etc right.

Being an NRI story, how much would it appeal to the mass Indian readers?
I am not Chetan Bhagat. He is a genius and a master storyteller. I consider my writing style very average and lacking any ‘ooomph’ factor.

However, I feel this story will appeal to every Indian because of the relevance of its topic. I haven’t met any Indian who has not thought of moving overseas. Yet, there is no realistic story on what actually happens when you settle abroad. It’s certainly not the way Karan Johar shows it in his movies. No one flies business class, zips around in a Ferrari and stays in plus beach facing bungalows.

Also, I haven’t met any NRI who has forgotten India. Or the family of an NRI who haven’t made their share of sacrifices. Has any story, movie in recent times captured this? Even though there are more than 20 million Indians living out of India.

Another USP of the book is that it tells the story from a man’s point of view. Most stories are either about women or about men doing only two things: either playing pranks in college or being superheros. Reality is that a lot happens in a man’s life post college and marriage. Men too go through tough times like mother and wife not getting along, office politics, financial crunch etc. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand a young working man’s psyche.

What’s your marketing strategy for the promotion? Any plan to promote the book at international market…

Even though marketing is extremely important, my focus has so far being on creating a good product. I have worked extra hard in getting the book reviewed by about 100 random people and analyzing their feedbacks. I have been a salesman for almost a decade and so know that no customer wants to end up with a bad product.

Now that the product is ready, I will start with promotions which would involve city tours, tying up with book stores and reaching out to as many book readers as possible. Thankfully, some articles have already appeared in newspapers about my book and few television appearances are scheduled, so there is some foundation already laid.

Even though my initial marketing focus will be on Indian market, NRI’s have already starting showing interest in the book. I have just launched the eBOOK version at Amazon. Plus, I have shipped physical books to Singapore, Australia and USA.

After Complete/Convenient, which are the current projects you’re working on?

Nothing at this stage. I do have a story for a second book in my mind. Again something I have personally experienced and seen others experiencing. If Complete/Convenient gets a decent acceptance from readers, I will write my second book. If, for some reason, they reject me as a writer I will humbly ask for forgiveness and do something else. Don’t want to force myself in the market.

Your favorite books and authors…

My favorite authors/books are Salman Rushdie’s Midnights Children, Hussain Zaidi’s Dongri to Dubai and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist.

In the end…

Please read Complete/Convenient. While I don’t claim to have any exceptional talents but I have worked extremely hard on the book. I promise it’s very readable. ~ Ketan Bhagat

“It’s a debut novel, so there’ll be a lot of mistakes. But I promise everyone that it’s a very sincere attempt,” he says.

There is a new star on the horizon of Indian literature. Apart from an independent writing style and a good story he also has the ‘writer genes’ in him. We are talking about Ketan Bhagat who is all set to launch his debut novel ‘Complete/Convenient’ on the 15th of May 2013. He is the younger brother of famous writer Chetan Bhagat. So along with a lot of publicity and recognition, Ketan Bhagat also has to deal with high hopes from the readers.

Boldsky caught up with the debutante Ketan Bhagat to have a candid conversation. Take look at what he had to say about his book, his brother and the business of writing.

What is your book ‘Complete/Convenient’ basically about?
‘Complete/Convenient’ is actually a book that records the emotional journey of men. Men are usually shown having great time with friends or big business tycoons. I feel that their emotional side is not given enough importance. Men have the same emotional turmoil as women, they too cry and go through dilemmas. That is what I have tried to show in this book.

How do you think that the inner journey of men is different from that of a women?
No, wouldn’t say its different. I would rather say its the same but we don’t get to read about the inner journey of men very often.

The protagonist of your story ‘Kabir’ seems very similar to you? Is he your alter ego?
Well, it is a heroic version of men. I have taken creative license to present a fantasied version of me in my book. Kabir is very good looking, has lots of friends and a great job. But other than that, Kabir is from Delhi so am I, he goes to Australia to work and so did I.

When you started writing, it was obvious that you would be compared to your brother Chetan Bhagat. Does that bother you?
No, it doesn’t. His brand has rubbed off on me and I got some publicity to start with. But other than that, its been a tough road for me just like any other writer. I have been called the ‘Sohail Khan of literature’ by some critics but I enjoy such comments in a sporting way.

Would you say that your brother Chetan Bhagat inspired you to write?
I am not as talented as my brother Chetan and we do not write about same things. His stories are mostly for the youth. But I am writing about a married middle aged man. After staying abroad would you say that NRI life is not as convenient as we think? It is definitely convenient but not complete. That is why the title of my book is ‘Complete Or (/) Convenient’.

Do you have another book in the pipeline? What is it about?
Well, I can only tell you that my next book will be about the relationship between a father and child.

What is your definition of a ‘good read’?
It really depends. I love Chetan’s books because they are fast and entertaining. But I also like heavy books like Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’

What is your opinion about contemporary writers?
What inspires me is the fact that Indian fiction is doing so well. The manager of Crossword (a book store) told me that a majority of books on the best seller list these days are by Indian writers. That means that the Indian consumers what to read a good story. It is a very positive change.

A word of advice for new writers..
You don’t need to quit your job to start writing. Our mother didn’t stop raising us because she wanted to pursue her passions. So we can also pursue our passion for writing along with our responsibilities. Don’t write to earn money or fame; write if you have a good story to tell.

Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/insync/pulse/2013/ketan-bhagat-talks-about-complete-convenient-033163.html

Ketan Bhagat (younger brother of Chetan Bhagat) is all set to launch his first novel Complete/Convenient in May’ 2013.

UnResrictedMinds.in takes the opportunity to interview Ketan Bhagat.

Tell us something about yourself especially about your school and college life.

I was born and brought up in Delhi. My father was in army and so mostly out of station. My mother was an agricultural scientist and would only be home by five. That gave us brothers plenty of time and opportunities to play pranks, fight, break things, call up friends etc. All this and myself being the youngest in the family meant I was really spoilt and pampered. Even today I smile at memories of Nirulas ice creams, our green ambassador car which gave more jerks than kilometers in its lifetime, my dog, flying kites on terraces, school holidays due to mandal commission, chola bhaturas at mangal bazaar etc. From bullying conductors in redline buses to sneaking out my dad’s maruti 800 after he slept to visit my girlfriend, I have done everything that characterizes Delhi.

I did schooling from The famous Army Public School. Yes this is the same school that has produced legends like Manisha Koirala and Chetan Bhagat. Yes, this is also the school that has produced another sort of legends like Shiney Ahuja. Time will tell which category I will fall into (laughs).

Except for once in Class X, I rarely managed good grades. I was too bindaas to care about them. My motto was only to have fun.

I couldn’t get into any engineering college after school. I did a 3 year Hotel Management course from Pusa, Delhi. During college, I used to earn pocket money by being a waiter part time. Then somehow became an anchor in Doordarshan. Post college, I worked for an year in Oberoi and since they made us slog, I opted for an easier option – MBA. Afterall, there is nothing like student life. While doing MBA, became a script writer for Music Asia channel. Again, good pocket money and chance to meet tv stars.

Despite two years of bunking classes, playing stock market with my gujju friends and eating vada pavs outside the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies building in Mumbai, God forgave me for not being serious about studies by making Satyam make a job offer. I was reluctant but Chetan recommended and also people said IT was the easiest way to become an NRI. Forget foreign posting, Satyam sent a spoilt Punjabi like me to a city like Chennai. For 1.5 years, the autowallahs there made oodles of money cheating me. Thereafter, I was posted to Malaysia, New Zealand and finally Australia.

When did you start writing? What is the inspiration behind?

I never planned to become a writer. It is hard, lonely and intelligent work which cannot be outsourced. I was happy doing more entertaining things like scuba diving, skiing, bungee jumping, snorkeling, driving from Sydney to Gold Coast etc.

I was also very happy seeing Chetan as a writer. Seriously, even as his success and fame skyrocketed, my only interest in his writing and life was the number of bollywood actresses he could make me meet whenever I visited India.

However, about 3 years ago, I experienced something very different in my life. Intense, emotional and transformational this was an experience I was totally unprepared for. Surprisingly, friends around me were also going through similar experienced. With time as this wave of emotions (which I call as a ‘Peak’ that every NRI goes through) grew stronger totally enveloping my thinking and personality, I realized this was a phenomenon beyond me. Even after we moved back to India about 2.5 years ago, the aftereffect of this transformational experience kept lingering within me. I realized I needed an outlet. This is how the writer in me was born. Afterall, writing a book is the easiest, most practical and cost effective. Just type, your boss thinks you are working and no one charges you for writing (laughs). That I was Chetan Bhagat’s brother was a further source of inspiration.

Tell us something about your upcoming book “Complete/Convenient”.

Complete/Convenient : : There is More to Men than Bromance
An NRI’s life is not like the one shown in Karan Johar’s Movies. Most Indian’s don’t fly business class, get Ferrari keys the moment they land in airport, do not stay in opulent beach facing resorts and have beautiful semi naked blondes running after them in beaches. Yes, NRI life has beaches, dollars, glamorous things and lots of convenience. But there are sacrifices and constraints too.

Just like life in India is difficult but definitely better for most people than what was shown in Slumdog Millionaire. Yes life here is bumpy, choppy, irritating and jarring. But there is completeness to it.

I feel that no movie or novel in recent times has given a real view of NRI life or Indian life. This despite the fact that every Indian today has a choice to settle outside India and majority of them do consider doing so. This is what I have tried to capture in my book. All characters, incidents and twists are inspired from real life. At the same time, there is no judgment on which life is better or recommended. It just presents two worlds. It’s for the readers to decide which one they prefer individually.

Looking at the trend in India when professionals from varied fields are coming up with debut novels, how do you think “Complete/ Convenient” is more promising?

(laughs) I can’t say that. Readers will decide it. But it is a decent read. I am very sure of that. And frankly I am more concerned about readers liking my novel rather than comparing it with other novels. Each story is different. And one reader can like numerous stories at the same time.

Besides, like I mentioned, this being a very relevant topic for today’s generation I also recommend this book for another reason.

This book is a story told from a man’s point of view. A man not a boy looking for a career, girl or bromance. This is about someone who marries a girl of his choice and is doing well in his career. Nobody writes about the life of men who fall in this category. Just for example, Have you ever read a book that tells you what a man feels when his wife and mother don’t get along? This happens to 90% of men. Just like majority of men are victims of office politics at some point or the other. Trust me, there is a lot that a man has to go through in life. And they are emotional creatures too. Yet, most stories are centered around women.

It is said that new writers face the difficulty of getting a publishing house. How was your experience with publishing house since you had celebrity reference?

While writing the book I had the same thought that I’ll be treated nicely by the publishing houses. But this didn’t happen. Even my brother’s publisher could have treated me better.

I went to many publishers with manuscript and faced rejections. The struggle was tough. Initially even I thought that people from celebrity families have it easy in life. Trust me, some of them don’t.

Luckily, just before I was about to give up, few publishers showed interest but I couldn’t figure out if they were interested in my story or in my being Chetan’s brother.

Srishti Publishers showed great interest and were excited about Complete/Convenient.

Luckily in India, lot many publishing houses are gradually setting up with interests in budding writers stories.

But yes, I definitely had to struggle for publishers.

Would you like to give any advice to Indian Writers who aren’t published yet?

It is important to know if you want to be a writer or a celebrity. Every actor can’t be Ranbir Kapoor. Similarly every writer cannot be India’s highest selling Author Chetan Bhagat. And trust me even Chetan Bhagat didn’t know he would become that big a phenomenon. He just wrote a story he believed in and rest was incidental.

Today I am releasing this book fully aware of that the expectations are set really high and I will be compared with Chetan. Obviously a lot of criticism and ridicule will come my way. Some has already started coming. But I am happy and enjoying this phase. Why? Because my intention was only to express myself through the writing channel. All this is incidental.

What are your future plans? Do you have any inspiration for your second book as of now?
When I started writing Complete/Convenient I promised myself that I will not write after this book. But writing is addictive. I felt so light after completing the novel.

And right now there is one more story in my mind which is haunting me. I will work on it after some months.

Many Thanks for your valuable time to UnRestrictedMinds.in. Any message for the readers?

Please read Complete/Convenient. I promise you it’s a decent read.

Synopsis:
On the night of Valentine’s Day, a call from Jess informs Reehan about Anita’s attempted suicide. Reehan rushes to the hospital where circumstances forces and fate favours him to spend a lonely night. A journey down the memory lane begins when Reehan introspect the reasons behind his transformation from a shy-guy to a ruthless co-conspirator.

As a teen his life had all colours of love and friendship. His biggest weakness was his emotions. His heart drove his life and was never in control. With failed relations his broken heart took a wrong turn and headed towards a disaster called Anita.

Find out, what went wrong? Was Reehan actually to be blamed for Anita? Will he make the correct choice for his wandering heart and set it towards the right course?

It’s about games that boys play for love and lust. With many losses, yearnings, delusions and journeys the chapters unfolds a story of love, friendship, family, deception, breakups, patch-ups, conspiracy and struggle. Will Reehan’s love, life and inner commotion reach to a conclusion?

What will eventually remain… to be continued…!

Coming to the author, I would say that Moeedul does have a good quality of English unlike other young authors where you find high amount of grammatical errors and inclusion of simple words. He has crafted each sentence beautifully which keeps the pace alive. Even when the story is a college love story, you won’t find it much creepy as these days because of lots of such stories in market, we prefer ignoring the genre. It is also evident through the book that Moeedul wants to give a message through his story to all the youngsters and contemporary age group. But the biggest lack that I find in his writing skill is narration. It isn’t as good as I was expecting. It is something that can bore you while reading the book. Else, Moeedul has a little space for improvement. If he does that, he can be one of the recommended authors. Currently, he should work little harder.

Coming to the review, the good phase of the book starts once the half of the book is done. The second phase of the book stands out for me. Initially, the way a character is being shown in the hospital after attempting to suicide and the way protagonist enters the story, you get an urge to go into flashback and know the story and relation between both of them which led them to this scenario. Then as the flashback begins, the book turns little uninteresting. The concept of showing girlfriends-after-girlfriends has never excited me when I read a college campus love story. I always prefer some adventure, traveling part and some parts that can add to the twists and turns to the story. Here it wasn’t anything of this kind.

But later in the second half, the way story flows with a speed is when you really start liking it. The scenario where the protagonist gets into the bad light in his college is the most exciting phase of the book. The changes his life underwent because of it and the reaction of his parents and family, all makes a delight read in the end. Even the climax is beautifully closed. In all, I would give the book 2.75/5. This book is favorable for all the people belonging in the age group 13-20. I would suggest people who are bored with Indian love stories not to buy this book as there’s nothing new in it. It is the same stuff.
Buy To Be Continued 1st Edition from Flipkart.com
Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!