The City of Devi by Manil Suri

I was overjoyed to receive my first overseas mail carrying a book for review by Norton publishers. So far, I was aware of this publishing house's name for the critical content it printed on literary classics, and was pleasantly surprised to see Norton publishing contemporary authors with experimental narratives and genres. Taking up with novel with a slightly odd name - "The City of Devi" - was easy, since credibility was established by the very name and packaging of the courier I received. That Manil Suriwas a writer who could churn out an epic with an apocalyptal theme turned out to be a pleasant surprise waiting to be unfurled with the turning of pages of this book.

The City of Devi is an innovative, unique and adventurous novel. It dwells on a love triangle with a twist. There is a woman, and two men. However, contrary to what you might be already thinking, in this book, a woman, Sarita, and a man, Jazz, are both madly in love with a third person, a man -Karun - who is the mysterious, elusive figure in the book. It is Karun, however, who keep the two alternate strands of narrative, that of Sarita and Jazz, find a common ground to develop cohesively from. The rather tumultuous love saga of these three protagonists is set against the backdrop of an apocalypse waiting to happen - a nuclear strike on Mumbai, ready to wipe out the last trace of life from the island. In a classic tale of cross-border communal conflict, humanity is standing vulnerable and on the verge of being sacrificed for what are assumed to be conflicts of supremacy of divine powers. Mumbai only could be saved by its patron Goddess - Mumba Devi, recently resurrected in a Bollywood incarnation - Super Devi - giving more fillip to the blind adoration of gullible multitudes. And amid all this mayhem, two, no three, lovers are eagerly searching for an opportunity to unite with each other, after eliminating the 'other'.

This novel doggedly follows the quest motif - a rather effective one in stories which deal with the pains and ecstasies of love. Love is, it goes without saying, the underlying theme. In addition to it, theme of communalism, humanism, hypocrisy, apocalypse and homosexuality have been adequately dealt with in the book. With sensibility and gusto. Dystopia, towards which the real world too is fast spiralling, is another prominent theme. The novel is rich with explicit content, and for the shy readers out there, I have to mention, Manil Suri does not believe in using innuendoes. A powerful strain of narrative, in fact, is developed around a pomegranate - a perceived aphrodisiac (about the veracity of which claim I have no clue!), and that pomegranate continues to be an inanimate, silent yet pivotal character in the book. Manil Suri also weaves together myths and memories in the story; especially curious is the way he deals with a rare interpretation of the concept of divine trinity.

The City of Devi is a work of passion, and intelligent story telling. It has elements which enthral a reader and keep drawing him deeper and deeper in the fiction which starts assuming dimensions of reality. An intriguing beginning and an out-of-the-box climax add perfection to an already great scripting. A grand cast of characters does not obfuscate a reader, because the main concern - the protagonists - are so well constructed and foregrounded. Witty dialogues and great use of embellished language make the reading experience rich and satisfying. Love and romance always work for the audience; but when supplanted with an element of impending doom, they acquire a texture of passion and urgency - a fact aptly exploited by the author. I could go on writing reams of material on they way this book influenced me, but for now, I will conclude by awarding it, in all humility, 4 stars on five. It is one great adventure to be a part of.

Book Details -
Author - Manil Suri 
Publisher - Norton
Published - 2013
Book Source - Review Copy
Genre - Fiction/Romance/Dystopia
Price - Rs. 499
Pages -  400

Reviewed by - SAUMYA KULSHRESHTHA

Interview - Rishi Vohra

Rishi Vohra's debut book, Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai has been very well received by celebrities, critics and readers. Currently based in the business capital of India, Mumbai, Rishi is a well read and well travelled guy. Writing is a passion for him and he has plans to take it up quite seriously. Some of the prominent personalities of the entertainment industry, such as Prahlad Kakkar, Kabir Bedi have read and given positive reviews about the book.

So, I got a chance to do an interview with Rishi and here is what he had to say.

Ques. Mumbai, if I ask you to explain the city in 100 words, what would be your answer?

Ans. Mumbai is mysterious, yet exciting to outsiders.  But to Mumbaikars, it’s like a relative that you may not by overly fond of, but whom you tolerate out of habit.
Mumbai is one place that takes care of you, if you respect it and know what you want from the city.  But if you expect opportunities to come your way without pushing in a specific direction, you will find yourself grow weary and cynical with hopelessness.
This city has more problems than any other city, but offers more opportunities than any other place.  Despite recent criminal incidents, there is respect for women here, which says a lot about the character of its people.  You have to love Mumbai and its people to last in this city.  Otherwise, you are bound to feel trapped.

Ques. When did you think of writing a book? Any inspiration or particular moment you wish to share?

Ans. Well Yatin, it happened in 2006 when I moved to California from Mumbai.  I had written screenplays before, but never books.  I remember opening my laptop and typing.  I had a concept in mind for a screenplay, but decided to write a book instead.  The experience of writing in the peace and serenity of Berkeley was so exhilarating that I wrote everyday for close to four months, till I finished the first draft.

Ques. Tell us more about “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai”?

Ans. Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai’ is a mass fiction, written from the point of view of a young man who has mental disorders.  But in this book, it’s not these problems that define him.  He is like anyone else who wants to fit into society and find his place in the world.
It’s his mental problems that propel him to find normalcy in the fast-paced city of Mumbai that he feels ostracized from.  I know that the book cover makes it appear as a love story.  But the love story is only a part of the book.  It’s his struggle and feeling of hopelessness that forms the crux of the story.  Apart from the love and humane angle, there’s humour, action, adventure, crime, and heartbreak – all the ingredients of an entertaining masala read.

Ques.  Autism, a very fragile topic to touch and weaving a character around it, how tough was it?

Ans. When a writer creates characters, he/she is free to define them in whichever way he/she wants.  But with a personality disorder, intensive research is required which cannot be derived solely through reading.  I had to closely observe and interact with such people, while in California, to understand the thought process and way of speaking.  And I had to carefully handle Babloo’s character in such a way, that autism came across only as a personality trait of his.  But autism is just a part of it.  There’s also Dyslexia and Schizophrenia that I had to research in a similar manner.
In the book, it is the reactions of other people that made him feel different.  No one points out his disabilities and pokes fun at it.  That would be highly insensitive.
This is the story of Babloo who happens to be autistic.  It’s not the story of an autistic person.  There’s a difference, Yatin.  And I’m glad that people who reviewed and read the book so far understood his character in that respect.  Including you, Yatin.
Urmi Vaz, who reviewed the book and happens to be a mental health professional, commended me on the handling of the character and subject.

Ques. Mumbai Locals, the lifeline of Mumbai. The incidents shared in the book, have you experienced some of them yourself?

Ans. No Yatin.  All these incidents are fictitious.  If I had experienced any of the incidents in this book, I could say that I’ve led a fascinating life.  But as AdFilmmaker Prahlad Kakar said, “You’ll find bits of yourself in the book.”  Everyone who has read the book so far, told me that they did.  They said that the reader not only feels for Babloo, but feels what he feels.

Ques. Rishi Vohra, as a person?

Ans. I would call myself a learner, an observer, a traveler, and a person fascinated by both the ordinary and extraordinary.  I used to be very social, but writing has made me somewhat reserved.

Ques. Rishi Vohra, as a professional and an author?

Ans. My professional qualifications include a B.S. in Finance (with a minor in Multi-Ethnic Film/Theatre), an A.A. degree in Film, a Green MBA, a Masters in Environmental Law, a Wine Specialization (CSW).  I have worked extensively in the Indian Entertainment industry, in the U.S. corporate world, and in the Wine space.
As an author, I love writing.  It’s effortless.  My stories are more about people and life.  I wish I could solely make a living out of writing, but our country is far away from that.

Ques. What is your future plan with respect to writing?

Ans. More books.  I have my next one ready.  Despite being in the market for only a month, ‘Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai’ has been accepted and is selling well, and I was waiting to see how this book fared before I pushed my next one for publication.  So I now feel ready to put my next book out.

Ques. Are the characters of “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” inspired from any real life people though it is purely a work of fiction?

Ans. To be honest Yatin, I got the thought from a much older friend who had similar mental problems as Babloo.  He was intelligent and used to follow headlines, and report them to me whenever we met.  One such headline was a particular railway crime.  It made him really angry, and he said he wished he could do something about it.  That’s from where the thought was germinated.  The rest is all fiction.

Ques. Talking about publishing a book, how tough was it for you to get “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” published? Was there a lot of running around involved?

Ans. I tried getting it published in the U.S. first.  I got only rejection letters back.  In the U.S., you deal with literary agents and no one wanted to take up my work.  One literary agent, who was familiar with mass fiction in India, advised me to push the book towards India.  At the time, I was unaware of this growing market in India and followed her advice.  Within months, I received positive responses.

Ques. Again, 100 words about “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” on why should a reader pick this book up?

Ans. The book is unique in its characters, story, and setting.  While people are propelled to action by their sense of reasoning, the main character is prompted by his mental disorders, which enables him to go past his inhibitions and create an alternate reality for himself. This is the feedback I’ve got from people so far - The language is simple and the story entertaining.  It’s a true mass fiction in that it can be enjoyed and understood by people of all classes.  It’s an experience more than a story.  The reader will keep thinking about it once the story is over.
All in all, people who have read the book so far have told me that it’s one of its kind – a first in Indian mass fiction.

So, that was Rishi Vohra, honest and candid. His book, Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai is available on all the leading bookstores and online stores. Read it. Here is my review of the book

Book Review - Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai 

Also, you can reach Rishi through the following channels

Website : www.rishivohra.com

Facebook : Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai

Twitter : @FishyRishi

Rishi Blogs @ Being Rishi 

Cutting Chai and Maska Pao - Digantika Mitra, Priya Sheth, Mithila Mehta

Mumbai, the business capital of India, the city of dream, a city that never sleeps and the list goes on and on.  I have been to the city once and being a true Delhiwallah at heart, I actually loved Mumbai. Call me a traitor or whatever. It was in the last week of June that I went to Mumbai this year and experienced the city in my own way. Met people both from real and online world, roamed around a lot, walked a lot, took services of taxis and auto rickshaws, lived in a posh area, ate at a roadside stall, I did it all in mere 10 days, the most interesting part of the whole trip was, I blogged the experience daily here at www.mumbaisaga.blogspot.in 

Ever since I came back, I couldn't get over Mumbai, I am still not over with the city and eagerly waiting for my next trip. I have been reading about the city and things to do there from quite some time now. Cutting chai and maska pao happened to me while I was surfing Harper Collins website and thought, I must give it a shot and I got it yesterday. I thought, I would skip reviewing this book on ALOP but couldn't resist it. I think, a person who loves Mumbai should definitely give this book a read. 

Cutting Chai and Maska Pao is an intelligent and interesting take on the city. It is a small book with 100 pages and somehow perfectly sums up the entire city with colourful pictures and sharp observations with witty writeups. The writers of the book, the three gorgeous ladies, took a project quite seriously and it turned out to be a beautiful little handbook. 

The authors of the book have picked up approx 65 words that are famous in Mumbai and have arranged them alphabetically in this book. What makes this book interesting is, the pictures and the information shared about each world. Right from slangs, to the street food and some places, the book has it all that Mumbai can be identified with. 

I am surely taking this book along with me on my next trip to Mumbai. I am going to all the places and trying all that which has been mentioned in this book. Its a sort of bucket list and one must try to tick off each and every thing mentioned in this little handbook with creativity at its best. 

Book Source : Harper Collins

Genre : Non Fiction

ISBN : 978-93-5029-111-5