Sathya Saran at The Times of India Wassup! Andheri

Book Events at Times of India Wassup! Andheri

The Book Lovers is proud to be associated with Wassup!Andheri, a three day fun filled festival for all. We have an interesting line up of book events for all book lovers. Here goes: 


16th March 2012, Friday: 


Kids special from 11am- noon: 


Dilip  Mukherjea  -  Focuses  on  writing  interactive  books  that address  brain  skills  for  the  21st  century  with  immediate  & multipurpose application, the prime aim of every skill. Watch him live at Wassup!  Andheri. 

Sathya Saran from 6pm-7pm

Sathya was the Editor of FEMINA for 12 years; she now contributes in leading magazines and newspapers.  As an author she has written three books.

We, at Wassup Andheri, are absolutely delighted to have her join us to read from her book on Guru Dutt. In an hour long session Sathya will take us through the life & times of Guru Dutt interspersed with scenes and songs from his movies. 

Do join us to be enthralled and mesmerized by the legend of Guru Dutt.

17th March 2012, Saturday

Book Reading: The Reluctant Detective by Kiran Manral from 10am-10.45am

Kiran Manral has worked with The Asian Age, The Times of India and Cosmopolitan and currently is a freelance writer, blogger and media consultant. The Reluctant Detective is her first book as an author. She joins us to read from her laugh out loud debut book on mommy escapades.  Do join us for a fun read session.

Panel Discussion: Chicklit& Beyond 11am- noon

We at Wassup get into a panel discussion with three lady authors who have made a smashing debut with their books. We ask them whether Indian women writers are treading beyond chicklit to reach out to a wider Indian audience. 

Our panelists:

Madhuri Banerjee:

Madhuri Banerjee’s debut book Losing My Virginity And Other Dumb Ideas has sold over 40,000 copies in the first year of its release and was on the best seller list for over 10 weeks.

Kiran Manral:

Kiran Manral has worked with The Asian Age, The Times of India and Cosmopolitan and currently is a freelance writer, blogger and media consultant. The Reluctant Detective is her first book as an author.

Naomi Datta:

Naomi Datta is the author of The 6pm Slot. Her debut book is a satire on television- news and entertainment. The 6 PM Slot has gone into a reprint and has been written about in Mint, Elle, Hello, People, Femina, Tehelka, DNA, Asian Age, Afternoon & Reuters.

18th March 2012, Sunday

In Conversation with bestselling author Ashwin Sanghi from 4pm-5pm

Ashwin Sanghi—entrepreneur by day, novelist by night- is a well established businessman and a bestselling author of two books, The Rozabal Line and Chanakya’s Chant. Chanakya’s Chant will be a movie soon and will be at cinemas close to home! Ashwin will talk to us on ‘Have talent, will write’ and take us through his journey as a writer.

Sit Down Comedy with Sorabh Pant, author of The Wednesday Soul  from 6pm-6.20pm

Before the panel discussion on Indian writing be ready to laugh out loud with Sorabh Pant! If you are expecting a stand up comedy from Sorabh it isn't, what you get of him at this festival is a sit-down comedy in true Pant style! Fun time guaranteed!

Panel Discussion: Indian Writing sees a new dawn 6.30pm-7pm

The Indian writing scenario has seen a big change in the last 5 years. Lots of new authors, new Indian writing has emerged and Indian readers are lapping it all up. We at Wassup will be in conversation with three such authors who have emerged in the publishing scenario. Our panelists:

Nishant Kaushik is the author of three published novels: 'Watch Out! We Are MBA', 'A Romance With Chaos', and 'Conditions Apply'. His fourth book is under publication and is expected to be out in stores in the latter half of 2012. Formerly a consultant with companies like Infosys and IBM, Nishant has recently quit his day job to focus on his career as a writer. Apart from his novels, he is also working on certain film scripts and short stories

Sorabh Pant has been touted as “one of India’s top six comedians”, by The Times Of India. His show, “Pant on Fire”, has toured 14 cities with 150 shows in two years; though, he’s done it mainly for the frequent flier miles. He’s also written/writing/in the process of having his columns cancelled for Mid – Day, Noise Factory, Yuva, Society, Asian Age, Deccan Chronicle.

Parul Sharma is the author of Bringing Up Vasu – That First Year and By The Water Cooler. Bringing Up Vasu centered around the humorous travails of Mira, a first-time mother whose ambition for her firstborn is matched only by her own bumbling ways. By The Water Cooler told the story of two young girls who quit their jobs at an advertising agency to land at a corporate house

The Book Lovers at Wassup Andheri!

The Book Lovers, over the years,has grown from being just a blog which does book reviews and author interviews into book clubs and book events. Going a step further the blog is proud to be associated with an upcoming socio-cultural festival Wassup! Andheri, Mumbai. 

The Book Lovers would be handling all the literary events that take place during the three day festival period.

About Wassup! :

“Wassup !” is a three day festival that celebrates the socio-cultural spirit of this largest and most lively Mumbai suburb, Andheri. This festival is a platform that’ll define ‘Whats New’ in the city. Set in the scenic garden, next to Lokhandwala Bridge, it promises to be packed with non-stop entertainment through different art forms like Painting, Photography, Theatre, Literature, Fashion, Culinary, Music and Dance, among others.
 
“Wassup!” will give aspirants of every art form an opportunity to interact and connect with the biggies of the industry. Stalwarts like Imtiaz Ali– Celebrated Film Director, Bosco & Caesar – Top Bollywood Choreographers, Pritham – a Household name in Music, Sanjeev Kapoor-renowned Chef, Chintan Upadhyay - Distinguished Artist, Subi Samuel – Ace Photographer, Aalim Hakim – Celebrity Hair Stylist, Aki Narula - Fashion Designer, Neelima Azeem – Eminent Kathak Dancer, Nadira Babbar -An Authority in Theatre and Best Selling Authors will take the stage and share what’s new with the crowds. Aside from the celebrity quotient, ‘‘Wassup!’’ will showcase many exciting new acts by the above-mentioned and upcoming artists, and also exhibit a plethora of rare and fascinating art forms over the three days of this extraordinary event.
 
The itinerary caters to all ages and interests groups. From industry specific interactions for young aspiring talent to health and fitness workshops for home-makers and working professionals, “Wassup!” will bring all that is new to Andheri and to Mumbai.


For more information on Wassup! Andheri do log on to http://wassupandheri.com

Guest Review: Scammed

Reviewed by: Shantanu Bhattacharya

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The first question that struck me when I got Scammed in my hand was - why would the author be anonymous (yes, really!)? Was it some sort of an insider's expose of the Financial Consulting and Audit industry? Was it shocking and transgressive? Did it contain names of actual companies and people who could retaliate against the author?  The possibilities were all exciting, and so with anticipation I picked the book up to read to find my answer.

It was nothing like I hoped for.

The most charitable explanation I can hazard for the anonymity of the author is that the book she (and I use the generic, politically correct, 'she' here; the author is in all probability, a man, but I can't know for sure) wrote was so outrageously filmy, so derivative and melodramatic, that her friends, colleagues and family would treat it as a huge joke, making her a laughingstock for years, besides dealing a body blow to a fledgling writing career.

That, and/or the fact that she lacked imagination enough to think of a nice pseudonym.

The story itself is a straightforward morality play, just a little modernized. It's the one you have heard and seen multiple times before - from Shree 420 to Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, and a hundred films in between. It is the same story of a small town protagonist who comes to the big city (in this case, Hyderabad) with big dreams, is frustrated by lack of opportunity,  gets into wrong company and habits to makes money, and becomes (very) financially successful. Till, of course the facade crumbles, and artifice is wiped away, the world crumbles around him, the scales fall from his eyes,  and the love of a good woman rescues him from the world of frivolity and superficiality, leading him to a new start.

Winced at the parade of cliches in the previous paragraph? That sort of gives you an idea of what I went through as I read page after page of this novel. The protagonist is a Gujju boy - Hitesh Shah - working for an international-sounding audit firm, Smith & Donald, whose working methods seem loosely modeled on Satyam's auditors, PWC. As the auditor designated for a wobbly, outdated, automobile company , Supreme Motors, he discovers layers upon layers of corruption in the company. Aided by a whistleblower who provides him evidence and exits the country, and the book, forever, Hitesh realizes that everyone and their uncle are involved in corruption - the owner, purchase manager, HR head - everyone seems to have been enriching themselves for years.

Hitesh, of course, gets sucked in to the morass of corruption himself - using his financial acumen to start a new (and very successful) fleet taxi venture using Supreme cars and low prices. He is bankrolled by industrialists and also secretly, by a major politician. At the same time his love life looks up as the college beauty, and now model, who never looked at him earlier is now more amenable to his advances, especially since he gets her a lucrative gig as the face of the new venture. Before that of course, there was his "assistant" from Smith & Donald who he sleeps with. Oh, and there is the mousy secretary who he never notices till she sympathizes with him when things go wrong... - no lack of traditionalist misogyny here. 

You see where this is going, right? So did I, from miles away.

Things happen, the shit hits the fan and things start to unravel pretty quickly. People get arrested. The politician gets embroiled. Model girlfriend ditches him for career and a tattooed Lokhandwala-biker-stud type when she gets better gigs in Bombay. The police get after him and he pulls a powder on them, accompanied by the, you guessed it, secretary whose smile is suddenly sweeter and figure, more sinuous. Love story blooms. The nice girl turns out to be the ideal mate - not the flashy model types. 

All this is resolved in a expectedly filmy manner when he comes out on top at the end. But then you knew that. I am not really providing any spoilers here. Not unless you have not watched any number of Hindi films in the last 50 years. If you haven't, I apologize for ruining a splendid surprise.

Look, I know what you are thinking. So what if the plot is old? After all it's a well known adage that there are only 7 plots in the Universe. What matters is presentation, and style, and structure. 

Okay then, let's talk about language for a minute, shall we? Or maybe not. Not at any great length anyway. Not after reading that someone "stood prostrate" - a massive feat of physical achievement. And that so many people keep looking at each other out of "the corner of (their) eye". In a couple of cases the usage of phrases is hilariously incorrect. In one case Hitesh says the a threat "left me cold" when, from the context, the author obviously means the opposite i.e. left him nervous and worried. Maybe he wanted to use "blood ran cold" instead? In another instance, someone is described as having a "perpetual baffled expression on his face" when the context indicates an "earnest expression." 

Is that enough? No? Okay, one more hilarious example - "Hitesh sat stoned". Given that there is no drug use described in the book, it's safe to say the author actually meant "turned to stone" or "shocked".

Add to this some basic editing errors, e.g. "Sahil" instead of "Hitesh" and you understand that this is a pretty shoddy effort overall.

In summation, all I can hope the next book by Anonymous (if there is a next book) will be better edited, better plotted, and better written. Of course, I get the feeling that would be three things too many to ask for.

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About Shantanu: I work as Chief Learning Designer with Tata Interactive Systems. I hold a Masters in Literature and love reading and movies - though I have very little time for either nowadays. I am active on social networks like Facebook and Twitter (@shantanub) and am a complete news and current affairs junkie. Currently though, my most satisfying job is being father to a 5 and half year old girl.

Event Invite: The Reluctant Detective

The Book Lovers would like to invite you for Kiran Manral's book reading event at Bungalow 9, Bandra on 24th Feb from 4pm-6pm. Tisca Chopra would be reading from the book and author 
Parul Sharma will be in conversation with Kiran. Do email to us for invite. 

bookwelove(at)gmail(dot)com

Guest Review: Hot Tea Across India

HOT TEA ACROSS INDIA - RISHAD SAAM MEHTA

Reviewed by: Pinak Kapadia 

I love to read travelogues. They give you the freedom to travel across the world, and soak in experiences without leaving your armchair. People have been writing about travelling across India since before Christ was born. But good Indian travel writers are few. Rishad Saam Mehta promises to be one of them.

Once in a while, there comes a book that offers a completely new perspective about everything you take for granted, and changes the way you see things. To say that "Hot Tea across India" is such a book would be an exaggeration. But the book does offer a fresh perspective about one thing in India which we do so often that we almost do not notice ourselves doing it. That act is drinking tea. The book is about how this simple, but uniquely Indian act of drinking tea at road-side dhabas at different corners of the country, is linked to experiences that stay long in memory.

The author used to write for Autocar India about his travel experiences, and is a freelance journalist. Because of his habit of writing for magazines, this book has a racy feel to it, which is strangely refreshing. Each chapter deals with one separate incident from the author's travels. You have to admit, the man has travelled. From a car rally in an alto in Himalayas, to biking in the ghats, to hitch-hiking from Mumbai to Delhi in a truck, he has done it all.

When someone writes about travelling in India, generally there is always some mention about the bad traffic, the potholes, the corruption and the poor facilities for impromptu travelers. Rishad steers clear of all such incidents. When he mentions about a car or bike breakdown, or his encounter with cops, it is always in a lighter vein. Sleeping in a truck for a few nights can never be fun for most of us, but Rishad almost makes it seem desirable. And at the end of it all, it stays about people. People who serve refreshing tea in the middle of the night, people who go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable, people who save you from disaster. India is never short of such people. Next time, when you grab a cuppa, keep your eyes open for an interesting story from the person serving it.

Grab the book if: You like to read magazines or light reads, you are a travel buff, a tea lover or are looking for something fresh to read.
Avoid if: You like your books to have a deeper meaning, your idea of travel books is not Bill Bryson but "travels with herodotus".

Do read "Hot tea across India". It will make you grab the key to your car and take the long road.

"The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.....
And I must follow if I can" 

Rishad, we are waiting to read where the road takes you next.

Guest Review: My Father Baliah

Our blog is giving away books for review to people who are interested in reading and sharing their reviews. In case you would be interested in becoming a part of this Review Programme do write to us at bookwelove(at)gmail(dot)com 

Dr. Shivani Kapoor is the first reviewer in this programme! Welcome Dr. Kapoor look forward to many more reviews from you for our blog!

Author: Y.B.Satyanarayana

Reviewed by: Dr. Shivani Kapoor

Review:

‘My Father Baliah’ is a thought provoking book that takes us through a journey of four generations of a dalit family in Andhra Pradesh. Baliah’s strength of character is depicted as he fights social evils at his own level. Always uncompromising in his fights, Baliah teaches his children to live a life of self respect. The book is a detailed insight into the world of untouchables and their ways of living and most importantly how they are marginalized from the society. Through this simply told story, the author brings out the inhuman cruelty of the other caste towards the untouchables, the brutality of the caste system on the repressed and the poorer section and also the internalization of this condition among the untouchables themselves.

What is interesting here is how dalit education changes the views of not only the higher caste people towards the dalits but also of the untouchables themselves about their own status. Unlike other dalit autobiographies, we see an interesting play of education in changing the life and the thought process of dalits. I recommend this book to those who would like to understand and empathize with the untouchables and the intensity of their oppression . The author has written in a style that is both engrossing and racy. 

(Dr. Shivani Kapoor is a Ph.D in English Literature, B.Ed and MBA. She is a trainer for teachers and gives counseling on parenting)