Book Review: Pokhran by Uday Singh | Indian Crime-Thriller

Book Review

Pokhran by Uday Singh

Pokhran by Uday Singh

Author: Uday Singh

ISBN: 978-9387022874

Genre: Crime, Thriller & Mystery

Length: 213 Pages

Publisher: SrishtiPublishers and Distributors (15^th July 2020)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2CbYQ1E

About the author: 

Uday is a philosopher, economist, and engineer with a firm belief in the progressive march of humanity towards a better and brighter future. He has traveled and lived across countries and continents, which has given him a unique outside-in perspective on India. With a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University, when he is not writing, he works at an investment bank in New York City and likes to spend time with his family in Princeton, New Jersey.

Uday Singh

Instagram: @uday_singh_0000

Twitter: @udaysingh007

Author's interview at GovernanceNow: ‘Always write (or live life) with all passion and heart in it’

REVIEW

Summary

Pokhran by Uday Singh is a thriller fictional novel based on the true events that took place in India following the ‘Smiling Buddha’ operation – a successful nuclear bomb test, in 1974; the book shows how it impacted the lives in Pokhran; moreover, the story follows the protagonist whose life is closely connected with ‘Smiling Buddha’ operation; with a wonderful cast of supporting characters and an excellent fast-pacing and enthralling plot, the book touches numerous thought-provoking subjects highly relevant to the current circumstances; packed with shocks and surprises at every page, surely makes it an enjoyable read.

Narration

Pokhran is narrated in first person POV most of the times by Chaitanya, the protagonist. The writing style is natural and easily comprehensible, perfect for the kind of novel it assembles. The language is simple and can be read by anyone including children. The structure of the novel complements the mystery element of the book that makes you eager to read more every time the chapter ends.

Setting and Characters

Pokhran by Uday Singh, as it suggests, begins with the ‘Smiling Buddha’ operation at the Pokhran Test Range, Rajasthan, and a prologue with a glimpse of the situation in 2019. Firstly, the book focusses on the childhood and school-life of Chaitanya in Pokhran and his trips to Payradanga, Calcutta, and Kakekapura, a village his best friend belonged to. The portrayal is so vivid that it makes us reminisce about those invaluable moments of our golden age. Chaitanya’s character arc remains tremendous throughout the book with the same amount of ups and downs. Apart from these locations, the book travels you through MIT, Boston, and Syria.

The supporting characters include Paramvir, his father who brought up Chaitu to be strongest. Radhika, Chaitanya’s sister who stands by her brother throughout her life and supports him at every stage. Ramesh Sir, Chaitanya’s favorite teacher and his mentor who sees the great potential in his student. Divyani, her childhood friend and crush from Payradanga. Zara, his wife, and a persecuted Yazidi from Syria having a fearless and lively personality. There are even more pivotal characters from diverse backgrounds.

Theme

The theme of the book can be collectively described as crime, thriller, and mystery. The book addresses many subjects varying from religion to human trafficking. It sheds light on the communal riots in parts of West Bengal after the Bangladesh Partition. It also discusses land redistribution and greedy politicians. The subjects that are highly relevant at this time in 2020 such as discrimination, equality, refugees, immigration, and encounters to conceal their felonies. The author shares the objective behind writing this novel, an idea of the formation of the government and society that eradicates the generational build-up of the wealth gap, which I strongly disagree with. But the intent is indeed very good that of level playing field.

Plot

The plot is about the ups and downs in Chaitanya’s life. There are several heart-breaking moments in his life. There are delightful moments too, marking his success and celebrating emotional bonds with other characters. The book is filled with meaningful dialogues providing different perspectives.

My Opinion

The book is engrossing that I never felt bored reading the book. It is a fast-paced book that lures you to complete the book in one sitting. There are a lot of elements involved that somewhat don’t keep up with what readers might be expecting which makes it highly unpredictable. The plot and the concept, as I said earlier is excellent. However, the purpose of writing the book, introduction to ‘Paracratic society’ which I think is very unrealistic and dangerous for humankind. Instead, I would like to take away this great thought from the book – “It is in the service of others that you will find true joy and happiness”.

I also think that my difference of opinion should not be considered a part of this evaluation. The author has done a commendable job in jotting down this remarkable story of Pokhran and her son. If Pokhran doesn’t get recognized by the readers all over the country, then I'll consider it an underrated work of Indian literature. I’m truly looking forward to reading more from the author.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: 355 Days by Deeba Salim Irfan | Crime-Thriller

Book Review

355 Days: Pursuit of Freedom by Deeba Salim Irfan

355 Days by Deeba Salim Irfan

Author: Deeba Salim Irfan

ISBN: 978-9388766074

Genre: Crime Thriller

Length: 240 Pages

Publisher: LiFiPublications Pvt. Ltd. (1^st January 2020)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3fOAyci

About the author: 

Deeba Salim Irfan is an award-winning poet and a brand expert. She has been writing since childhood, ever since she had to leave her parents who were in Iran, to live with her grandparents back in India. Deeba’s 3 books have already been published internationally in the last 8 years. Her first novel, URMA, was published in 2012. The translation in Urdu followed and so did the nomination for an award by Urdu Press Club. Next, a collection of poetry was published in 2016, CHARCOAL BLUSH and was a finalist at the Book Excellence Awards in Canada.  She serves as the Chairperson of the Advisory board of the ‘Young Author Awards’ for traditionally published authors under the age of 30. For over last two decades, Deeba is residing in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Deeba Salim Irfan

Instagram: @deebzirfan

Twitter: @deebzirfan

Website: http://deebasalimirfan.com/

REVIEW

Summary

355 Days by Deeba Salim Irfan is a crime-thriller fiction inspired by true events which takes you on the emotional and spiritual journey of a falsely accused protagonist who survives 355 days in captivity and emerges on the other side with a new purpose for his life; this super-engrossing story discloses how media represents distorted facts on an impulse and exploits the ethics of journalism, illegal use of third-degree torture, systemic corruption apparently stating─ “money is everything” and portrays the unanticipated impact on relations during the crisis; filled with surprises, brilliant characters, this cleverly-plotted book will often make you go OMG!

Quote from 355 Days

Narration

355 Days: Pursuit of Freedom by Deeba Salim Irfan is about what characters experience throughout these days of imprisonment, each fighting their own battle. The book is written in third person POV revolving around three main characters─ Aadesh, his wife Maya and the lawyer Nasha. The language is simple, comprehensible and the writing style is truly captivating. The book is well-structured, providing an accurate picture of what’s going on in their (characters’) minds and the outside world, avoiding anything that does not contribute to the storyline.

Setting and Characters

The story takes place in years 2015-16 when a British-Indian business tycoon, Aadesh Dixit gets arrested for his involvement in a murder case. The locations involved in the story are Gurgaon, Delhi, Tihar Jail and The United Kingdom. Aadesh Dixit owns a chain of restaurants in London as well as in India. He is planning to open one of his outlets at the Hauz Khaz village as one of the flagship restaurants. Maya─ Aadesh’s wife is a strong mother who bravely manages her two kids and the household while their father is away at Tihar Jail. Nasha─ a celebrity criminal lawyer is well-known for always standing by the truth. She is one impressive character who has all the qualities of an ideal detective and a lawyer.

Quote from 355 Days

Theme

355 Days shows you how a life of imprisonment can affect a person in jail and the immediate family, especially when the person is innocent. It all starts with media passing fallacious judgements based on their sources just to gain viewership. This may further deceive anyone who is watching to believe something that is not entirely true, causing unrepairable damage to lives involved. The author has done a commendable job at research and portraying the functioning of Tihar Jail. Apart from how characters are coping with the situation, the second most prominent aspect of the book is life in Tihar Jail. At times the book directs the reader’s attention to some sensitive issues like harassment, sexual assault, bribing, bloody skirmishes and the ways prisoners resort to, for money.

Plot

Each page helps forging ahead the plot. Each page will make you question yourself, what if you were in the place of those characters. Would you be able to survive even a single day of that anguish? What it feels like to be separated from your parent or children or spouse? Most importantly, waiting to breathe freedom that has been snatched for the crime you haven’t committed. But there is this thread of hope, on which they are hanging on. Having a strong faith in yourselves can save you. So, here are these main characters putting on brave fronts, making it as bearable as possible for the people they love.

Quote from 355 Days

My Opinion

355 days has a lot in store for you from spirituality, faith to bravery and helping others. There are a lot of quotes that I came across and noted them down as they are foundational and of core values. Each page has something new to offer. Not to forget, dialogues are outstanding and a very important part of the book because of the court hearing sessions. Who would not like a book with such formidable characters and an awe-inspiring plot? Definitely recommended.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: Stories of Us: The Common Man by Bobby Sachdeva | Short Stories

Book Review

Stories of Us by Bobby Sachdeva

Stories of Us by Bobby Sachdeva

Author: Bobby Sachdeva

ISBN: 978-9389109023

Genre: Short Stories

Length:  254 Pages

Publisher:  Pan Macmillan (6^th December 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌠

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3hdAbt5

About the author: 

Bobby Sachdeva is a storyteller by choice and a businessman by profession. He writes stories to highlight the problems with norms and standards in our changing society and believes that these perceptions can change. In all his writings, Bobby Sachdeva engages with the problems in the lives of common people and the ways to resolve these. In the last two years, he has written more than a dozen feature films, web series, and tele-serials and his popular book of short stories titled Stories of Us. Apart from writing, Sachdeva has produced nine short films in Hindi and three feature films in Punjabi and started a fully equipped studio, Ajab Productions, in his hometown Amritsar where he lives with his family. The production of his first full-length Hindi film will begin in 2021.

Bobby Sachdeva

Instagram: @ibobbysachdeva

Twitter: @iBobbySachdeva

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iBobbySachdeva/

REVIEW

Summary

Stories of Us by Bobby Sachdeva, a collection of 41 short stories exploring a broad range of lives belonging to diverse social groups of varying wealth, power, status and race where the author directly questions the status quo regarding social, political and economic issues to make readers contemplate about the pressing subjects such as blind faith, discrimination, acquisitiveness and modern-day relations with some brilliant plotlines and some nebulous and abstract stories; strongly condemning our ways while sometimes offering values and ethics you may want to cultivate in your lives.

Narration

Stories of Us: The Common Man by Bobby Sachdeva depicts the struggles of the common man who has to constantly fight against the unscrupulous system. All short stories are narrated in third-person POV except a few. There is one symbolic illustration at the beginning of each story. At the end of the stories, Bobby Sachdeva asks thought-provoking questions to no one in particular but the society. The language is very easy and thus anyone can enjoy the book. The writing style is straightforward and consistent throughout the book.

Setting and Characters

Each story is set in different premises that are pretty much contemporary. The locations include India’s metro cities, villages and a couple of times a foreign country as well. Basically, the book captures the flaws in our society that we Indians intentionally or helplessly allow to exist. Many of the stories seem to reflect the oversimplified images of some characters just like we see in movies or TV shows but cannot be denied completely. There are many stories that follow families blindly adhering to godmen and superstitions without much rational thinking. While there are characters who share a complicated relationship with their families. Some characters are very focused on chasing money leaving behind their families and dreams. There are: fanatic leaders, RTI activist, parents, the only son of the family, eunuchs, daughters, rag pickers, garbage collectors, weak and poor, wealthy and powerful criminals and so on.

Theme

Based on the various themes, these stories can be categorized into 4-5 sections including faith & beliefs, family & relations, wealth & economy and discrimination & harassment.

Maximum number of stories were only focused on the godmen, blind faith, superstitions and unnecessary belief systems. Some of them are brilliant, delivering a strong message and addressing very specific affairs, whereas other stories are poorly executed with the same logic as others.

The second group of stories talks about relationship dynamics, hasty decisions, suspicion, work-life balance, internet affected families, parental expectations, unrelenting children and so on.

The third group involves stories regarding class consciousness, acquisitiveness, social responsibility, unlawful activities and other issues. Here, the author criticizes the government for abrupt implementation of laws after which the people are left alone to bear the consequences.

In the last group of stories, the author throws light on pressing issues like manual scavenging deaths (Do their lives don’t matter?), the life of eunuchs, molestation, threats to the safety of underprivileged & mentally ill people and so on.

My Opinion

Stories of Us raises the voice for the common man but on the contrary, some of the stories are very short and vaguely expressed that it fails to be effective enough. However, there are many stories that stand out from the rest having suitable and realistic plotlines to broach the subject we are turning deaf ears to. I would definitely recommend this to every Indian as it has the power of initiating the change.

I would like to share a few stories that moved me:

The story about attacks on RTI activists.

The story in which an exploiter financially debilitates a retired woman.

The story of humanity prevailing at the risk of a job.

The story depicting that a stray dog’s life is more valuable than an underprivileged girl.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli

Book Review

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli

Author: Ayaz Kohli

ISBN: 978-9353333607

Genre: Fiction

Length: 278 Pages

Publisher: Rupa Publications India (20 May 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/33ettfr

About the author:

Ayaz Kohli is presently serving as Joint Commissioner-GST, Mumbai. Having seen the rise and repercussions of militancy from very close quarters, and moved by the plight of the people of the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, he has come up with his debut novel, Snakes in the Meadows.

Ayaz Kohli

Follow him on Instagram: @ayazkohli

Twitter Handle: @ayazkohli

REVIEW

Narration

Snakes in the Meadows is a saga of the onset of militancy, the suffering and the resilience of Pir Panjal ─ the ‘and’ of Jammu and Kashmir. The tale is narrated in third person point of view by the strong, powerful and robust voice. There are terms related to military, militancy and there are Urdu-Arabic words also. The structure and the narration of the book is very well-formed for accumulating all the different stories that revolve around Jammu and Kashmir and more importantly the lives of the residents of Pir Panjal over the span of 25 years. I don’t know the exact count but there are lots of tales of history too that author Ayaz Kohli has narrated that portrays the culture and the community values that of people living or rather surviving in the valley of Kashmir, Pir Panjal Range.

Location and Setting

Snakes in the Meadows, where the meadows are of the land of the hilly village of Pathri Aali. We will discuss snakes later in this review. Pathri Aali, being a village of Kashmir and across the PoK (Azad Kashmir), it suffers the constant threat of war and worst of terror. They’re being watched by Army Jawans and a little suspicion can turn into the death of villagers. As it may seem, making a living in Pathri Aali is difficult for the families so men migrate to Saudi Arabia for earning bread; leaving behind their children, wives, mothers and elders. That is why there are more locations like, Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Srinagar, Jammu and other nearby villages. Now, let me introduce you to the snakes, who are trying to destroy humanity in the villages like Pathri Aali. Saghir Khan, a smuggler and double agent happen to be put in house arrest at Saudi Arabia. In the name of Islam, they brainwash the youth and prepare them to fight in Jammu and Kashmir and form groups of militants.

Theme

Snakes in the Meadows is indeed a work of fiction but is also inspired by real incidents that the author Ayaz Kohli has written with care and intertwining it with beloved characters. The book follows many characters but Haji Mir Baksh’s family is one important family in the story which consists of a brave hero Aslam. Another main character is his love interest Ashwar. But as destiny would have it, they don’t get to choose their lives living in that land of heaven. I loved the character of Lal Jaan, an old lady who is fierce and fearless and stands for the villagers. The author also has portrayed negative characters like Saghir Khan and Major Dharam Pal Singh who are barbaric and merciless. The book shows the real image behind the curtains of heavenly land. Where those civilians suffer living the life of subjugation, misery, sorrow, horror, intimidation, unimaginable humiliation and organized annihilation. While the army isn’t of any help either because they should not trust anyone. So, they have to save themselves. The book also states the daily struggles of living in those hilly villages, the culture and how women have to make brave decisions for their families, for shielding them and for the generations to come.

Plot

The plot is the journey from simple villager’s life to the life of surviving torments. Life is not guaranteed for those who brave the situation. The civilians of the Pathri Aali need to stand together and strong. Militants are cruel as they are senseless, can take one’s life for no reason. Not every lionhearted have that luck for surviving. The sacrifice of such many lives makes a path to follow. With the help of such lionhearted leader and support of the army, they embark the mission for the destruction of snakes.

Don’t just live to narrate the stories of your cowardice. Someone will tell a better story of how you died, rather than you telling your children how you lived.

My Views

.I loved all the good characters as much as I hated those arrogant senseless characters, I mean ogres. All the tales that Ayaz Kohli has included, directly or indirectly affecting the plot are great and mesmerizing and some as melancholic. The struggles that each character is going through offers a lesson to remember for lifetime. You will learn ‘Freedom is priceless’.

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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮