"Anudini"

Book Review: “Anudini”

Author: Dilp Prabhawalkar

Language: Marathi

Genre: Comedy

Pages: 163

Cost: 125 Rs.

Publisher: Utkarsh Prakashan

First Published: July 1998

I did not have to find many reasons to pick this book up for reading. As one of the most popular and loved Marathi TV Serial “Shriyut Gangadhar Tipare” was based on this very book. All the characters in this serial, all the tipres are famous in Maharshtra today. So I wanted to read this book for long time and wanted to know the original form of this my favorite TV serial. Another reason to pick this book is that it is written by Dilip Prabhavalkar who is by far one of the most brilliant ant multi talented actors alive today. He actually use to write articles for a newspaper and as those articles were huge hit they were accumulated in one book.

“Anudini” the book is about a regular middle class Marathi family. A family consists of five people, Shekhar Tipare, his wife Shyamala Tipare. Their son Shrilesh (Shirya) Tipare, their daughter Shalaka Tipare and Shekhar’s father Gangadhar (Aaba) Tipare. This family has most unlikely habit for today’s world, that not one but all of them write Diary. So this book is actually accumulation of pages from their diaries. The book gives insight how all five of them, three different generations perceived happenings of their everyday life. How each of them has different notions about same incidents. The book cover all the topics from Politics, movies, amitabh bachchan, Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, rain almost everything that matters for every single middle class family in Mumbai. So if you are Mumbaikar you can easily relate to this book. You will surely able to find yourself in at least any one of the character.

The book talks about lot of serious issues but in the form of humor. But the strongest point of the book is the characterization. It is so perfect and believable and everyone can relate to them instantly. As I said a TV serial is already made on this book. I think they should also consider making the movie on the same book. The TV serial was one of the best of all time. Director of serial Kedar Shinde took some creative liberty to make it a TV show but that only enhanced the quality. It is actually better than what book is. All the actors in the serial were absolutely brilliant. The author of this book Dilip Prabhavalkar is playing the role of protagonist Gangadhar Tipare in the serial. And after this serial everyone remembers him as “Aaba Tipare”, and he will be remembered as “Aaba Tipare” for centuries.

The serial was used to be aired on Zee Marathi. They don’t telecast it now, they stop telecasting it 4-5 years back. So while reading this book I felt little nostalgic as everyone in my family used to love this serial and we used to watch it together. So lot of fond memories came back while reading the book. I think the producer of the serial should release the DVD of the show. I don’t know if they had already done that, I have to go and check in the market.

If I have to rate the book, I will give 10 out of 10 to this book. This is a must read book for everyone.

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The Scent of Earth in August

Book Review: “The Scent of earth in August”

Author: Feryal Ali Gauhar

Language: English

Genre: Novel (Fiction)

Pages: 281

Cost: 250 Rs.

Publisher: Penguin Books

First Published: 2002

THIS is a book written by a Pakistani Author. I think Book is set in 1990. As Pakistan is a country which is following a self destruction mode led by Talibanis and other terrorist activities. So I was very much curious about way people in Pakistan living their life in such extreme condition. And that is the reason I picked up this book. Although this book is not at all about terrorist activities and their effects in Pakistan. As book is set in 1990 and I guess Pakistan was more stable country at that time in terms of terrorism.

The book is set in the city of Lahore in Pakistan, in an area called Kucha Miran Shah. It is also called as Tibbi Galli. This is actually a red light area, occupied by prostitutes and courtesans and by the people dependant on them. As city of Lahore is built by Nababs, there are lots of Havelis in this lane. Which seen very rich days once but now collapsing every day and occupied by prostitutes and courtesans who can not afford to pay even the electricity bills. The lane is at its peak only after sunset. It is full of drug addicts. The lane is occupied by many miserable, poor, crushed people.

There is no hero or heroic personality in this novel. All the characters in the book are deeply drown in their misery and sorrow. All have very much dark shades to their characters. I mean none of them are likable. Some of them are just dragging their life along and miserable without love which they could not hold on to. But still hoping for miracle to happen every day. Some of them still are waiting for love, hoping to find it again and again. Some living in past, some in future but present is gloomy for all of them.

Only likeable or rather pitiable character is of a Mute girl Fatimah, who became mute when acid, was thrown in her open mouth. She is most pitiable may be because she is mute, abandon by her mother and raised by three prostitutes. She is a main protagonist of the novel. The book starts with her and ends with her. There are many other pitiable characters. Almost all the women, as they find it hard to survive once they lost their beauties in old age. They have no one to look after them. But most hideous character would be the Moulavi who sexually abuses young boys. And drug addict mother of Fatimah who don’t mind selling her daughters for money.

There are many harsh realities posted in this book, like somewhere in the book author mentioned how boys of age 9–10 are picked up from the mosques and sent to Kashmir. Then the declaration by drug addict mother of Fatimah that "The worst of the Arabs still pay a lot more than our own kind" is shocking. Then the way book describes how rich Arab Sheikhs treatment to these young girls of 13-14 is hideous.

The book is nothing great, no big time dramatic or something. It is miserable, dirty, it is painful. But still people should read it once because I always believe books take you places without even going there. If you want to know how does red light area of Lahore look like, how are the people living there, this is a book for you. As it is well described in this book. This book is based on film Tibbi Gali. So some might prefer watching movie rather than reading books but I will suggest you read book as movies not always able to show all the details. And also take away the fun of visualizing the story by ourselves. If I have to rate the I will give 4 out of 10.

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