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Book review: A Bollywood twist to realistic short stories
The recent book by Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor has a story for almost everyone to cherish.
Quite rarely you come across stories that have all the ingredients of a Bollywood saga, yet remain compelling in terms of realism. A Ticklish Affair And Other Stories by Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor is one such collection of short stories, which explores a range of human emotions such as revenge, courage, betrayal, unrequited love, adultery, and spirituality.
The most fascinating part about this book is its relevance in the present times. The author duo hasn’t shied away from bringing up issues such as corruption, fraud, sexual harassment and self proclaimed spiritual conmen. Take for instance, the story Blackmail in the book, where the authors reflect upon the corruption prevalent in judiciary. And there’s a variety of tales including ‘Let Me Soar High, which is a story of young Devika who is battling the trauma of sexual harassment. It’s endearing to read how she overcomes her past demons and moves on with life because the same is depicted with utmost sincerity.
And then there’s also a real life story of naïve farmers who fall into the trap of a fraud placement agency that promises to provide them work opportunities in the Middle East and Canada. This is narrated in Masqueraders from the North.
But, be it the vengeance of a man against his unfaithful wife or a MeToo inspired story of an aspiring dancer, the writers don’t deviate from the plot. The very essence of the book lies in its technique of simple storytelling with a modern approach that blends simple narratives with the present day social scenario.
This one is a captivating novel for readers of diverse age groups, and it will only interest you further when you get to know that most of the stories from this compilation have been taken by filmmakers to be adapted for the silver screen.
