No matter how great a player is, it’s the game that always wins in the end — and Moti Nandy’s novels have always upheld this sporting proverb. Striker, Stopper — the two novellas that’re part of one book — are about gut, sacrifice and triumph.
Striker is about a young, upcoming footballer’s struggle to hold on to his love for the game despite obstructions, temptations and failures. It’s the story of a struggling Prasun Bhattacharya and his first step onto the Mecca of football in India — the Kolkata maidans. But becoming a successful footballer is not the only thing on his mind — Prasun carries the burden of being the son of a top former Calcutta League striker, who has spent a life of humiliation after being accused of throwing away a match.
Stopper, on the other hand, is about a setting star, Kamal Guha. With nothing more to prove to anyone on the pitch, Kamal takes one last ditch effort to prove to himself that he still can turn the tides single handedly. And that’ll be his last match on the Maidan.
Probably India’s only sports novelist, Moti Nandy’s works depict the brutal side of the game — the politics and the struggle. But they also inspire one to dream and work for it.
{{/usCountry}}Probably India’s only sports novelist, Moti Nandy’s works depict the brutal side of the game — the politics and the struggle. But they also inspire one to dream and work for it.
{{/usCountry}}The Sahitya Academy Award winner’s narration (originally in Bangla) can actually make a reader feel the steam when a striker pumps the goal at the back of the net. Arunava Sinha’s translation does justice to it.
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Book: Striker, Stopper Author: Moti NandyPublisher: Hachette IndiaTranslator: Arunava SinhaPrice: Rs 295