Book Review : ‘Under Delhi' by Sorabh Pant

'Under Delhi' is a wickedly funny book. This review is not as long as I thought it might be.  So, let us begin...t

Tanya Bisht could be your everyday girl, except she chooses not to be. Breaking away from the straight forward norm, is this girl. She works for a builder, who has a part in this story. He is very nasty, that will have to do for now…

But by night, she is the vigilante for the wronged female. Aided by a person simply known as Soniaji, she gets at the men who have wrongly gotten off from the law.

It reads kind of like ‘Arrow’, does it not? Anyway, Tanya, as the story moves on, we find out the she is not the orphan that she is thought out to be. And, neither is she as helpless. And it is almost hilarious, how she insults certain nasty folks.

As she gets caught with the bad men, it takes her best choices and her aids to get out of the situation. Oh, might as well, add that there are love stories, in all this mess, though not as peaceful, as you might think.

How she gets to the complications that is her life, her parents but manages to stay with her vigilante work for the story. She gets to Delhi, from Delhi, over and under it with the utmost wicked kind of charm. 

Author: Sorabh Pant

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette India

ISBN: 978-93-5009-809-7

Price: Rs 299/-

August Round-Up!

This August, I thought I would do something else. A little extra to keep my readers occupied. This is especially, because the more of you these days, is equal to more wonder and delight for me. So, this past month I have read about four books and reviewed them. And interviewed a few authors and editors, as well.

The books, I read were ‘The Legend of Ramulamma’, ‘Dead in a Mumbai Minute’, ‘The Pashtuns: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan’ and ‘Fraudster’. All very different, in the way they had been written, and of course their subjects. The first one was Vithal Rajan’s ‘The Legend of Ramulamma’. This book was striking because it was very close to me. Of course, the author belonged to my city, Hyderabad and he wrote about a few subjects which I was close to, though indirectly.

The first book I read this month was Vithal Rajan’s ‘The Legend of Ramulamma’ which was a collection of twelve short stories that was around Ramulamma, a Dalit widow. Her adventures revolved around doctors, foreigners, rich landlords, corrupt policemen, and poor neighbours, like herself. But what really brought out the best thing about these stories were shades of bravery, relentlessness and her brand of wit. I really hope for more of Ramulamma’s stories to keep the adventurous side of my brain satisfied.

 

Next, I began Madhumita Bhattacharya’s ‘Dead in a Mumbai Minute’. The second was a mystery, which was the second of the Reema Ray series. I missed the first one, but I guess I did not really feel the need for it, because the second part more than makes up for it. Set in Mumbai, the murder of this story revolves around how Reema Ray manages to get her new boss out of trouble with the police and keep her love story intact with the extra sense of mystery. 

The third book was Abubakar Siddique’s ‘The Pashtuns: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan’. This non-fiction is one, which attempts to be a key to the economic and political factors of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The misunderstood Pashtuns could be the key to the problems. The mountainous region, the Taliban and their leaders are all dealt with in this eyewitness account. I would recommend this book, to people who really want to understand the Pashtuns and the reason behind Afghanistan’s and Pakistan’s disorder.

The fourth book, this month was ‘Fraudster’, which I was unable to write a review in August, because of birthday complications. :) We are back to financial mysteries, with a few murders and technological issues at hand. You have the economic angle which keeps the story going.  You have people from the corporate world dying, you have a young girl working with a global accounting firm, you have a financial scam with the police involved and to top it all you have Gmail, smartphones and hackers!! The entire mystery finds its solution in this book. Log on to this, RV Raman’s book, alright. Brought ‘The Economic Times’ to my mind, since it was the place to be, when I seriously began work.

Basically, the way it ran around brought back memories of stuff, I had read at different times of my life. Adventures, to mysteries, to a little general knowledge to finance… It’s a superb thing because this was the month, I was born in.

                    

Author Interview: RV Raman, author of 'Fraudster'

RV Raman

When RV Raman wrote ‘Fraudster’, he was just telling a story that happens every other day, nowadays. One just had to read the news. To write, he did not require too much research. He had his own experience and ability to tell this story.

 

A character in the book had to deal with dilemmas that were similar to what senior people in the corporate world have to often deal with, he says. To understand the man, behind the 'Fraudster' was this interview’s attempt…

 

Please do check out My Review here and You could also Buy the book here, too.

 

How did ‘Fraudster’ happen?  

 

Corporate India is a fertile place for stories, both fictional and true. Unfortunately, few people who have the insight, have the time (or the inclination) to write.

Consequently, not many books faithfully depict what happens at the higher levels of corporate India. I thought I was in a positon to do so, and made an attempt. That became Fraudster.

 

What kind of research did you put into the writing of the book?

 

I didn’t have to do much research, as I have seen a lot of weaknesses in processes and cultures in financial institutions. Loan fraud risk, which is the book’s theme, has been a bugbear for banks and NBFC, for a while now.

 

Instead of research, I had to validate the authenticity of my plot elements, as I began constructing the plot.

 

What according to you is different about your book?

 

Two things. First, I have tried to make the events as authentic as possible, despite the dramatization that is required in fiction. A bank chairman or CEO reading my book should feel that it is authentic.

 

Second, I want readers of all ages and pursuits to read the book if they like the theme. I have therefore avoided expletives, sleaze and ‘masala’.

 

How did you come up with the core idea and develop it?

 

Having decided to write crime fiction set in corporate India, I picked up one of the main problems there – fraudulent loan. I then sat back and reflected on my related experience, only to find that there was no shortage of ideas.

 

The main challenge was to communicate the events in simple language and without jargon, so that a wide audience could enjoy it.

 

How would you relate the book and its characters to your day to day lives?

 

Most people in the financial sector would relate to it. One has to go no further than the recent Syndicate Bank scam to do so. That’s how topical it is.

 

Which particular character did you feel most close to? Why?

 

RC Visht, the bank chairman. His dilemmas are similar to what senior people in the corporate world have to often deal with: What if my verbal instructions are misused? How hard do I come down on someone who has crossed the line?

 

Theoretical answers are easy. Practical responses when you personally know your juniors and their families are very different.

 

Could you tell the readers about your past experiences and how it was related to what you wrote?

 

I don’t want to go into any specific experience. Several small and big events that have contributed to the book.

 

What is the most fulfilling part of writing a book?

 

In a mystery/thriller, it is the tying up of multiple threads in the final denouncement, and ensuring that there are no logical gaps.

 

The biggest thrill is when you put all clues in plain sight and still prevent a reader from cracking the who-dun-it.

 

What is the next book that you have planned? When do you see it released?

 

The next book is on the stock market and its players – fortunes can be made or unmade there. I hope to see it released sometime in 2015.

 

Who was it that told you that you could become the author, you are today?

 

Nobody. I don’t think writing is difficult; anyone can write a book. Writing a good book, however, is difficult.

 

One doesn’t know unless one makes an attempt. I started with writing epic fantasy (the Lord of the Rings variety) for my children. I publish that as Kindle books for a global audience under a nom de plume.

 

Any advice to writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be published?

 

Not really. It would be presumptuous of me to offer advice, so early. However, I do believe that one should write for the enjoyment of it, and not for fame or monetary gain.

 

Nor should one be too enamoured by seeing oneself in print. Publishing in India is easier than in the western markets, where the norms are different. In India, you can publish if you pick up a topic that enjoys a ‘connect’ with a large chunk of readers.

 

Who are your favourite authors and why?

 

Conan Doyle for his brilliant mysteries. Agatha Christie for her plot development. Isaac Asimov for his brilliant concepts. JRR Tolkien for his imagination. GK Chesterton for his articulation. And finally, PG Wodehouse for being Wodehouse!

 

 

Which book are you currently reading?

 Just finished 'The Billionaire’sApprentice' by Anita Raghavan.

 

What do you do on a daily basis?

 

I’ve given up fulltime corporate roles. I advise some organisations, mentor young entrepreneurs, teach business strategy at an IIM and write. 

 

PS: You could also get in touch with RV Raman at his website, http://rvraman.com/ or on Facebook or Twitter.

Book Review : ‘Fraudster' by RV Raman

I read ‘Fraudster’ by RV Raman and it was a book to be read.There are three seemingly unrelated murders. One is of a young banker who exposes a financial fraud, the second and third are of two men in the corporate world, with hands in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The hero, I felt of the book was the tomboyish Varsha, who works at a company known as CBS, a global accounting firm. Varsha seems to have gotten into the whole mess, as she seemed to be in the middle of everything, quite by mistake. There is a whole mess of corruption, politicians and scams coupled with murders.

Of course, you have the entire murder mysteries angle, which has us running around looking at obvious clues, without finding out what do with them. You also have certain romantic angles, which die very soon, because this book is only about the scam and the corruption. The author does not let the reader forget that angle.

Gmail was also a strong character. Hackers and servers are all so involved in this book, that it expects you to check your accounts, too! The accounting firm is hacked and the technical part takes over for a while. The plot involves a scam, which had corporate loans, corrupt bank officers and their practices.

The police are also involved in this exciting and fast paced thriller. You have a car chase, a kidnapping and even smartphones, to keep you on the edge.

The author, being an expert in the banking industry helps him in writing this book. His expertise helps him in building the plot and the sharp writing reaches for the end of the story. The only problem was the lack of the parallel stories or reaching the end of these stories. Because he does attempt it, but gives up halfway, I felt.

In spite of that the plot remains true to the story. One does hope for more such gripping thrillers to come our way. So, three cheers for RV Raman. You can catch RV Raman's Interview right here.

Author: RV Raman

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette India

ISBN: 978-93-5009-800-4

Price: Rs 250/-