What do you need to write a novel?

A good story, appropriate knowledge of grammar, good command over vocabulary, some sarcasm, some wisecracks, and probably a paper to scribble. This is what most of the young authors think while they get motivated to pen down a novel. It’s very common for people to think that their life has been really interesting and people would love to read their story. Be it the pranks they played, the fun they had, their sinking boats of relationships or any other exciting (or noteworthy) experiences in their life. Fascination starts ruling their heads by the very thought of their epical story being read by the nation. They think fame and money would follow next.

The driving force for following this path is success of other authors who earned huge name, fame, and money. The concept was introduced by Chetan Bhagat with his book ‘Five Point someone’ which not only turned out to be a national bestseller but was also yielded a blockbuster movie ‘3 idiots’ (Concept was largely changed though characters and incidents remained same). The legacy was further continued by numerous other authors. Some of them failed while some again reached pinnacles of success. Unfortunately we couldn’t see those who drowned and only the victorious knights were highlighted. This fortified the belief that these campus love-stories and young adult fiction is an all time ensured hit. And hence the flood of love stories came from all dimensions.

The quality kept on degrading and a larger number of similar books started surfacing with same girl-meet-boy plots. However a few like ‘I too had a love story’ became a legend and touched millions. This also affected the readership of India as these books were pretty cheap and if someone wanted to start reading novels, he was more probable to choose them. Due to this a large portion of Indian readers couldn’t ever taste classic and genuinely good fiction.

But still, those people who are thinking that young adult fiction is most popular genre and a book in this category will be a hit should check Flipkart’s top hundred bestseller list. This myth will be busted.

Generally, we see a number of books releasing every month and all by novice authors on the same concept of love. Owing to its popularity, many publishers have devoted themselves to publish only such stuff. Use of repetitive and non contextual sex and love-making scene is yet another common thing which is employed to make book spicier and attractive which only corrupts the reading experience. If this element is found missing, there have been cases when publishers demanded love-making scenes in books which is the saddest of all.

For writing a novel, not only we need a sustainable, unique and entertaining story, but creativity in writing is required as well. Lack of creativity and writing skills makes a good plot monotonous. Storytelling is a gift and not everyone gets it. It’s useless to enter this arena just for the sake of its perks.

To summarize, new authors should not get rolled by authors who have been successful in writing substandard fiction. They have to be more cautious of what they are writing and spend more time in research. If they are good, they will be surely recognized, sooner or later. Ruchita Misra’s ‘The ineligible Bachelors’ is the evidence that good romantic comedies are applauded, and the honourable genre of romantic comedy is very different from polluted pulp romances. However, if you want to write just another fictionalized autobiographical piece with same condemned elements, think again. You certainly have potential to do better than you imagine.

About the writer:

Harsh Agarwal, is the author of Life In A Nutshell and the founder editor of Fountain Pen Guild. He writes guest posts in various journals.

An Interview with Varun Agarwal

Firstly, I would like to begin with the most basic question, how did your journey with the pen begin?

I started writing blogs the FB page of my company. That’s how the whole thing began.

When did you first consider yourself a writer, far from a blogger?

So the blogs started getting really famous and people would write to me asking me when the next blog was coming out. Then a lot of people started telling me I should write a book. That give me the initial push/

What inspired you to write your first book?

Most business books are about the big guys like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Ambanis, and Tatas etc. These guys have been there and done that. While I love their books I could never connect with them because they are at a level I can never think of.  At least not now. I always wanted a book about a guy who just started because that’s someone whom I can connect with. That was my main inspiration. And if I can get the guy reading my book to think if can do it then so can he.

What books have highly influenced your life?

I would say the Life and Times of Howard Hughes.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Oh definitely Roald Dahl. Though if he were alive he would be horrified with my writing.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Yup. I'm a huge fan of Chuck Palahniuk. He wrote The Fight Club.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in you latest book?

Improve my writing I guess.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

So the new book is a sequel to the first one. A lot has happened since the first book and that is what the new book will cover.

 

Do you have to travel much concerning your books?

Nope. Why travel when you can reach out to the entire would through Social Media.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Just writing the book. I've never written before and it one of the toughest things I've ever done.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I really don’t think I'm qualified to give advice to any authors.

Finally, do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers (The TeenMag)?

Yup. Don’t think before you take the leap. Take the leap and then do all the fucking thinking.

-Akhil Ramesh 

  

• The BookCITY     
• Homeshop18.com    
• Flipkart.com   
• Infibeam.com

 

On the Road

I started driving recently. Initially, I was gobsmacked by the system of anarchy that seemed to prevail on Indian roads. How does it not lead to an endless series of collisions and Big Bang part 2? I wondered. After almost a month of driving in a Tier 1 city, I’ve realized something. A well-oiled machinery like Indian traffic cannot work without rules. But, like the Constitution of the UK, many of these rules are uncodified. Miraculously, every Indian seems to be born with an inherent sense of them so that it’s not often that you see a blatant violation.

1)Always overtake – Overtaking, preferably from the left, is to an Indian driver what Bush jokes were to a stand-up comedian – a sacred principle of survival. A young ingénue is taught to overtake before he’s taught to reverse or change gears. If you see a vehicle in front of you, stepping on the accelerator must become a Pavlovian response.

2)Make minimal use of the Brake – Brakes serve the same role as the Indian President – they’re strictly for ceremonial purposes only to be used in the event of an Emergency. In contrast, ample use of the accelerator is not just advisable but mandatory.

The accelerator must especially be used in the event of such exigencies:

- If there’s more than two inches between you and the vehicle in front of you
- If a pedestrian is trying to cross the road
-If a traffic light is on the cusp of turning red

3)Make maximum use of the horn – Honking-For-No-Reason must be a habit inculcated in the driver at an early stage

4)Always expect the Expected – Namely:

- If you’re about to turn left a two-wheeler will immediately zoom past you from the left scaring the living daylights out of you

-All autorickshaw drivers, when they pass each other, must and will exchange pleasantries – the rising fuel prices, what they had for breakfast, traffic blocks in different parts of the city. They’re also immune to honking.

5)Learn to swear – As a beginner who refuses to travel above forty kilometres per hour and is genetically pre-disposed toward avoiding No Parking signs, I have only to roll down my window to be barraged by multi-lingual versions of the word ‘moron’. But the first time you feel like yelling at the incompetent nincompoop who stops at a sidewalk to speak on the cell phone (what self-respecting Indian stops at a sidewalk to speak on the cell phone?) is the first time you’re suffused with a liberating sense of belonging. The patriotism fanned by a homogenising brand of desi road rage. Long live Indian traffic.

Extracted from Manorama Online (Anjuly Mathai, Story Dated June 27 2012)

Knot before 18

Fear seemed to emit through all the pores of her body. Her hands were icy and she looked like she had just woken up from a nightmare. Children around her were trying to befriend her, but she did not respond. Ratnamma Dasar, 10, a child bride from Karadigudda, north Karnataka, was just rescued by the police, hours before her marriage. The police were tipped off about the marriage and they warned her parents, but they were undeterred.
Hanumesh Edri, 14, from Bankapura, was supposed to be married along with Ratnamma. As the Unicef team paid a visit to inquire about the proposed marriage, his parents hid Hanumesh and showed another child! Later, the police intervened and the children were rescued amid protests from villagers. Almost in tears, Hanumesh was too frightened to speak to us.

Unicef's The State Of The World's Children 2011 report says one in four marriages in India involves child brides. Forty per cent of the world's child marriages occur in India, says Unicef. Child marriage is more or less the norm in many places in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh; 82 per cent of females in Rajasthan are married before 18, says Unicef.
As per The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, any marriage involving a girl below 18 years of age or/and a boy below 21 years is a child marriage. Despite the Act, 15 per cent of girls in rural areas are married before 13. “People have their own means to bypass rules,” said a social worker from Koppal, north Karnataka. “Sometimes they forge age certificates. Doctors in government hospitals here used to accept bribes and issue age certificates to minor girls.”
Social workers say child marriages are entwined with religion, in many cases. For example, in some places, attending a grandchild's wedding is a shortcut to heaven. Shilpa Muthappa Naganur, 16, from Tumkur, was married last year to her first cousin. Her grandmother Ningamma had become very weak and her last wish was to see Shilpa married. Interestingly, Ningamma is still alive.
In other places, parents are forced to marry their children out of poverty. An example is Bihar, which has the lowest per capita income in the country. “I thought marriage would provide a better future for my daughter. But it did not,” said a sobbing Bihari mother who married her 13-year-old daughter last year. “I had no choice. Both of us are working and there was nobody to take care of her at home.” Some parents marry siblings, including a minor, together to save on expenses. Natural calamities also make the children more vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers, and many are pushed into marriages.
Last year, a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Shivaraj V. Patil submitted its report on prevention of child marriages in Karnataka. “I feel a two-pronged strategy is necessary to stop child marriages in our society,” Patil said. “Creating awareness of this social evil and its deleterious effects on our society and the persons involved, particularly in the rural areas, will go a long way.... Secondly, a strong legal framework that includes a thorough investigation, effective prosecution and speedy trial leading to punishment of the guilty would act as an effective deterrence.”
“A concerted effort from a vigilant civil society, dedicated NGOs, honest and committed law enforcement agencies, proactive judiciary and an alert media will [also] be needed.... Additionally, it is necessary to adopt [the] law emotionally and not merely literally for effective enforcement.”
But, last month, the Delhi High Court surprisingly ruled that a Muslim girl can marry “as per her choice at the age of 15 years if she has attained puberty.” Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and S.P. Garg said that as the “Mohammedan Law” permits a girl to marry without the consent of her parents once she attains puberty, she has the right to reside with her husband even if she is below the age of 18. The court also allowed a 16-year-old girl to stay in her matrimonial house, holding her marriage to be valid.
What does marriage mean to a child? “From their classmates who got married at a younger age, they know it is something bitter,” said Rafia Nausheen, area manager of Mahita, a Hyderabad-based NGO. “They know they would have to stay away from their parents and may not be allowed to play or go to school. They are not old enough to understand the legal complications or possible health problems.”
But in most cases, knowledge does not help the child much, because the child's consent is not sought. Some do plead with their parents, in vain. Gavisidhamma, 13, from Ojanahalli, Karnataka, was very anxious when her marriage was fixed with her mama (mother's brother) Virupaksha, 22. “My father beat me when I told him that I did not want to get married at such a young age, and that, too, to my mama,” she said. “My mother was against the marriage, but she could not say a word.” Gavisidhamma was married on January 31, 2011, and wears a thali to school.
The marriage was held at Virupaksha's house, which is close to hers, and around 100 people were invited, said Gavisidhamma. She said she wore a sari and exchanged garlands with Virupaksha in the presence of a pujari. After marriage, she stayed at her husband's place for three days, and will permanently move in with him in another three years.
Despite all the grudges she has against her father, Gavisidhamma loves him with a childlike innocence. But her feelings towards Virupaksha have not changed. “I do not like him at all,” she said, with all the bitterness of a woman who has been in an unhappy marriage for many years.
Child marriage is a custom in many places in north Karnataka like Koppal, Raichur and Bellary. “You have no choice but to follow the custom,” said Yellamma, 60, Virupaksha's grandmother, who got married at five. “But back then children used to be healthier,” she claimed. Another granddaughter of hers, Mala, 17, a lab technician, has evaded marriage so far. But many of their neighbours and Mala's classmates were married at mass marriages organised by mining barons and temples. Perhaps, education saved Mala.
As we drove past sunflower fields, leafless trees, huts made of twigs and a lane of houses with cowsheds next to the bedroom, I kept thinking whether Gavisidhamma would be able to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher. Children who are married at a young age often find it very difficult to continue their education. Some stop going to school because classmates tease them. Some buckle under the pressure of running a home; others are sent to work by their in-laws.
Child marriage is a serious violation of human rights, say sociologists. Children who get into early marriages lose their childhood as adulthood is moved up. Unable to negotiate their freedom, they are at a higher risk of domestic violence also. “The victims undergo physical and mental abuse and sexual exploitation,” said Nausheen. “Most of them do not get proper medical care when they fall ill. Being isolated from their friends and relatives, they may not even be able to share their problems with anybody.”
Child marriage victims take long to recover from the trauma, even after separation. Yellamma Balappa, 16, from Hyati has made up her mind never to marry again. Last Ugadi, she was married to Hanumesh, a sheep rearer, out of poverty. She said: “I stayed in my husband's house for one and a half months during which I was made to do all the work in the house, including washing clothes of the whole family, doing the dishes, cooking and daubing the floor with cow dung. I used to get up at 5 a.m. every day and was treated almost like an adult. I used to wear a sari, too.”
But Yellamma soon realised that her in-laws were hard to please. When the marriage took a turbulent course, she talked to her parents and they asked her in-laws to send the her back. The child was sent back, but they refused to return the dowry of 0 18,000, 15gm of gold, and vessels worth 035,000.
Experts say that prevalence of child marriage is one of the important reasons of high maternal mortality in India. Recent studies indicate that 45 out of every 1,000 births in India are by girls aged 15-19 years. “A teen mother has increased chances of losing her life during labour,” said Dr Vinita Singh, consultant, Shradhdha Clinic, Patna. “In girls under 18 years, the reproductive organs and pelvic bone may not be fully developed. So, in early pregnancies there will be more chances of eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, hypertension, post-partum haemorrhage, Caesarean section and higher rate of mortality.”
Sexual relationship at an early age exposes the children to many health problems. “Children are more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases due to biological reasons,” Singh said. “Poor hygiene and not using contraceptives make them more prone to infections. It may increase the chances of cervical cancer also.”
Emotional wounds can be equally devastating for the child marriage victims. Shobha Ramesh, 14, from Balageri has already been separated; she has stopped wearing her thali. Shobha was married to her uncle when she was little. “Three years back he got into another relationship,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
If the marriage fails, parents refuse to accept the children. “Many of them turn to prostitution to make a living,” said Shivaram M., who works with the District Child Protection Programme in Koppal.
Shobha, however, had some luck. Mahila Samakhya, an NGO, has offered her accommodation and financial assistance to continue her studies. She has sought refuge in art, in a conscious effort to overcome the trauma. Dance relaxes her mind and helps her forget her sorrows. “I enjoy drawing too,'' she said, showing us a picture she sketched—Kannada film star Darshan beating up his wife.
Shobha's husband was in his early twenties. But in child marriages, girls are married to men twice or thrice their age, too. Lakshmi, 17, from Shiraguppi, belongs to the Kuruba community and had a narrow escape from a marriage when she was 13. The groom was almost as old as her father and had married thrice before. Though her mother insisted on getting her married, her father stood by her decision not to.
Later, she fell in love with Sangmesh. Her mother thwarted the romance by marrying her to Basavaraj, 30, an agricultural worker, last year. After a week with Basavaraj, she came back home and refused to go back. “My mother, Manjavva, forced me to go back to Basavaraj's house and beat me,” Lakshmi said. “Unable to bear with the torture, I eloped with Sangmesh to Chickmagalur. I would never have done that, but for the forced marriage.”
Lakshmi is now staying at Nemmadi Short Stay Home in Bhagyanagar, and is counting the days until she is 18. “My mother has filed cases against 10 members of Sangmesh's family. I can also file a case against her for child marriage. But I will never do that,” said Lakshmi, busy knitting a sweater. She knows well that weaving a life without parental support could be hard. But she is determined to face destiny on her own terms.

Extracted from The Week (Cover Story by Mini.P.Thomas)

Kochi Backwaters

Longing to take a rejuvenating glide into the serenity of village life? Nothing could be better than a boat ride caressed by the soft ripples of Kochi backwaters.  The journey beneath the concrete bridges becomes all the more charming as it is sure not to play havoc with your budget.

You will have to agree with the Spanish traveler who scribed in his memoirs that no journey through India is complete without experiencing the rail journey through Ootty-Coonoor and boat ride through Kochi-Varapuzha water canal.

The mesmerizing journey that starts from High Court junction at Ernakulam provides a beautiful glimpse of the broad backwaters that embraces Kochi. In their journey to Varapuzha, the boats are anchored at more than twenty docks. 

'Lonely Planet', widely acclaimed as the 'Traveler's Bible', contains vivid description of this relatively unexplored waterway. Despite its international recognition, the native folk often remain unaware of the unique experience offered by the journey that links fourteen lush green islands.

The boat-ride provides a kaleidoscopic view of the vibrant cultural life  against a natural backdrop. The solitary boat rider and the fisherman who thuds hard on his boat to attract customers from the distant island towards his catch are but a few isolated images that stay back in mind long after the trip. Barges that contain liquid ammonia gas too sail by.

The meticulous eyes of foreign tourists have not evaded even the native boat travelers. It seems it was while traveling in these boats that they came across the largest number of 'half-clad men' in Kerala. The taste of toddy and the hot tinge of fish curry served at the riverside shops remained fresh in their taste-buds despite reaching the distant Egypt.

No wonder, the ride through the Kochi backwaters itself is the highlight in Fil Franperson's work 'Hidden Kerala', which has been written for KTDC.

The boat passes through Mulavukadu, Korumkotta and Vaduthala to reach Chittur where it stops for a refreshing break.

The island of Moolambilly, seen at the other side, is famous for its earthen pots. So exquisite were those vessels moulded at Moolampilly that during the Indo-Chinese war, it was rumoured that these pots were manufactured in China itself.

The boat resumes its ride through the islands of Pizhala, Kothadu and Chennoor before it reaches Varapuzha. The boat anchors beside the ancient St. Joseph Mount Carmel church. The cultural remnants of  the work of early missionaries attract tourists to Varapuzha. Crematorium of twelve missionaries could also be seen here.

The boat ride from Ernakulam to Varapuzha takes about one and a half hours. If your eyes long to have yet another glance of the picturesque backwaters you can return to Kochi by boat itself. Or else, you can get down at Cheranallor and catch a bus to Kochi. Taxi service is also available.

Accommodation can be arranged at resorts in Korunkodu and Kothadu islands. Home-stay facility is available at Chenoor and Kothadu.

Extracted from ManoramaOnline

TV habits can foretell kids' fitness

Each hour of TV that a two to four-year-old watches elevates the risk of a larger waistline and reduction of muscle fitness, says a study.
According to experts, children should not watch more than two hours of TV a day.
'We already knew that there is an association between pre-school television exposure and the body fat of fourth grade children, but this is the first study to describe more precisely what that association represents,' said Linda Pagani, who conducted the research with Caroline Fitzpatrick, both from the University of Montreal and its St-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital.
'Parents were asked about their child's TV habits. Trained examiners took waist measurements and administered the standing long jump test to measure child muscular fitness,' said Pagani.
'We found, for example that each weekly hour of TV at 29 months of age corresponds to a decrease of about a third of a centimetre in the distance a child is able to jump,' said Pagani, the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity reported.
'The pursuit of sports by children depends in part on their perceived athletic competence,' Fitzpatrick said.
'Behavioural dispositions can become entrenched during childhood as it is a critical period for the development of habits and preferred activities.
'Accordingly, the ability to perform well during childhood may promote participation in sporting activities in adulthood,' Fitzpatrick said, according to a university statement.
Along with their parents, 1,314 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development database participated in this study.
When the children were 2.5 to 4.5 years of age, their parents reported how many hours of TV during the week and weekend they watched, said a university statement.
The average was 8.8 hours per week at the onset of the study, a figure that increased on average by 6 hours over the next two years to reach 14.8 hours per week by the age of 4.5 years.
Thus, 15 percent of the children participating in the study were already watching over 18 hours per week according to their parent's reports at that time.

I have nothing to prove in Bollywood: Mohanlal

At a time when young entrants from South are looking to make a strong presence in Bollywood, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal feels that although the reach of Hindi cinema is wider, he has nothing to prove here as an actor.

Mohanlal made his acting debut in Malayalam cinema in 1978 with 'Thiranottam' but the film was never released due to
Censor issues. Later, in 1980, he got to play the lead antagonist in his first release 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' at
20. Then, he went on to do several such roles in various movies before he established himself as a lead actor.
It was after the success of his 1986 film, 'Rajavinte Makan', that he was labeled a superstar of Malayalam cinema.
'I am working for 33 years there, what should I come and prove in Hindi industry? I am content and happy with my
own language. If I get a good and irresistible role, only then will I try and do a film here. I don't want to prove
anything,' Mohanlal told PTI.
'Lot of people, most of the actresses begin from South.They are newcomers and they try to do Hindi films as the
reach is greater. There are so many factors. For actors like me South is fine,' the 51-year-old said.
In 2002, Mohanlal played the role of a police officer in his first Bollywood movie 'Company', which introduced him
to the Hindi-speaking audience in India. He won the IIFA star screen award for the best supporting actor in the Ram Gopal
Varma directed movie.

Again in RGV's 'Aag', a remake of 'Sholay', Mohanlal played the role of Narasimham, a cop with a vendetta against
the criminal Babban Singh played by Amitabh Bachchan. The movie bombed at the box office.

Ask him why he stayed away from Bollywood films even after being a superstar down South, he said, 'I don't know. It
is nothing like that.'

Mohanlal feels South films have a smaller reach in comparison to that of Hindi.

'Kerala is a very small place in terms of making films.Hindi films are made for an international market, and we
have a very small market. Tamil and Telugu have a major market in India. For Malayalam the main markets are Middle East,
Europe, but its a small one,' he said.

'So the difference between south and Hindi films will reflect in all segments from production to song or dance
sequences and stories too. If I am acting in a Malayalam film then it is for Kerala audience so we can choose films they
like. Hindi films are amazing, trying new themes, multiplex revolution is there alongwith new methods of filmmaking.'

Mohanlal would be seen next in Priyadarshan's action-thriller 'Tezz' alongside Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranuat, Zayed Khan, Sameera Reddy. The film releases on April 27.

'Unknowingly again, I am playing a police officer in 'Tezz', it is a small role. But the placement of the role is
very critical in the film. I feel it is one of the best films of Priyan, I have seen the film partly. Especially the making
of the film and the action sequences are amazing. Also, this is my third film with Ajay Devgn,' he said.

On difference between acting in Hindi and regional films, he said, 'Nothing much, lights, camera are same, only
the language (changes). (Difference lies in) how you portray yourself in a film with your intelligence and how you put in
efforts is your entire look out.'

'I have done films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, I don't find any difference. I am not fluent in Hindi. I used to learn
Hindi but no one over there speaks Hindi so it is not that fluent. As far as doing films in various languages is
concerned you have to by-heart your dialogues for that,' he said

Extracted from Mathrubhumi

Scientists create robot which registers human emotions

In their quest for creating a human-like robot, scientists have edged closer to their goal -- they have designed one that can display several human emotions - from fear, amazement, disgust to happiness.
Roboticists from the University of Pisa, Italy, drawing on 30 years of research, built one that uses 32 motors in 'her' face to simulate different expressions, to the point where a robot looks almost realistic enough to pass for a human.
It has been aptly named FACE.
The university team, led by doctoral student Nicole Lazzeri from Pisa, modelled the robot on one of the team's wives - and the team say 'it's very realistic', the Daily Mail reports.


The team used software called Hybrid Engine for Facial Expressions Synthesis (HEFES), which has been built up over the last 30 years to mimic human emotional responses.

It tells the motors how to respond in order to recreate a look, and the software can mix the various emotions on a sliding scale, for instance a smile tinged with sadness, or a laugh mixed with unease.

This last expression might be apt for those people who get trapped in the 'uncanny valley'. The principle of the valley is that people do not have an issue with humanoid robots when they do not look human - for instance, when they have metallic faces or expressionless faces.

And if a robot is undetectable as a robot, then the illusion is not broken, and people can interact with the robot.

But if the robot looks very close to human, yet is given away by tell-tale signs, it makes most people startled and very uneasy - which, if you plot on a graph of human reactions to robots, create the 'uncanny valley'.

The research team reportedly asked five autistic and 15 non-autistic children to identify a set of expressions performed by FACE, and then the same expressions performed by a psychologist.

Both groups could identify happiness, anger and sadness, but they struggled more with fear, disgust and surprise.

Extracted from Mathrubhumi

I just got lucky, says SRK on 20 years in B-Town

On this day two decades ago a new Hindi film superstar emerged: Bollwood's all-time favourite romantic hero Shah Rukh Khan, who debuted with 'Deewana'. On completing 20 years, SRK says he just 'got lucky' and admits he has made mistakes all along.

'Twenty uninterrupted years of serving. Not enough talent or looks or game plan. Thank you all. I guess I got lucky, lucky to be working all the time,' tweeted Shah Rukh, who entered filmdom with 'Deewana', which released June 25, 1992.


Superstardom, disappointment and controversies - Delhi guy SRK has seen it all in his celebrityhood.

For Shah Rukh, it's been two decades in Bollywood, but his tryst with showbiz began in 1988, the year he started his journey with TV series 'Fauji', after being trained at The Barry John's Acting Studio. Next year he featured in another successful show 'Circus' and 'Doosra Keval'.

If people loved his act on small screen, he won hearts as a crazy lover in 'Deewana', in which he was competing with none other than Rishi Kapoor in the lead role. But lady luck was smiling on him and audiences loved his chemistry with late Divya Bharti. The song 'Aisi deewangi dekhi nahin kabhi' picturised on them became a chartbuster.

'Deewana' turned out to be a huge hit at the box office, and won SRK a Filmfare best male debut award.

There was no looking back thereafter - only more films, more hits, and more awards for Shah Rukh. His success earned him titles like - King Khan and Bollywood Badshah.

He redefined the romantic hero in Hindi cinema with films like 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Mohabbatein', 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', 'Kal Ho Na Ho' and 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'.

His work profile is eclectic - he has played an obsessive lover in films like 'Darr' and 'Anjaam', a villain in 'Baazigar', a warrior in 'Asoka', a modern day patriot in 'Swades', a superstar in 'Om Shanti Om', a don in 'Don: The Chase Continues' and 'Don 2: The King Is Back', and a superhero in his mega-production 'Ra.One'.

At the peak of his career he choose to go back to his roots - TV - in 2007 to host the third season of game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. He also hosted 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain' (2008). He was last seen on small screen as the host of 'Zor Ka Jhatka' in 2011.

After making it big in showbiz, he turned businessman by launching his production house Red Chillies Entertainment and later by investing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), whose victory at the fifth IPL season was a silver lining for the star this year as lately, he has been a part of controversies.

He got embroiled in a brawl with director Shirish Kunder and has been banned from entering Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium for five years over his alleged misbehaviour with security personnel and MCA officials.

But later he admitted his mistake and apologised too.

'Made mistakes, still continue to do so. A little madness. A bit of solitude. Too silly to realise it's impossible and maybe that's why it gets achieved.

'Mom said to only feel and say positive things. 'Your Farishtey (angels) are always listening and fulfil your words.' My Farishtey work overtime,' wrote the 45-year-old.

Now, one of the most lovable Bollywood actor is set to return to his lovey-dovey avatar with Yash Chopra's next directorial venture. He will be seen romancing Katrina Kaif in it.


Extracted from Mathrubhumi (25 June 2012)

'The Amazing Spider-Man' poorly executed reboot

A desperate battle for survival. How else does one describe 'The Amazing Spider-Man', the reboot of a franchise that began hardly a decade back and which, despite its best intentions has only regressed the original story?

The familiar story of Spiderman's beginnings has undergone only cosmetic changes. His father is shown to have been working for Oscorp before he disappeared. His girlfriend is Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) who is his first love in the comic books and not Mary Jane and her father is a cop.


Spider man inadvertently creates the monster he later fights. And Peter Parker/Spiderman (Andrew Garfield) lets both his girlfriend and her father know his secret identity.

It is hence fun finding out why this film was made. Here are six probable reasons:

1) Peter Parker in the original franchisee got married and it was time to send him back to school. 2) If comic books can reboot from a 'Spider man' to 'The Amazing Spider-Man', why can't a film. 3) To help the Titanic of a sinking studio, stay afloat. 4) If kids can like 'Transformers', they will like anything that has special effects. 5) Girls hate lizards so every time the lizard guy comes up, girls will jump on the lap of their boyfriends who will create a word of mouth buzz. 6) The studio found a director, whose last name was had some connection with spiders - Webb.

At its core level, one can describe this film as the template of the original Spider man mixed with few scattered elements taken from various films e.g. introduction of the concerned father of the girlfriend like in 'Twilight' or have him make his own gadgets like 'Batman'.

There are too many problems with the film to narrate. Firstly, the story itself does not have any emotional pull or the engagement of the original Spider man. The characterizations are not handled properly and even Gwen ends up becoming just a pretty face without a mind or aspiration of her own.

Even the hesitant, love angle between Peter Parker and Gwen is not handled well. And many characters are left hanging without a conclusion, most notably that of Irrfan Khan. Despite being a brilliant actor, he hardly suited his blink-and-miss role where he fumbles with his ascent.

One department where 'The Amazing Spider-Man' does not fail is its special effects. Considering the state of commercial cinema emanating from Hollywood, one can safely assume that this would be reason enough for the film to make a billion dollars globally.

The film gets an early release in India. It is not hard to imagine why. Demographically India not only has the world's largest number of teens, but also the world's largest concentration of them, teens who have grown up loving the brainless 'Transformers' series.

The Indian angle with the presumably last minute introduction of Irrfan Khan is also meant to woo Indian audiences.

If reboot is what Hollywood was looking for, they could have done something much more interesting and fun.

Rajesh Khanna, the man who brought superstardom to Hindi films

Rajesh Khanna epitomised a range of emotions on the big screen--from melancholy to romance--with a rich bouquet of lilting songs like 'Zindagi ek safar hai suhana' and 'Mere sapno ki raani' making his movies and characters immortal.

Bollywood's first superstar, the 69-year-old actor's mannerism, his unique style of dancing, dialogue delivery, disarming smile and the signature nod of his head added to his onscreen persona that made many a young woman's heart skip a beat.
Despite his heartthrob status as a romantic hero, Khanna essayed a variety of roles--the terminally ill Anand in the Hrishikesh Mukherjee film, a romantic airforce officer in 'Aradhana', a chef in 'Bawarchi', a lonely husband in 'Amar Prem' and a poor medical student in 'Safar'.

Khanna, popularly called Kaka, generated hysteria among fans like never before. At the peak of his career, he would be mobbed during public appearances as fans kissed his car, which would be covered with lipstick marks. They lined the road, cheering and chanting his name. Female fans sent him letters ritte in blood. His predecessors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar broke hearts in their time no doubt, but the hysteria connected with Khanna was unprecedented. Nicknamed 'Kaka', Khanna shot up like a meteor.

Khanna also had a brush with politics after he stopped acting from early nineties. He won the Lok Sabha seat from New
Delhi constituency in the 1991 elections. A series of emotional tragedies in which he acted — Anand, Safar and even Aradhana, though the tragic protagonist of that film was Sharmila Tagore rather than Khanna — gave his career a certain weight. Many of those who remember Khanna and his films actually remember the songs in those films with some songs remaining evergreen four decades after they kept the audience hooked to them.

Extracted from Mathrubhumi 

State awards Kerala: Dileep best actor, Swetha actress, Indian Rupee best film

The state film awards 2011 was announced on Thursday. Indian Rupee directed by Renjith was selected for the best film. Actor Dileep won the best actor award for the film`Vellaripravinte Changathi' and Swetha Menon the best actress for the film `Salt and Pepper'. Blessy, who directed Pranayam, is the best director.
Salt and Pepper directed by Ashik Abu is the best popular film. Ivan Megharoopan directed P Balachandran is the second best film. Sheri, who directed by Adimadhyandam, is the best debutant director.
The jury headed by noted Tamil director and actor K Bhagyaraj selected the winners.

Fahad Fazil was selected as the second best actor for his performances in films including Chappa Kurishu. Nilamboor Ayisha is second best actress for the film `Oomakkuyil Padumbol'.
The awards were announced by minister KB Ganesh Kumar. There were 41 films in the competition, 6 documentaries and one short film.

Reading is dead, long live reading.

Reading is dead, long live reading. This adaptation of the famed expression “The King is dead. Long live the King”, comes to one’s mind when one walks into the 154-year-old Nilgiri Library in Ooty particularly when its Book Club members are in deep discussion.

Into its second year, the Book Club has gained firm roots and its strength is steadily going up. Attributing the growing popularity of the Club, notwithstanding the current status of reading, to many factors, library president Geetha Srinivasan told The Hindu here on Tuesday, “There are still a large number of people who feel that nothing can replace the pleasure of curling up with an interesting book”.

Adding to this is the Victorian ambience of the library especially it’s Wardrop Room which hosts the book club discussions.

Stating that the activities of the club are helping in promoting the habit of reading and espousing the charm of walking into a library, she said that it triggers intellectual exchanges.

Book Club Members. Photo:The Hindu

Adverting to the imposing structure which houses the library and the facilities it provides, she said that one should make optimum use of them.

“The success of the Book Club has spurred us into contemplating the formation of related bodies like a Film Club”, Ms. Srinivasan said and added that the objective is to make the institution as lively as possible without violating its ethos.

Pointing out that the Book Club members are aged between 20 and 80 years, the library secretary Ramakrishna Nambiar said that they meet once a month.

Stating that at some of the sessions even students participate, he said that many of the invitees are now members. Participants even come from places like Coonoor and Kotagiri.

Club Coordinator R. Kamala said that the books for the discussions are chosen two months in advance by the respective anchors. It gives them enough time to thoroughly analyse the books. Pointing out that the authors also are intimated, she said that many of them respond in different ways. At a recent discussion on ‘Innovate Happily’ by Rekha Shetty the author was present.

-Extracted from The Hindu by Mr.D.Radhakrishnan

Cocktail : Movie Review

The heart has its reasons, the mind its methods. When the two are sought to be yoked together on Bollywood’s big romcom canvas, the result can be touch-and-go. One misstep either way could mean a hopeless nosedive either into mushy drivel or pretentious claptrap.

But no such worries here. For the most part, Cocktail, directed by Homi Adajania and scripted by Imtiaz Ali (a sort of high priest of the genre), steers clear of the pitfalls and delivers an eminently watchable love story that breaks the mould.

A gullible Delhi girl, Meera (Diana Penty), steeped in desi values, is trapped in a hoax marriage and gypped of her savings by an artful dodger, Karan (Randeep Hooda).
Left high and dry in London, the dainty damsel in distress is forced to shack up with a free-spirited girl, Veronica (Deepika Padukone), who is diametrically her opposite, temperamentally and sartorially.

Sugar and spice, fire and ice, Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper… the ladies are as far apart as two poles can possibly be. Yet they become best friends.

Veronica’s pad is plastered with in-your-face posters that make no bones about what she really wants out of life: come in, we’re open; beer will change the world; please adjust your dress before you leave. Meera fits in without a fuss but sticks to her old-world ways.

The cocktail is complete when the essential alcoholic spirit is added to the heady mix in the form of an incorrigible skirt-chaser, Gautam (Saif Ali Khan), who ambles into the living space occupied by the two girls.

Sure enough, an explosion of love and lust happens, bringing in their wake a host of tricky situations. The boy doesn’t believe in love at first sight but his mom (Dimple Kapadia) is bent upon finding him a good Indian bride.

Veronica, the poor little rich girl with a troubled past, loves Gautam, but the latter falls for the staid Meera, just the kind of woman he can take home to mom. Troubles erupt as innocuous fun gives way to intense feelings.

With the friends are in danger of turning into frenemies, the heart- and-mind equations come to the fore and the dialogues bubble with effortless energy and a healthy abhorrence for the clichés of Hindi cinema.

"I have never seen a man like Gautam," Veronica tells Meera when she realizes she is about to lose him, "and trust me I’ve seen many."

Gautam playfully berates Meera for going into "Shakuntala mode", while, in another sequence, Veronica asks her gal pal: "Aur thoda melodrama ka scope hain?"Adajania, on his part, harmonizes melodrama and mirth to near-perfection.

The first half of the film is reserved for lively sweet nothings and comedic moments triggered by the unannounced arrival of the boy’s mother from Lajpat Nagar; the second half gets down to unfolding the larger business of the heartbreaks, hard knocks and eventual emotional salvation that follows.

Riverdale High was peopled by 17-year-olds. In Cocktail, the girls are in their 20s, the guy is thirty-something. While it is aimed essentially at the youth segment, it is filled with enough wry wit to be worth a watch for those that might have left their flighty days behind.

As you would have guessed by now, there isn’t the slightest semblance of novelty in this ménage a trois – this is exactly how it has been ever since the advent of the Archie comics in the early 1940s – but Adajania manages to impart a veneer of freshness to the sparkling broth.

He serves up the familiar ingredients of a romantic comedy. The incurable flirt, the perky butterfly who does not give a damn and the timorous waif whip up quite a cocktail and the director plays bartender with skill and style.

Seven years is a long time in a filmmaking career, but Adajania shows no signs of rustiness as he makes the transition from the dark, quirky world of 2005’s Being Cyrus to the flashy, frothy, up and about universe of Cocktail.

He marshals the wafer-thin narrative resources just as successfully as he had done in his infinitely more complex and unconventional debut film, tweaking his style only for the sake of the levity that is required to make this one hit the right notes.

Saif Ali Khan trades the firearms of Agent Vinod for the foibles of a brash lover boy who believes that no relationship is for keeps until the heart decides otherwise. The role fits him like a glove and he makes the most of the opportunity.

As the two girls in the rigmarole, Deepika Padukone (first-rate) and debutante Diana Penty (pretty good), make a fair fist of the job of getting an array of emotions across during breaks from cavorting through the streets of London and having a good time on the beaches of Cape Town.

Cocktail has just the right mix of fizz and flavour to allow the occasional and inevitable crinkles of triteness to flow well below the surface. It is definitely worth a visit to the multiplex. 

-Extracted from NDTV

An Interview With The Author of I'm Heartless - Vinit Bansal

Firstly, I would like to begin with the most basic question, how did your journey
with the pen begin?

Actually, writing has always been my first love since childhood. Initially I was into writing poetry, articles and short stories for school and college magazine but writing a complete novel is what I had never ever thought of even in my wildest dreams. But then an incident happened in my life which carved my thoughts and provided me a chance to meet the author inside me. And now I am doing the thing I love most: writing.

When did you first consider yourself a writer, far from a blogger?
According to me blogging is much more difficult than writing a novel as it needs more time and patience. I believe,I am a very mood driven person and honestly, I am li’l lazy as well,so blogging has never been my cup of tea. Though I am connected to some blogs but I am not very active on any of them. On the other side i feel while penning down a novel ,one becomes a part of the existence of many characters that keep the novel alive. I enjoy the connection wiith these characters as they trigger my emotions and transcend me to a different world altogether.


What inspired you to write your first book?

Actually I always believe that we are living in a world where every human being
is double faced. What we observe in a person is actually his/her external existence
but internally everyone has some hidden desires, fears, dilemmas, fragility and
sometime few untold confessions which he/she fears to accept in public. “I am
Heartless…” is such a confession. When I came to know about it I decided to share it
with all, so that no one repeats the same mistake which the protagonist did. In short,
the story itself inspired me.

What books have highly influenced your life?

Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” and “Eleven Minutes”. I too believe that there
are only two ways to live life, either to be a victim of the situations one faces or to be
a winner and have control over situations. It’s all a question of how we view our life.
In my case I choose the second one.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Well.. there is no one as such I can call my mentor but yes it was Ravinder’s “I
too had a love story” which inspired me to write “I am Heartless… A Real Confession”.
Only after listening that it was a true story of Ravinder’s life I decided to write my
novel.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in you latest book?

I would like to add some more humour in initial chapters.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

The book highlights the purest form of human emotions and the small yet
intimate moments of love life which usually is evident in almost everyone but they do
not get noticed. It portrays height of love and friendship, bizarre madness, internal
conflicts, dilemmas and ocean full of sentiments. It touches the heart of every
youngster or for that matter anyone who has ever fallen in love.

Do you have to travel much concerning your books?

No I don’t like to travel much.And as the book is doing pretty well and has gained
the status of a National Bestseller, I guess i have been spared of the rather timesome
activity of travelling.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The last chapter! Initially we had thought to conclude the book with a different
climax but then I and Rumana (my biggest support and critic at the same time) sat
down and after many rounds of discussion we successfully reached the point where
we wanted to. Secondly, I am personally very attached to this story. That’s why
I wanted to share the story in its real version only. But being a novice it was little
difficult for me to manage the varying emotions of the characters and adjust its
magnitude as per the circumstances occurring in the novel. But all is well that ends
well. I too managed to get what I wanted.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be true to yourself first and then to others. Just concentrate on the purity of
story rather than on other marketing gimmicks because at the end of the day it is only
your hard work and creativity that will take you ahead in this field.

Finally, Do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers (The
Teen Mag)?

I am very thankful to “The TeenMag” and Akhil for giving me a chance to connect
to my readers and also want to convey my love to all my kind readers for their never
ending support and acceptance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Vinit:
Vinit K. Bansal, born in Tohana (Haryana), is fond of reading, writing and composing stories since childhood. He earned his Masters degree from Kurukshetra University and was bestowed awards both at college and university level. He continues to nurture his dream of writing till today and has succeeded in giving shape to his thoughts in this book. As a voracious reader and an avid writer, his vision extends to the realm of social service too. In his own words, “I derive inspiration from India's former President, Prof. APJ Abdul Kalam.” At present, he is working with the State Bank of India in Delhi and loves to pen down his thoughts whenever he finds time.

Contact Vinit:
E-mail
Website
Facebook Fan Page 

Book Review:
Deserves a lot! Nothing less than an appreciation! 
Grab Your Copy Here

 -Akhil Ramesh

An Exclusive Interview With Amit Goyal & Sudhanshu Gupta

Firstly, I would like to begin with the most basic question, how did your journey with the pen begin? 

Sudhanshu: When I picked it up. It all started when I wrote the autobiography of a horse back in school - and I was given a 10 on 10. But after that, I didn't seriously think of writing for at least 15 years.

Amit: I had been writing ever since I was kid. I once wrote a short story that my teacher read out to the entire class. Tried my hand at poetry, and realized I’m not very good with it. Later on, I wrote a couple of songs for the band Jalebee Cartel and started reviewing video games on indianvideogamer.com. But the thought of writing a book never crossed my mind until I started talking about it seriously with Sudhanshu.

When did you first consider yourself a writer, far from a blogger?

Sudhanshu: Like everybody, I jumped on the blogging bandwagon in the early years of the new millennium. Over the next few years, I launched a series of blogs, sometimes even with a vengeance, but I was never really able to maintain a single one. Like most things on the Internet, the life of a blog can also be very ephemeral (unless you are a celebrity). So I abandoned blogging as an 'outlet' for creativity and pondered over writing a book instead. Having said that, I would still like to put a few books behind me before calling myself a writer. 

Amit: The moment I had the print out of the finished manuscript in my hand. The first thought that crossed my mind was “Wow! We really did it”, followed immediately by “So I guess I can start calling myself a writer now.”

Sudhanshu Gupta

 What inspired you to write your first book?

Amit: The desire to do something more spectacular with our lives than the usual grind of getting a job, settling down and going with the flow of things. It’s a different high altogether to create something out of your imagination, and that is our primary inspiration. Hopefully it will drive us to write many more books

What books have highly influenced your life?

Sudhanshu: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, American Gods and Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, Watchmen by Alan Moore. And many more.

Amit: As a kid, I really liked books by Enid Blyton, especially the stories of The Enchanted Woods and The Faraway Tree. I think there is some bit of that in my writing somewhere. Later on, the works of Stephen King and Arthur C. Clarke. And more recently, Neil Gaiman and Haruki Murakami.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Sudhanshu: A three way cross between Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman and Haruki Murakami

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Sudhanshu: Ernest cline. His vision of an alternate future is brilliant in 'Ready Player One' and Arnab Ray - for going beyond the boundaries which most Indian fiction writers play in.

Amit Goyal

Amit: I really liked what Siddin Vadukut did with the Dork series. It was a refreshing and hilarious read as opposed to the plethora of urban romances that are available these days.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Amit: I’d say we could have given it a little more time for editing. In order to meet our release window we had to rush the process up a bit, and quite a few errors made their way into the first print. Apart from that, we take special note of all the negative feedback we get. Not that we would change anything about this book, but it is often good advice for our future works.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Amit: The Lost Story uses a unique writing mechanic that Sudhanshu and I worked out in order to write the book. The idea was simple – what if one person starts a story, but another else ends it. A shift of perspective can lead to some interesting and unexpected conclusions, and we like to believe that we achieved that to a great extent.

Cover Page

The Lost story is the story of Saleem and Sandy – the former a celebrated writer who stopped writing for unknown reasons 23 years ago, and the latter a student, an aspiring writer and a big fan of Saleem. Sandy’s can’t believe his luck when he gets a chance to work with Saleem on one last book - a book of short stories where either one of the two starts a story and the other one ends it without any discussion between the two, which has also been mirrored in the writing of the book by Sudhanshu and me.

As they move forward with their book, Sandy starts discovering strange things about Saleem. I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out more.

Do you have to travel much concerning your books?

Sudhanshu: Not really. Though that would be awesome :)

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Sudhanshu: Starting was the hardest part. Once the ball got rolling, it was practically writing itself.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Sudhanshu: Write what you would like to read.

Amit: Tell your own stories. Not stories that you think others would like to hear.

Finally, Do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers (The TeenMag)?

Sudhanshu: Do pick up 'The Lost Story'. And we hope you enjoy reading it :)

Connect with the lost story : Click Here

Grab Your Copy : Click Here

-Akhil Ramesh

Offering an insight into Love, Crush, and Infatuation and with psychology assisting you.

This book is meant for,
Those dreaming of igniting the spark of love in the Girl or Guy of their dreams;
Those ‘turtle-ing’ (progressing but slow) around their relationship;
Those who are confused whether it's the right move, right pace or the right way to proceed; and
Those who are missing the charm in their relationship. 

You and Me and Our Relationship is neither a Fictional Story nor a Hypothesis. It is a theory that will rewrite the script of your love life forever. This book gives you an insight into how a person perceives love and what causes attraction between a girl and a guy. While reading the book, I couldn't help imagining myself in the situations that have been described in the book. Frankly speaking, once you get this book in your hand and read the synopsis, then you will never post pond your reading, you will surely go with it in one read.

You and Me and Our Relationship, is the first attempt from the 21 old engineering student which deals with an extra ordinary story not just like the other fictional books. This books is not dealing with the your girlfriend-love-wife matter, as most of the fictional books of today deals with the same type of matter but this is simply about how to approach the girl you like and to make her your girlfriend through the 32 chapters of his book.
Serious efforts have to be taken in order to make the book a flawless read. Apart from these things, everything is just perfect and I give 4 on 5 to this novel. It is still his first novel, and he can a long way as an author.
So, all remains left is just an appreciation, applause and finally a strong recommendation.

Fun on the Go - Girls, if you wanna know how much thought process and preparation went through your guy's mind before he approached you for the first time, then do go for this book!! 

Grab You Copy Here

Interview with the author, Nikhil Mukhija  

-Akhil Ramesh

Deserves a lot!!! Nothing less than an appreciation!!!

This is not only a story rather it is a real confession of a lover..!!!

After a long time I came across something original and fresh in the name of love. There has been numerous stories of chasing and finding one’s love but Vinit Bansal’s ‘I m heartless’ is different as it’s a story of finding one’s true love and then loosing it in ignorance. If finding a true love is a blessing then loosing a true love is equally catastrophic. Sometimes true love is just around but we fail to recognize it and by the time we acknowledge it...its too late. Words coated with deep felt emotions are spreading their fragrance throughout the novel and what makes it class apart is the honest treatment of events and characters.
Protagonist of the novel, Viren, seems so real that anyone ends up finding a shade of his/her own self in his character. In other words it’s a deep psychological postmortem of present day youth which is often charged with aimlessness, confusion, wrong priorities, a lost generation but in essence a never understood generation. It peeps into the minds of new generation through its characters how they think, how they react in certain circumstance and how they take life. Vinit has successfully portrayed the damaging effects of guilt on a human heart.
Set in the backdrop of a university this another heart-touching campus novel proves that love naturally finds its place midst of books and pressure of exams. The awe-inspiring narrative is so beautifully encapsulated that any student can find the reflection of his/her own campus in the novel. The captivating plot didn’t allow me to leave the story for a second or third sitting. It needs to be gulp-down in one go to relish the intoxicating taste of love to the fullest. Hope this mix bag of velvetiness of love, true love, betrayal, hatred, guilt and innocence will keep thrilling the readers for long.
The book needs one read, and again and again. Its a great start for the author. 

Get Your Copy : Click Here

-Akhil Ramesh

Team TM - Attaining Milestones - Now E-commerce too!!!

It happened, all because of you!

First of all, thanks to all our visitors and promoters for helping us in each and everything we do. Finally we had completed another milestone too. Completed 1000 sales through our online book store.

The Team TM makes your online shopping easy & fun with a user-friendly shopping interface. Select products, finish your order procedure in just  4 steps and get the product delivered at your door. Isn`t that an easy way to bask in the envious stares of your neighbors?

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