Reviews & Musings

I am often asked by readers of Between the Lines : “Have you read all the books you write about?” 

For a long time, cinema was a world I wasn’t allowed to enter. I grew up in a home where movies were banned. No television, no glimpses of silver screens, and no songs echoing from old classics. For nearly a decade, cinema was a forbidden word like a secret behind a closed door.  And yet, like all things that carry truth and longing, it found its way to me. Stories have a way of finding you, slipping through cracks, whispered between pages, caught in melodies. Sometimes through the corners of borrowed books, sometimes through whispered summaries from classmates, sometimes just through the magnetic pull of posters and songs I wasn’t supposed to hear. 

If , a 26-minute short film by acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Tathagata Ghosh, is a sensitive, evocative piece of storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll. Set against the everyday rhythm of life in Kolkata, the film delicately unpacks the story of a lesbian couple torn apart by the weight of societal expectations and dares to imagine a different future, one where a mother's love might just change everything.  What struck me first was the film’s raw, grounded realism. The characters feel like people we know, middle-class families navigating a complex world with quiet resilience. The world of If is filled with silences, glances, and stills, rather than heavy dialogue. Ghosh masterfully uses these moments to speak volumes, allowing viewers to sit with discomfort, interpret the unspoken, and feel deeply.

Across the River by Bhaichand Patel (Speaking Tiger, 2024) is a compelling exploration of friendship, love, and the fraught intersections of tradition and modernity in contemporary India. Set in the dense, labyrinthine alleys of Old Delhi, the novel follows the lives of Seema Choudhry and Madhu Gupta—two young women from different religious backgrounds whose friendship transcends the rigid divides imposed by their families and communities. Through their journey, Patel crafts an evocative narrative that examines the power structures shaping women's lives, the weight of societal expectations, and the slow but inevitable tide of change.

Noorjahan Bose’s Daughter of the Agunmukha is a powerful and deeply moving memoir, chronicling a life shaped by hardship, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of justice and knowledge. Born in 1938 near the mouth of the River Agunmukha—aptly named the Fire Mouth River—Bose’s life story unfolds against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s tumultuous history and the ever-present threat of natural calamities. Yet, it is not just the external forces that shape her journey; her fight for autonomy and dignity arises from the complex interplay of personal trauma and political awakening.

Few voices in Urdu poetry have carried the weight of history, resistance, and deep personal introspection quite like Zehra Nigah. One of the first women to break into the traditionally male-dominated world of Urdu poetry, Nigah’s work stands as a testament to the power of words to illuminate, question, and challenge. The Story of Eve: Selected Poems, translated by Rakshanda Jalil, brings together some of her most powerful nazms and ghazals, showcasing both her literary elegance and her unflinching gaze at the human condition, particularly through the lens of gender, social injustice, and political turmoil.

There are some filmmakers whose work doesn’t just entertain; it lingers, like an old melody that finds a way to stay with you long after the credits roll. Basu Chatterjee was one of them. His cinema wasn’t loud or grand, nor did it demand to be dissected and analyzed. It simply unfolded—soft, unhurried, full of everyday lives and everyday people, leaving us with stories that felt like home. 

I picked up Kishore Kumar’s biography expecting to read about the maverick genius behind some of India’s most iconic songs. What I didn’t expect was to find a mirror—a reflection of every creative person who has ever struggled to fit into a world that demands conformity. 

  Saikat Majumdar, a professor of English and Creative Writing at Ashoka University, is a writer whose works delve deep into the intricacies of identity, desire, and the tensions between personal yearnings and institutional expectations.  With novels such as The Firebird, The Scent of God, and The Remains of the Body, Majumdar has established himself as a unique voice in contemporary Indian literature. A seasoned writer and academic, Majumdar's literary trajectory is marked by a continuous exploration of human longing, repression, and the complex interplay between the self and societal structures. His previous works, such as The Firebird, also published as Play House in the U.S. and The Remains of the Body, further illuminate his distinctive voice, weaving together intricate psychological landscapes with critical commentaries on class, culture, and the human condition.  His exploration of human experiences in spaces defined by silence, repression, and societal constraints...

ISBN: 978-9386797360   Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster India Year of Publishing: 2019 About the Book In an elite all-boys’ boarding school run by a Hindu monastic order in late-twentieth century India, things aren’t what they look like on the surface… Anirvan, a young student, is fascinated by the music and silence of spiritual life. He dreams of becoming a monk. But as he seeks his dream, he finds himself drawn to a fellow student, and they come together to form an intimate and unspeakable relationship. The boys sweat at cricket and football, crack science and mathematics in pursuit of golden careers, and meditate to the aroma of incense and flowers.  It’s a world of ruthless discipline shaped by monks in flowing saffron. A sceptical teacher mentors Anirvan and reveals his suspicion of this vigilant atmosphere. Does the beating of the boys reveal urges that cannot be named? What is the meaning of monastic celibacy? What, indeed, holds the brotherhood ...