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Cinema

Film Review: Dil Bechara Makes You Relive Your Most Glorious Loss

Excerpt: Cancer can be painful, in every which way. Death, for those around the severely pained, in contrast, can often be a case of pain alleviation. Because the loss, for them, makes way for the restoration of ‘the good in entirety’, which was being disfigured bit by bit, right in front of their fatigued eyes. Director Mukesh Chhabra’s Dil Bechara, an average film that is replete with cinematic licences, is precisely that restoration — the ‘reclaiming of the real memory’ of a bright young actor from amid the macabre talks around him at the moment.

Review: Based on novelist John Green’s 2012 bestseller The Fault In Our Stars (also a 2014 Hollywood hit of the same name), Dil Bechara is a story of Kizie Basu (debutant Sanjana Sanghi) and Immanuel Rajkumar Junior a.k.a. “Manny” (Sushant Singh Rajput), two young people leading life amid extraordinary circumstances. Kizie is fighting cancer while Manny has fought and beaten cancer a few years ago.

Mounted on technical finesse in the form of fabulous cinematography (Satyajit Pande), unforgivingly razor-sharp editing (Aarif Sheikh) and embellishing background score (A R Rahman), the contrived nature of the storytelling is best exemplified by a mesmerising single-take title song/dance number pictured on the breathtakingly-rhythmic late actor. Most admirers of the talented late star would want to, and definitely, play it over and over again. But there is absolutely no reason for the film to have that song!

And that stands true for many things about the film. Forced and less than believable.

The original story is good — poignant and enduring. But this film fails at times in adapting it to the Indian milieu (as in the ‘smashing windows with eggs’ after a breakup of Manny’s friend Jagdish Pandey (Sahil Vaid) sequence or the almost ‘pop culture’ cancer support group meetings), and at other times in providing the requisite gravitas to an aspect of immense/principal pertinence to the movie (as in the film’s integral track of Kizie being overwhelmed by a song, leading right up to the three-minute cameo by an established Hindi film star, or the struggles of Kizie and Manny in trying to live ‘normal lives’ amid the challenges).

However, when it does not try to change too much from the original, it breaks magic on screen — especially in the ‘obituary speech before death’ sequence. One silent place, three good friends, two of whom read the obituary of the third one.

The only other scene — apart from the naturally dramatic scenes of illness and physical pain (well-created, nonetheless) — that helps lift the film to its potential is the late-night interaction between Manny and Kizie’s father, played by legendary Bangla cinema actor Saswata Chatterjee, where the former opens up about his successful but very costly fight against cancer.

Everything else, for some reason, is either rushed or imposed. Fortunately, with it being just 1 hour 40 minutes long, you can blame it for anything but being a drag.

Sanjana Sanghi is adequate. In a movie in which she is present from the first to the last one, in which even the narration is by her, and in which the character of the lead star is also defined by his interaction with her, she doesn’t emphatically grab the opportunity by the throat. She is good; but, perhaps, just about that.

With the country still not completely out of the shock of Sushant’s death, dissociating cinema from real life in many scenes of the film becomes nearly impossible.

There’s even a dialogue in the film (NOT by Sushant): “Khud ko maarna saala illegal hai, toh jeena padta hai [It’s illegal to kill yourself, so you’ve to live].”

The late star is enchanting when playing the hyperactive loverboy and exhilarating when being a silent sufferer. He would be remembered for this film for a long, long time. Albeit, it might also be because of irrational reactions (too) from all the viewers to his performance in the light of his passing. For that precise reason, this review too would not be writing more about his, what felt like, a stellar performance.

Verdict: Quite like the biggest opening for a movie streaming on Disney-Hotstar platform and a ridiculously high 9.8/10 rating on IMDB, the memory of Sushant Singh Rajput lords over everything in the film. And for that reason alone, you might want to watch his swansong. It helps that he is his usual good.

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Cinema

Film Review: Bachchan And Lucknow Pull The Quaint Gulabo Sitabo

Excerpt: The thing with character-driven films is that they often expect the characters to fill up for the story itself. Sometimes it works, most often it does not. In Gulabo Sitabo, it works only in those parts where either Amitabh Bachchan or the Lucknawi essence holds us by the arms. Some years from now, those are the only two things that we might remember about this whimsical film. And therein lies its principal shortcoming.

Review: Director Shoojit Sarkar and story, screenplay, and dialogue writer Juhi Chaturvedi‘s Gulabo Sitabo is a story about ‘Mirza’ (Amitabh Bachchan), a 78-year-old epitome of greed, who is willing to move heaven and earth to get ownership of his obsession — an old dilapidated mansion (‘Fatima Mahal’) of his much-older wife ‘Begum’ (Farrukh Jaffar) in the heart of Lucknow.

In his path, however, stand not just his wife but also a group of tenants, especially ‘Baankey’ (Ayushmann Khuranna)’ a shrewd, sly and squatted tenant, who matches Mirza bit for a bit in their ceaseless bantering.

What follows is a wacky slice of life that escalates quickly from the shenanigans within the Fatima Mahal to the politico-administrative corridors of Lucknow city.

It is an interesting premise that also benefits from whispered handling of the milieu by the technical team comprising cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay, editor Chandrashekhar Prajapati and apt background score.

But that’s about that.

Because beyond that, it, at the risk of repeating oneself, is down to the characters — notably Vijay Raaz (ASI Officer), Brijendra Kala (‘Christian Lawyer’ who is better because “he speaks English at home”) and Srishti Shrivastava (Baankey’s sister ‘Guddo’) — to shoulder the journey towards nowhere in particular.

After a point, it indeed feels like you are on a journey towards nowhere in particular. Till a rather unexpected climax suddenly lifts up the storytelling to tell us that ‘greed’ is of many types — without feeling self-righteous enough to pass any judgements.

It is a good note to end on. Just as, the quirky and zippy establishment of the universe of the film was a good start to the story. Most things in between, alas, do not quite do justice to the two ends of the thread.

Ayushmann does an exemplary job with the ‘lisp’, where he manages what most actors fail to achieve simultaneously — impact with restraint.

However, beyond that, he doesn’t really exhibit much that is beyond (or above) his recent golden run of author-backed, socially-relevant roles.

In other words, while there is barely anyone, if anyone, in the industry who I believe could replace Bachchan’s impact in the role of Mirza, I could, perhaps, say that ‘a’ Rajkumar Rao or even Kartik Aryan might have done just about fine in the role of Baankey.

Director Shoojit Sarkar has said that the film is a satire. To live up to the description, he does include comments on the workings of government departments, the ‘place’ of the English language in our society and the living conditions of even those living in the ‘Fatima Mahals’ of the country.

But, though handled with understated care, there is not much new to those subjects — and those things, consequently, do nothing to the heart.

For the curious souls, the title Gulabo Sitabo is said to be derived from a form of traditional glove puppetry of Uttar Pradesh in which a man’s harried wife (Sitabo) and his pampered mistress (Gulabo) bicker endlessly. Clearly, the Amitabh-Ayushmann pair was supposed to be the bickering duo. They sure exchange words in the film. But their exchange is nowhere near the zing of the show that real-life puppeteer (Mohammed Naushad) performs at different points in the film.

Talking of Uttar Pradesh, it needs to be said that the film oozes with unabashed romanticism of Lucknow city — carrying postcards of all the ‘must visit’ places of the city, from Imambara, to Hazratganj.

Verdict: There is nothing in the film that is bad. And yet, watch it primarily for Bachchan to, yet again, illustrate the difference between “the boys and the men”. For everything else, either watch Ayushmann or Shoojit Sarcar’s some other movie or travel to Lucknow to do some real ‘Ganj-ing’.

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Cinema

#UriTheSurgicalStrike REVIEW: Kudos, Ronnie and Aditya! And Vickey Kashyap, “HIGH, SIR”

Excerpt: The difference between executing a war and making a war movie is that the latter can afford to slip a little and still have a beautiful life. In essence, Uri: The Surgical Strike is a fine, fine film… that would not have been made if the actual Surgical Strike by the glorious Indian Army too was ‘merely’ a fine, fine effort.

Review: The name of the film, Uri: The Surgical Strike, spells out the entire story of the film. And then it goes on to tell us how “ideas are dime a dozen, the key lies in the implementation“.

And that is why it would only be pertinent to begin with applauding Ronnie Screwvala (RSVP Movies) for backing the project and Aditya Dhar (Aditya Dhar Films) for directing the tale so well in his debut outing.

People who are deliberately hyperventilating about the film being a symbol of ‘hyper-nationalism’ would do well to know that director Aditya Dhar was just about to commence shooting a film called ‘Raat Baaki‘ with Katrina Kaif and, hold your breath, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the lead role when the film got shelved because of terrorist attack in Uri that led to the Indian film fraternity banning Pakistani talent.

Period.

As per a favoured format (generally) of noir films, the film is told in five chapters.

Chapter 1 gives a fabulously pertinent background – or context – of the principal act that the film talks about. Every subsequent chapter adds layers to the story and the characters, leading up to the final chapter that reaches the crescendo of this war cry of Major Vihaan Shergill (Vicky Kaushal) after the successful surgical strike:

 “How’s the Josh?”
High, Sir!
“How’s the Josh?”
High, Sir!
“Jai Hind!
Jai Hind!

The reaction that you feel within you when you hear that, right at the end of a 2 hour 20 minutes-long film tells you that it was a tale well told.

And the tale could be told well because the lead actor, Vicky Kaushal, manages to consistently keep the story moving even when he is doing or saying nothing. I doubt if Vicky would’ve believed in his wildest dreams that this film would make the ‘mainstream world’ take note of him, applaud his work, and straightaway place him alongside the (so-called) A-list STARS that move the box office.

While Vicky Kaushal is meticulous and nuanced throughout the film, he is totally and utterly mesmerizing at times in essaying his role of a man devoted to both his mother and the motherland.

At the same time, and going against the popular verdict, I would say that the character of the National Security Advisor (NSA), played by veteran actor Paresh Rawal, looked slightly less in control of the facial expressions and body language than what one, perhaps, would expect from the responsibility. Not aware of the behind-the-scenes of the film, I can’t say if it reflects the director’s vision, the actor’s interpretation/improvisation or some inner details about the person on whom it is based. In absence of that insight, I believe that it would go down as a slightly missed opportunity to create an iconic character on screen.

Monkey balancing within the family, however, Swaroop Sampat (wife of Paresh Rawal) returns to the big screen with an absolutely stunning act. Playing an Alzheimer-stricken mother of Major Shergill, she gives a ten-on-ten performance.

You need to take time out of your social work to do a bit more of this, ma’am!

Another part that did not hold as well for me was the character of a young intern of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), played by Akashdeep Arora, who, actually, plays one of the most vital roles of in the film. The character (and not Akashdeep’s acting) comes across as rather contrived. For reference, the role/character is almost entirely similar to that of a young hacker in Neeraj Pandey’s classic ‘A Wednesday’.

The only other character that looked like been designed purely to provide some light-hearted relief to the film was that of a middle-aged official of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), played by the ever-brillian Rakesh Bedi. Of course, the character with a comic edge is vital to the story and is barely for 2-3 minutes in the film.

Of the other actors, Mohit Raina (as Major Karan Kashyap) and Mansi Parekh Gohil (as Major Kashyap’s wife and Major Shergill’s sister) stand out with sincere performances — Mohit especially in the combat scenes and Mansi in the latter half of her very small role.

The actor who, however, steals the thunder from her screen parents is Riva Arora. She completely melts the theatre by re-enacting this following real-life incident:

Yami Gautam as an intelligence officer is sincere while Kirti Kulhari as an Indian Air Force Officer/Pilot is convincing in her single-tone role – and gets to play the ‘hero’ at a very crucial juncture of the film.

Frankly, in such films, there is little scope for an actor to be bad. It is just about the layers of the character and the screen time.

Uri was largely shot in Serbia. The Indo-Pak border, the LOC and other areas resembling military posts and terrorist camps were recreated in the central European nation.

What helped matters was that there was an Indian Army official consultant on board with the makers of the film. All the actors were given intensive commando training for about five months — something that comes across in the body language and ease of movement of the actors. They also practised wearing the Army uniform and using the weapons for months together.

That brings to the fore the ONLY reservation/complaint with regards the action sequences of the film: As in a ‘normal action film sans a sense of responsibility and detailing, there exists a portion where the Pakistani forces’ chopper fire repeatedly misses, what a layman would consider, a ‘sitting ducks’ position of the Indian troops. Though it lasts only for about a minute or two, it concerns one of the most vital parts of the heroic tale — the successful retreat.

Then again, maybe the closer-to-reality description might have actually been unwise from the Indian Army perspective.

As per Aditya, the director, he had a locked script which was approved by the army and he stuck to it. The Indian Army (officials) is said to be very happy with the final product.

Clearly, when an honest effort is put behind a project, it eventually shows.

The cinematography by Mitesh Mirchandani is absolutely top-notch.

We get to see only what we ought to see. The frames are only as still as they ought to be. The long shots and close-ups are used to terrific effect — for, sometimes we need to be near a soldier’s face to hear his heartbeat, and at other times we want to have a bird’s eye view to learn from his movement. Just what the doctor ordered!

Giving Mitesh an able company is Shivkumar V. Panicker with his astute editing. Not one scene in the entire film seems to have even a single redundant frame.

Composed by Shashwat Sachdev, the four songs of the film blend beautifully with the film and do not come across as a language different from the rest of it. Challa (Main Lad Jaana) especially stands out because of its thumping nature that adds to the edgy proceedings of the moment.

Verdict: If you are at peace with the fact that every individual, idea, and institution has certain flaws, you would love every bit of seeing this film unfold on the big screen. Recommended! 

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Change Communication Cinema Communication Health Communication

Toilet: Ek Development Communication Katha

Official Poster: Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Akshay Kumar is fast emerging as a very unlikely bearer of varied and content-driven Hindi cinema. Derided by the reigning Hindi cinema establishment and its audience bank as ‘Bharat Kumar 2.0’ for his off-screen nationalistic messages and works, the prolific actor’s latest film – despite its shortcomings – could end up as a case study on development communication, or Communication for Development (C4D), in the Indian context.

Director Shree Narayan Singh’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (TEPK) is a social satire revolving around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Keshav (Akshay Kumar) and Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar) are natives of two adjoining rural neighbourhoods of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh. After a brief period of wooing and cajoling by Keshav, Jaya gives in and the two get married.

But the marriage begins on a disastrous note when Jaya finds out that there is no toilet in the Keshav household – and, after many unsuccessful attempts to fit in, walks away from him.

Left with no other option, Keshav sets out to make things right – and, in the process, takes on the well-entrenched mindsets, social barriers, and the administrative mechanisms of our country.

Acknowledged in the end credits of the film, avid news readers are able to recollect that the genesis of the film lies in the real life story of a young girl Anita Bai Narre from Betul, Madhya Pradesh.

But there have been a few other similar instances too. For example, Kanpur girl Neha Shrivastav had walked away from marriage just four days prior to the date for the same reason. Neha told the media at the time that she had taken the step after getting inspired by a Vidya Balan advertisement about toilets at home.

The two examples are significant. The former has given birth to a C4D driven movie while the latter took inspiration from a C4D message to give birth to a social reaction (from an individual, to begin with).

Put together, the examples illustrate the symbiotic relationship between C4D and society. On the one hand, C4D is about understanding and giving a voice to the needs of the society, but on the other, it is also about drawing out a response from the society by means of that voice.

TEPK is a good example of being an agent of both ends of the cycle.

If a thoroughly utilitarian social communication featuring film star Vidya Balan – in an old DAVP packaging – could inspire a young woman in a conservative society like Kanpur to call off a monumental social milestone like marriage, then the ripple effects of the latest Akshay Kumar film can potentially be immense – especially in those sections of the society that are exposed to and influenced by Hindi cinema.

For, mind you, unlike, say the Vidya Balan communication, a film like TEPK intrinsically possess many elements that stay in the heads and minds of those exposed to it. For instance, Hans Mat Pagli song, a rare old-world melodious composition in the voice of Sonu Nigam, is a runaway hit. How can the person crooning the song not remember, every once in a while, the subject of the film?

Then there is the hilarious episode of the leading man getting married to a buffalo (not a spoiler, it was revealed in the film’s first trailer itself) to fight off the ‘Manglik Dosh’. The episode is played indirectly throughout the film – making it just as memorable as the basic premise of the film. Sometimes, it is imperative to illustrate how archaic some of the beliefs ‘look to the naked eye’ to force the believers to rethink them.

Again, which film had this scene? Ah, the film about building toilets at home, especially for the women of the family.

Then there is that rather strong view by the head of the family on the “impossibility of the Sacred Tulsi (Holy Basil) plant sharing the courtyard with a toilet”. It forms one of the milestone episodes of the film.

And we are not even talking about the very obvious subjects of not just humiliation but security hazards for women who are forced to answer nature’s call in the open. TEPK actually begins by highlighting (via the headlights of a tractor, if you will) the issue.

In other words, TEPK weaves together many such social issues into the singular premise of the film viz., building a toilet at home. And thereby talks about it in a complete socio-cultural context (of a sizeable section of the vast Indian society).

Using the story of the lead pair, their immediate families, and their surroundings, TEPK seems to stay true to the various United Nations (UN) organisations’ approach towards C4D via the following four interlinked goals:

  1. Behaviour Change Communication (in TEPK, it is primarily about the head of the house)
  2. Communication for Social Change (in TEPK, it relates to changing the thinking of both the panchayat and the villagers)
  3. Communication for Advocacy (in TEPK, the stress on overall sanitation is put through advocacy at local and regional government machinery)
  4. Strengthening an Enabling Media and Communications Environment (in TEPK, the lead pair not only makes use of an insider at a major Hindi daily but also media at large)

As per the United Nations Development Group (UNDG),

the greatest challenge the communicator faces is the preparation and distribution of development messages to millions of people in such a way that they are received and understood, accepted and applied. If they accept this challenge they will be able to get the people to identify themselves as part of a society and a nation. This identity will help in harnessing these human resources for the total welfare of the individual and community at large“.

This is where TEPK scores. It has made sure that the message is indeed received, understood and accepted by millions. It manages to do so by using an enchanting mix of humour, romance and the quintessentially Indian high pitch drama at places.

There is absolutely no doubt about the acceptance of the film by rural folks. But will they ‘apply’ the C4D message?

Well, “Mera Desh Badal Raha Hai“. And I am optimistic that the film would have a ripple effect – of whatever magnitude – in some geographies of the so-called Hindi belt. That is why I believe the film might end up becoming a case study on development communication in the decades to come.

All theories aside, however, TEPK is an enjoyable family watch. The author took his 67-year-old mother along and she loved it. “More such films should be made,” she said.

Not without its flaws, go watch the film for absolutely smashing performances by Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar and Divyendu Sharma. The direction is very good at most places. The editing, adroit at most places, could have been tighter in the second half.

Warning: You might end up humming ‘Hans Mat Pagli’ for the remainder of the day after watching the film.

3 stars for the cinema; 5 for being an agent of change.

Categories
Cinema Journalism

Film Review: SHAMITABH


Excerpt
: Shamitabh is built upon a novel idea and gifted shoulders of its two principal actors. But soon after enamouring us with an electric start, it begins to overindulge, overreach and meander before eventually falling much short of its promise.

Review: [Spoiler Alert: Some details revealed in the description of basic plot]

A ‘mixture’ (word explained in the film) of an earnest facade and a hidden someone ruling – and fooling – the film industry is quite a tantalising premise. Unfortunately, the narrative doesn’t quite walk as well.

Shamitabh_actorsDaanish (Dhanush) is a dumb (गूंगा) boy from rural Maharashtra, who was born to be a star. Lack of voice never hampered his dreams, till he finally reaches Mumbai. Hounded out by all studios, he meets a young, modern day assistant director Akshara (Akshara Haasan) who (for some reason) pours her life’s quota of compassion on Daanish – going even to the extent of taking Daanish to Finland to get him operated for his vocal chords.

As modern day European technology would have it, the Finnish voice experts enable Daanish to mouth out the voice of any person who is connected with him via a Bluetooth type of gadget! Once back in Mumbai, all that the duo needs is a good voice that can come out of Daanish’s mouth.

Enter old, dilapidated and angry Amitabh Sinha (well…), who lives in a graveyard after having failed in his attempt at making it big in the Hindi film industry. Together as (Daani)shAMITABH, the voice and the man hit gold at the box office. The purple patch gets shredded when the two can’t decide who has a bigger role to play in the success.

Clearly, real life possibilities are not the biggest concerns while putting together the basic idea. The whole point of the farcical writing seems to somehow make the idea happen – somehow, anyhow. And it begins with the very first step that the protagonist takes towards the idea.

And when the writer (R Balki) is also the director, it should barely be surprising that the film as a whole represents a meandering journey.

From the initial frame of reference, it seemed that the film could be about human spirit overcoming all odds. Later, it gives an impression that it is all about human ego coming in the way of acknowledging and accommodating human limitations. And then there are instances of it being a statement on Hindi film industry’s vacuous identity and productions, a linguistic political comment, comedy, satire and the all encompassing tribute to the maker’s favourite actor and his voice.

Eventually, it ends up being all of that together – or nothing in particular. Consequently, while you admire the premise and the attempt, you feel the film getting dragged, especially after the first hour.

Amitabh Bachchan is very good. He looks every bit his part. Remove him from the film and the film would lose, well, its raison d’être. But for how many more times would directors give him forced soliloquies – like the one he has with Mrs. Gomes in the film? Those are neither novel anymore nor add too much to films. At worst, today’s youth lose attention during such sequences.

Dhanush is extremely good and though the plot in the larger public imagination gets buried under the ‘Bachchan baritone’ conversations, the fact of the matter is that Dhanush matches Bachchan for most part. His pre-Mumbai sequences and the farcical first film visuals are a riot. He looks a complete natural and is an asset to the industry.

It is difficult to judge the acting abilities of Akshara from this film. Constrained within a rather implausible scenario, she more or less looks having been herself in the film.

Cinematographer P. C. Sreeram again looks in fine form. He lights up the various moods of the contrived narrative well and makes the film visually quite attractive. Editor Hemanti Sarkar shines with jump cuts and transitions.

This is Ilayaraja‘s 1000th film and he comes up with a score that goes well with the film. The songs might not be hummed for long but they – along with the background score – do the job expected of them. The title song and Pidley are two of the more noteworthy compositions.

Verdict: Shamitabh is quite different from a regular Hindi film. And for that reason (alone) you may want to watch it once.

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Cinema Journalism People

“Zero Percentile is a Story Which has Never been Read Before”

Interview with Neeraj Chhibba, author of ‘Zero Percentile – Missed IIT Kissed Russia

The beauty of literature is that it often enables our soul to live something that neither has our body experienced nor has our heart ever breathed before. Unfortunately, very little of what goes in the name of literature these days manages to do that. However, every once in a while, comes something that lifts us from our couches and transports us to an exotic or completely different life. A little bit in this manner:

My taxi arrived at the Shermetyeva Airport. It was not  really a taxi – Russia had developed a unique culture where you could  flag down any passing car and strike a deal at a mutually convenient  price to be dropped off at your destination. The system worked well in  those uncertain times when many car owners converted to drivers-for-hire  to supplement their income. I had even been fortunate enough to travel  in a huge Mercedes 600 once. The owner-turned-driver said he was an  opportunist and never missed the chance to make a quick buck.

Taken from Neeraj Chhibba”s Zero Percentile – Missed IIT Kissed Russia, the paragraph stands for all things interesting about the book. Adding to a fast burgeoning tribe of Indian writers in English, Neeraj comes up with a racy tale of the fascinating adventures of Pankaj, a less favoured son of destiny  across two completely different countries, India and Russia.

And it indeed appeals to both sides of us Indians, one that is rooted to the continuing traditions and the other that is ever so impatient to try out newer shores.

Here”s an interaction with the promising author:

ANSHUMAN RAWAT (AR): Tell us a little about “Zero Percentile – Missed IIT Kissed Russia”.

NEERAJ CHHIBBA (NC): Zero Percentile is the story of a survivor who continuously finds solutions to his problems, braving destiny along the way. Though thoroughly deserving he always finds destiny looking the other way. The story takes you through the life of the protagonist from the time he is born and till the time he finishes his education in Russia. Life in Russia is harsh, the climate is not conducive, you have to study as well as fend for yourself. Add to that the unstable political climate in the 90s and you are ready for a roller coaster experience.

AR: How much did the book evolve from its genesis to the final draft? Was it, in any manner, owing to market considerations?

NC: When I began to write the book I was clear about Phase II and III of the book (which cover the life of the protagonist in Russia) and that I had to convey a couple of messages to the readers such as – not getting into IIT is not the end of the road, there is life beyond IIT and the best one can do is to piece his life together and move ahead as fast as he can, one should be very careful with his sex life; and break the myth that Russia is a bad place to live in. So, keeping these things in mind I began to write. It was difficult initially to put all the ideas together as a story and so I had to do a lot of rewriting. But in the end it came out well. I will be honest with you. The book was indeed written with the intent that the reader should like it and like it to such an extent that he recommends it to others too.

AR: Which are the principal points of appreciation and criticism that the book has earned thus far?

NC: It may seem funny but the same thing has earned me both appreciation and criticism. Some people have liked that I have written the book in simple words and it is fast-paced but others have criticized the book for the very same reasons. Apart from that the story has been appreciated for the freshness it has brought to college stories and I have been overwhelmed with responses even from 60 year olds who have said that they liked the book immensely and saw some part of their own lives reflected in the story.

AR: In your opinion, does the book conform to the present style of Indian writing in English or does it add another dimension to it?

NC: There is no such thing as present style of writing. There are writers who are identified with different genres of writing and they have co-existed for a long time. What has happened now is that a new breed of authors (who do not have a literary background) have come out and started writing stories on subjects close to their hearts. The younger generation has taken a liking to them instantly and have made them into successful authors. I would love to be liked by the younger generation, but at the same time, I would like my works to be appreciated by people across different age-groups, and regular and not-so-regular readers. I am happy that I can see this happening with ZP.

AR: Do you believe that writing in English, which seems to be the natural expression for new-age authors like you, helps in acquiring more attention in India these days?

NC: Yes, like with everything else in this fast-paced world, you are bound to get instant attention if you have written a good story. But then, you are forgotten instantly too if you are not repeatedly able to come up with good quality writing every time.

AR: Do you look forward to Zero Percentile getting turned into a movie? And, do you fancy writing stories/scripts for films?

NC: Yes, that will be the culmination of my dream. If you read ZP it has all the ingredients to become a super-duper successful Bollywood film such as friendship, innocence, betrayal, struggle, mafia and off course love.

AR: Finally, tell our readers in one statement, why they should be buying your book. Also, how and where they can buy the book?

NC: You should read ZP because it is a unique story, something which has never been read before – like life outside the IIT, story of an Indian student in Russia etc. You can buy it online at Flipkart or Infibeam and at all the leading stores in India such as Crossword, Odyssey, Reliance and Landmark.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

About Neeraj Chhibba: Born and raised in New Delhi, Neeraj Chhibba considers the eternal memories of his school and college days to be the real inspiration behind hi maiden book. After doing his schooling in New Delhi, India, he went on to study engineering at Volgograd, Russia and is currently employed with a software company in Gurgaon, India.

Interestingly, (in his own words) his single biggest claim to literary honors as yet lies in a ‘Highly Commendable’ Certificate in Class X in an English Essay Competition organized by the Royal Commonwealth Society. He was the only one in New Delhi to have received it that year.

Though Neeraj believes that but for the pressure of earning bread he could have done more, the success of Zero Percentile has made sure that he is now ready to write more books.

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