Books and ME.

My Experience with Kalkatta

With every book, I come across a new experience. That is the whole aim of me writing about those books and make you feel the same. I have read and am still reading many books but there are some books which leave a certain impression.

This week I would write about a book called 'Kalkatta' written by the famous Indian author, Mr Kunal Basu. Born into a prominent family of literature, he was always surrounded by the world of books which led him to write five beautiful novels. Kalkatta is one among it.

Kalkatta is set in the darker side of Kolkata (previously known as Calcutta) and is about a guy named Jamil. The story starts from the underbelly of the dark world when Jamil and his family come to India from Bangladesh illegally. He wrote the description of the entire process in such a manner that you would feel like this is not the story of Jamil, but it is the story about you. The description of the other side of Kolkata has been aptly described. Kunal Basu has played with words to describe the darker side of Kolkata.

We have read about the aristocracy and the high society life in Kolkata, but this story takes you to a different world which is dark, dingy, and dirty. All the aristocracy gets erased as you take a dive into the darker world described by the author.

The transition of a guy from being a normal boy to becoming Kolkata's famous gigolo has been described in a unique manner. His disqualification from his school to joining a murky organisation which dealt with illegal travel to starting with harmless massages to entering the dark world of prostitution, Kalkatta has everything in store for you.

Set in the crazy world is an innocent relationship between Jamil and Pablo, a boy suffering from Leukaemia and his single mother, Mandira. The way the author describes the relationship, and that story is exquisite, and it surely would touch your heart. The relationship of Jamil with his family is described as it is taken directly from the slice of life.

A good deal of may argue that there are many books which would describe the darker side of a city, the people, but what is so different about this book? It is the character of Jamil. A simple, normal boy coming to India from Bangladesh and the journey of becoming a true Kalkattawala is something which makes it different from other books. The description of the other side of Kolkata, the non-aristocratic side of Kolkata is something which paints a sad and depressing picture but still it richly decorated with the words woven by Kunal Basu. All the characters in it are very well placed and described in the entire story. The scenes and the atmosphere has been perfectly created which would give a feeling that it has been happening in front of your eyes.

At 312 pages, Kalkatta is a riveting tale of a guy from his days of innocence to his darker days which leads to a crueller end. The book is a page-turner, and it guarantees you a satisfying read. This was the first book I read of Mr Basu and it has intrigued me to read his other novels. It is the simplicity with which he describes the events, the scenes, and the characters which makes the book unputdownable.

Many have praised the book for its storyline, the description of the darker side of life, the underbelly of Kolkata, and the life of immigrants. The book shows the immense research which has been put into writing it. The author took his time to make the book worthy of your moments spent on reading it.

If you are looking for a story which has the richness of history and the texture of a strong storyline with the sprinkle of beautiful character development, I think you should give Kalkatta a try.

Until I upload my experience with another book, till then take care, be safe and keep on reading. Cheers.