27th Book of 2021
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has already won our heart by creating great movies such as Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly ki Barfi and Panga. I adore for the way she has created her own identity in the Hindi film industry through her work. It was a surprise when I got to know that she is releasing a book written by herself because generally, filmmakers take some time entering the world of literature as writing and working on a movie itself takes most of their energy. Her very first book named “Mapping Love” is published by Rupa Publications in around 187 pages.
You can surely finish this book in one or two sittings as it’s not a very long story but the way it moves insist on making you pause for some time before proceeding ahead. It has not happened for long with me with a book but this one really made me think a lot about my past decisions. The protagonist Oorja’s character is framed so deeply that you understand the kind of dilemma and trauma she is in. She is returning to India with lots of angst because her mother has died due to a mistake committed by her father. And over that, now her father is also no more – as he lost his life almost in the similar scenario. She is back in her grandfather’s home where she meets a boy named Anang who has taken care of everyone in her absence.
The emotions of a girl knowing that someone else has better tuning in her family than herself because of her absence can be felt throughout the story post-entry of Anang. The way she deals with him tells you how difficult it can get when you have failed multiple times in past relationships, but you must again decide if this one is okay to commit yourself in. Also, the way she thinks about Anang even after leaving the place makes you feel for her – a girl who is already in stress and confusion has only one hope of love – and she is surviving only on it. The way pre-climax makes us acquainted with a fact we were not expecting at all gives us a chair-jump as suddenly, it seems the book has shifted the gear and become one from thriller genre. Another such moment is when Police calls her for verifying a body. That scene is totally chilling and horrifying.
The poems as filler in between the story are so moving that you end up reading them 10 times before proceeding ahead. It gave me a little ZNMD movie kind of a feel but generally, I don’t like English poems, but some of the poems mentioned in this book makes your heart weep in love and hope. I also liked the philosophical take by the authoress throughout the story in almost every important section. Even when something is said which is quite general and common, her philosophical part uplifts the paragraph or chapter. Without the inclusion of it, this book must have lost 50% of its effectiveness.
Talking about the drawbacks now, I felt that author didn’t work much on characterizations. I couldn’t relate too much with anyone else other than Oorja. Even with her, you don’t get to know much about the important happenings in her past which can make us understand her completely. Secondly, the language used in the book is not very easy and you’ll find it very hard initially and if you are reading it with lot of gaps, it is going to trouble you each time while re-starting. Thirdly, the whole angle of Anang’s medical condition seems like a forced drafting as it doesn’t sound genuine at all. Even the whole thing is just informed to us rather than driving story on it for little longer.
Overall, this book is a fine read and it can gather mixed reviews based on everyone’s experiences in their own life and how they relate it with Oorja’s life. I give this book 3.25* out of 5. Please read to understand if it connects with you or not.
Thanks.
WRITING BUDDHA
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