One does occasionally tear oneself away from the movie / TV / computer screens and actually crack open a book.
Thanks to a mercifully kind soul who lugged a copy of the 3.5 pound Vikram Chandra novel Sacred Games thousands of miles across the seas from the state of Tamil Nadu to the state of New York, I had the pleasure of discovering one of the best lines I’ve read or heard anywhere this year, spoken by Sartaj Singh, after encountering the tearful, abused wife, Mrs. Kamala Pandey, whose husband has just thrown their white Pomeranian, Fluffy, out the fifth-floor window of their apartment:
“Love is a murdering gaandu.”
nameste.
what a beautiful surprise is this blog post to me.like maja i also wanted to write a post on the book.
i have read the book,also for a special reason.was involved in vikram’s process of writing the book,and i have got an unforgettable journey experience of taking vikram to my village in bihar.
i agree to the post and the kind of elaboration and pace vikram has achieved in the narative,is best among all his previous stories.
cheers.
jhaji.
PS-when will you include me in your links.lol.
and i would look forward for your review of my film.
http://jhaji-jhaji.blogspot.com/
Bombay Addict…Johnny Depp himself bought the rights to this book, with Russell Crowe running right on his heels. They seem to be busily hunting for another director, but haven’t signed anyone yet. They want to be filming by early 2007. On Shantaram.com and in the book too, you get hints that the author is a BW addict too…how could you live in Bombay for that long and NOT. He even posted a pic of SRK on one of his character profiles as how he sees a particular character looking “in his youth”. Have you read this book?
BTW, I took two more friends to see LRMB last night and it does wear well with multi-viewings…and everyone I’ve brought has seemed to like it as much as I have.
Sorry, filmiholic, I seem to be straying off your topic. I will definitely be looking for Sacred Games next!
Filmi – it is whole-hearted believe you me ! Another thing – While Mr. Chandra has said that the book won’t be made into a movie, I’m sure there’s some producer waiting out to shoot the story of Gaitonde and Sartaj. I also hear that the rights to Maximum City have already been sold to a Brit film production co (BBC? I don’t know..). This was told to me by none less than the author himself, who I had the opportunity to meet a few weeks back, and who was also gracious enough to sign my copy of his book (Yesss!).
Michael – LRMB was just something else. I still can’t accept that (a) someone backed a project on Gandhi and (b) someone directed it (c) it was a hit. Unheard of in our day and age and has just raised my respect for Rajkumar and VVC (and contra taken my scorn at K Jo even higher).
JKMerengue – interesting. I didn’t know that Peter Weir had dumped Shantaram. Wonder who’ll take it up. Any idea who (as in movie studio) has bot the rights for this book ?
How is the book? I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure what it’s about..
Sounds very interesting. But I’ll have to wait to read this until I finish my wade through Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts…even a little bit longer than Sacred Games, I think, but well worth the read. I picked it up because Johnny Depp is going to be filming it in India soon. Was to have been helmed by Peter Weir, which would have been too perfect, but he left the project after he and JD had the ever popular “creative differences”. I don’t know how they are going to get this sprawling story into one film though. Would be better as a Mumbai Miniseries.
filmiholic, you make it more difficult to wait. aaaaaaargh 🙂
BA, yeah it seems really promising! Glad to hear your whole-hearted endorsement.
Michael, yeah, in its last weekend here. I’ll post a review soon. Music was quite good as well.
Maja, and it’s been a long time coming, eh? Seven years is ages to wait.
Oh my goodness, I just listened to a review of this book a couple of days ago, thought it sounded really interesting and that I must look for it and also mention it in my blog – and then I see this post! Very cool 🙂
you’ve seen it? damn. i also will. that trailer is just better than great 🙁
but i’ve to wait until it is available on dvd… 🙁
Oh – there’s much, much, much more from where that came from, Filmi. I’m currently more than half way through.
It is such an awesome book, believe me.
I’m returning to reading after a long time (that too thanks to time taken to be at a bedside – you know why) and this is such a great book to sink your eyes, teeth…dare I say your life ?…into.
Start reading it soon, would love to discuss it with you. Its 910 pages and without a single dull moment – which is saying a lot both ways.
Also read Jai Arjun Singh’s and Sonia Faleiro’s interviews (and Manish/ultrabrown’s photos of Vikram and Melanie) with him to get an insight into the rather unassuming person that wrote this masterpiece after seven years of research.
Finally, that line reminds me of that other last Bombay masterpiece (interesting that Suketu and Vikram had a panga over VV Chopra) – Maximum City in which Mr. Mehta intones “God is the biggest bhai”.
Ah my city, I am so totally addicted to it.
PS – saw Lage Raho MB – awe-bloody-some. Also saw trailer of “Eklavya” ooohh, aaahh…watch out for that movie, girl…VVC returning to direct after eons, its been too long. Amitabh, Saif, Vidya B and old VVC hat Jackie. Due Jan-07 and shot in Devigarh, Udaipur (I’ve been there – what a fantastic place and VVC will only make it look better).
Oops..sorry, I think I OD’ed there !.
Thanks Michael!
I was thinking of you this evening… went to see Kamalhasan’s new film Vettaiyadu Vilayadu. It was quite good, part filmed in NY.
beautiful lines, indeed. and an interesting cover. mostly i buy books by their cover appearance. i should go searching more infos about this book. and – great pic, the books title and the thing beyond – perfect 😉