Showcasing reality of a professional field is always a tough job. There are a lot of ifs and buts in it. A lot of fingers will be raised. A lot of questions will be asked. Your opinion and judgment is always under scanner constantly. Author S.V Divvaakar in his second book "Beaten By Bhagath" has attempted one such shot on showcasing the reality of our writing industry. So is it realistic enough? Let's find out.
I m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath! When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin. Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book thats better than Indias greatest writer Dr. Bhagaths blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challengers journey, upping the stakes at every stage. Will BB catch up with his famous friend?What will their encounter be like?Written from inside the ring, Beaten by Bhagath is a gripping tale the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.
First look at the title and readers will get to know the exact theme of the story. The cover image is funny but goes well with the title of the book.The blurb talks about the roller coaster voyage of a debut author and the reality of the writing industry. The blurb supports the title and theme of the book perfectly.
The story revolves around BB who is inspired by her boss to write fiction and publish it. There are a lot of thoughts in his mind and he sets off to explore an unknown territory probably without thinking about the pros and cons of writing a book and Ketan Bhagath his roommate, his hostel and colleges friend as an inspiration and competition too. What looks easy at start becomes a series of problems when a lot of ups and downs happen during his entire journey of writing and publishing a book and eventually he loses out the competition. His roller coaster fun filled journey is full of problems, humor, dejections, rejections, shocks, surprises and happiness. But will he able to achieve his ultimate goal in the end? That's what the story is all about.
It's different, it's realistic, it has a methodical approach, it has been blended well with fiction and it has highlighted a lot of problems which one might to face in the industry. It's an eye opener in a way for some and a lot of highlighted issues and behind the scenes scenario are well covered in the book. It's a book within a book. It has a fluid narration and brilliant editing to go with.
The downside of the book is it's second half where it waivers off from the plot and goes to a completely different track. The focus should have been on the writing industry only. It becomes more business and less about problems and struggles later on which shouldn't have been the case.
It's a book which is healthy in its interpretation and firm on the ground which is quite shaky in the story. It runs with a lot humor and emotions but waivers off a bit. It has conveyed the plight of a struggling and an aspiring author completely with a lot of command and conviction. It's not about dejection and rejection and problems and obstacles it's about how willing you are to stand on a shaky ground and work hard for your book.
RATINGS:
4 OUT OF 5
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