Review: Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari by Vinod Mehta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a biography written by Vinod Mehta in 1972. I was always intrigued by Meena Kumari, the yesteryear actress, when I saw her act in "Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam". It was one of her best known films directed by Guru Dutt along with "Pakeezah". The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about her life which is more or less half the length of the book, and the other part is about how the author came to write the book. The book takes us through the life of the actress from the time she was a child till her death. There are some insights into her private life like her equation with Kamal Amrohi, her husband, her close relatives who live with her and actor Dharmendra. I was shocked to read that she died penniless with not even Rs 3,500/- to spare to pay her hospital fees, despite acting in over seventy films in her short career.

Vinod Mehta, was an eminent journalist ( my link text) till he died in 2015. This was his second book as an author. The author is a self-confessed fan of the actress and his views seem to be a bit biased . Also the author dwells more on the actress' relationship with her husband and her film directed by husband Kamal Amrohi "Pakeezah". The book needed a bit more fodder about her life and career and some more in-depth research. Maybe he was honing his skills as an author / journalist in 1972. Still a good book on the life and times of the "Great Tragedienne" of Indian cinema.

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Review: The Accident

The Accident by Shree Janani
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This 12 page long book is a mix of suspense, romance and horror all mixed together. The author has tried to put in all the elements and tried to narrate a story. When i was approached for a review, I was intrigued by the fact that whether it can be interesting enough. While it did hold my interest, the story ended abruptly and I was a tad disappointed. This might be because the story was restricted by its length. Cannot comment on the characters as there was only so much matter in the book. This being a debut, the author holds promise and would hopefully write a full length book in the future.

PS: Honest review in exchange for a free copy.

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Review: Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star

Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star by Aseem Chhabra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are expecting an in-depth research into his personal life, you will be disappointed. There is also very little mentioned about his relationships with his co-stars except for a few fleeting quotes by some of his close friends (including a few co-stars) and family members. It delves more into his relationship with James Ivory and Ismail Merchant and his career in the West rather than his personal life and his relationship with his immediate and extended family. Somewhere down the book, you get the feeling that he was aloof and not too much connected to his nephews or their family. However, it strongly brings out the fact that his world centered around his children and his wife and after her death, a part of him died.

Somewhere the author does do justice to the persona that was Shashi Kapoor. It might be due to the fact that he could not get a first hand account from the star himself due to his illness.

This book is more of a filmography than a biography. There are 7 or 8 chapters, each chapter ending with footnotes of the films mentioned in the chapter, detailing the director and the cast of the film. These footnotes constitute about 25% of the book length. The last 10 odd pages contain the list of films Shashi Kapoor acted in with various co-stars. Go ahead and read this without any expectations and you will enjoy it.

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Review: Justice Lost

Justice Lost by Scott Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am liking Scott Pratt. This book again doesn't disappoint. This is my second one, the first being Justice Redeemed.

Darren Street again comes into play here. He is now out of jail. His pregnant fiancee Grace dies in the operation theater during delivery due to medical negligence by the doctor. This starts off the plot where he becomes involved in the shenanigans of corrupt officials from the sheriff to the offices of the DA and FBI. Finally, he gets an offer from Granny Tipton & family to run for the DA's office himself in order to get a foothold in Knox county of Tennessee with the backing of a powerful senator. How he plays vigilante and roots out the corruption forms the crux of the story.

Short at 250 pages, fast paced and easy writing nails the book and keeps one hooked.

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Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is absolutely brilliant. Having watched the movie, I could not grasp the finer nuances of the plot. The book gave me a fair idea of what was happening as far as the plot was concerned. Dennis Lehane nails it ! A brilliant narrative and plot !

The plot is about Edward Daniels (Teddy) and Chuck Aule, two US Federal Marshals out to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando from a mental institution Ashcliffe on Shutter Island. What turns out is out of the box, unexpected twist in the tale. Initially I could not understand the climax. After some search on the internet I understood what the hell was all this about and it was absolutely shocking. The only reason why it loses one star is because of the dream sequences of Teddy, one too may.

Dennis Lehane is fast turning out to be on top of my favourites list.

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Review: Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book. It is refreshing to read a thriller by an Indian author which keeps you hooked throughout. The plot is about a murder of a well known film actor on a movie set and how his fiancee and her mother are the prime suspects in the case. Detective Vikram Rana is assigned to solve the case by the mother.

The climax is good and the plot keeps you guessing about the killer's identity throughout till the end.

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Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simply superb book. When I first watched the movie, I couldn't understand the plot. The camera print also did not help much. So not sure if the movie is better than the book or vice-versa. Mickey Haller is an interesting character. The way he trounces the DA's attorney, Ted Minton in the court is absolutely wonderful.

Louis Roulet, a rich estate agent is arrested and charged with sexual assault and battery. He hires Mick Haller to defend him. The courtroom drama is engaging and hooks you. But there is an interesting twist in the plot, which culminates in a superb climax.

For all thriller aficionados, go for it !

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