Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians – Book Review

April 29, 2018

Guest Post

Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians

When Dolon asked me to pen down an article on Boria Majumdar’s book – Eleven Gods And A Billion Indians: The On & Off Field Story of Cricket in India and Beyond, I was excited. Having gone through his earlier publication Playing It My Way, Sachin’s autobiography, and having watched the news of the launch of this book, I was expecting to get some insights into something additional apart from the run-of-the-mill cricket books and related statistics. But, voila! What I got, was beyond my imagination! What actually transpired behind the scenes were shared without any inhibition, and most importantly, without trying to be politically correct. This is equally important and essential for the entire billion population of a country, where the biggest Religion is called “Cricket”, and Cricketers… you know what. Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians I feel, will remain as one of the most important books on Indian Cricket for quite some time.

Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians

He has taken us on a tour from pre-independence Indian cricket, how the sepoys beat the English at their own game and what impact it could have had in the overall belief of the population, to the latest South Africa series of 2018. He hasn’t let go of this opportunity to touch upon the other immensely popular sport, football. Apart from the stories the scorecards say, he has given behind the events tales which the avid reader of the sport was eagerly awaiting. The illustrations given in the book will take you down memory lane of the 1983 Prudential World Cup victory and also some rare pictures which hardly anyone has seen.

He has shared stories of the ups-and-downs of Indian cricket. How match-fixing impacted the whole nation at the turn of the century, with so many of celebrated sons getting dethroned, and the uprise thereafter, holding the hands on our very own “Dada”. Boria has provided coverage of Monkeygate, and how it unfolded. He has also revealed behind-the-scenes details of the two most notable altercations between coach and captain in Indian Cricket, firstly Sourav and Chappel, and very recently, between Virat and Anil Kumble.

From his closeness and personal interactions, he has shared what Dada himself feels about “a bare-chested Sourav Ganguly at the Lord’s balcony”; why the entire Indian team was denied breakfast at their hotel on the day of the 2011 World Cup semi-final; of the 2009 KKR multiple-captain approach by John Buchanan; and many more.

Looking at the various chapters he has structured, it seems Boria has disclosed every single story he was aware of. It can be called the encyclopedia of Indian Cricket. However, with him, you never know. He must have definitely saved something for future releases. It is obvious that Boria is both passionate and knowledgeable about India’s biggest sport. It is his lucid style and ability to tell a story which makes this book even more worthy of reading. It can be passed across generations, as the inside story and politics of Indian Cricket.

In his epilogue, Boria closes with his encounter with a woman outside Eden Gardens in Kolkata selling candy. This was the same woman whom the writer had encountered many times before, while coming to watch cricket or Kolkata’s local league football. This time, it was outside an IPL match. The Billion Indians, such as her, are equally important as the Eleven Players, the Gods themselves, as neither can do without the other. And that is precisely the cause and effect of this masterpiece. Buy it, as a collectible – is my recommendation.

Krishnendu Aich is an ex-Bengal U16 and U19 player, a Calcutta University Blue and has played First Division CAB league for 14 years. He has also successfully led teams in Corporate T20 tournaments.

Cooking Up Culinary Adventures By Jayabrato Chatterjee

July 28, 2016

“Food in Bengal is both deeply hedonistic and spiritual. We offer it to our guests and our gods with undivided devotion. And, in turn, we let the flavors feed our soul and our emotions in equal measure“. In his latest book, Cooking Up Culinary Adventures, well-known film director and novelist, Jayabrato Chatterjee writes about the various myths and stories behind Bengal’s diverse culinary styles. Presented by Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, Cooking up Culinary Adventures is the crystallization of more than a year’s research by Jayabrato Chatterjee. “The book traces the genesis of Bengal’s traditional food influences and rekindles the nostalgia of grandma’s recipes through a rigorously researched time travel into the kitchens of its varied communities and foreign settlers.” says Neotia.

Cooking Up Culinary Adventures by Jayabrato Chatterjee

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How To Look Like A Million Bucks – A Guide To Flawless Skin & Healthy Hair

March 10, 2015

“Think how lucky you are that the skin you live in, so beautifully holds the ‘You’ who’s within.” – Michael Tyler

The quest for flawless skin started way back in time – a time when skin care meant a sprinkle of water to cleanse and a dab of oil to moisturise! We have come a long way since. Today, almost every one can offer elaborate scientific advice on skin care. Google, beauty blogs,magazines etc have ensured that anyone interested in looking and feeling beautiful have a wealth of information at hand but how authentic is that information? What if we had access to a comprehensive skin, body and hair care guide written by experts? Well, now we do thanks to How To Look Like A Million Bucks. The book is written by renowned dermatologists of Kaya Skin Clinic and is the result of 12 years of medical expertise on everything that we want to know about skin and hair care.

How To Look Like A Million Bucks

Commenting on the launch of the book, Dr.Sangeeta Velaskar, Vice President & Head Medical Services who authored the book said, “Over the years, we have come to realize that there is a lot of scattered information on skin and hair care and that it is too overwhelming for consumers to process. Our aim was to create a one-stop solution for our consumers that would address all these issues and make them feel more confident about themselves. We also ensured we took a conversational format tone – the plan was to demystify, educate and inspire.”

Continue Reading . . .

Play With Me by Ananth – Book Review

August 25, 2014

Publisher: Penguin House
Price: Rs. 250/- (I got this book for review from the publisher)

Once in a very blue moon, you are confronted with astonishing beauty … Sid is a successful photographer in a boutique ad agency. He is single and has everything he wants – a great job, great colleagues and a hassle- free life. But if there is one thing that has eluded him – it is love. Until the gorgeous, free-spirited Cara walks into his life. Se*ually obsessed, the two begin a charged affair that disrupts all his notions of love and transforms the way Sid thinks about erotic pleasure. But then something strange happens – Sid finds himself falling in love with another woman.

From the synopsis, you must have got an idea of what this book contains. The success of Fifty Shades of Grey has spawned a horde of authors seeking to find similar success in the erotica genre and the latest in that list is Ananth Padmanabhan, Sr. Vice President at Penguin. The book revolves around three very urban characters working together in an ad agency – the protagonist Sid, the gorgeous, sensual and carefree Cara and the caring and nurturing married mommy figure Nat. As expected, there is a lot of se* in the book. Call me gender biased but I honestly did not have much faith in an Indian man writing about erotica without making it sleazy. Ananth thankfully does not.

In terms of the storyline, there is really nothing extraordinary. Sid is single, aloof, obsessed with work and Cara . Cara is the uninhibited intern from New York who loves se* and is always at it with Sid. Nat is married and dotes on Sid. Sid at first thinks he is in love with Cara but then realizes that it is Nat whom he wants. And that’s it actually. No twists or turns or an unexpected climax. I finished the book in 3 hrs not because I was so engrossed in it that I could not keep it down. I just found it so ‘flat’ that I finished it in one go (and also I had to write the review). None of the characters reached out to me and after I finished the book, they were out of my mind.

If you are looking for a light, meaningless, racy read, you might like Play With Me. I just found all that se* tedious after a point.

Land of The Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal – Book Review

August 13, 2013

Author and economist Sanjeev Sanyal in the introduction to his book, Land of the Seven Rivers writes about the extraordinary transformation that India is undergoing – of mobile phones, satellite tv, urban reconstruction, economic boom (really??now??) and other rapid changes. From the present, he then takes the readers through a journey to the country’s past and looks back at her captivating history.

Sanyal’s new book takes a different approach to history. “A lot has already been written about wars, battles and dynasty” he says, as he explores the changing, shifting and transforming geography of India. ” Just as geography affects history, history too affects geography.” In the author’s words ” the book is about changes in India’s natural and human landscape, about ancient trade routes and cultural linkages, the rise and fall of cities, about dead rivers and the legends that keep them alive”.

Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, the author considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask. Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the sub-continent? Why was the world’s highest mountain named after George Everest? His questions are seemingly simple but raise many questions in the reader’s mind.

What I liked about the book is the way Sanyal has tried to answer the questions by infusing wit, logic, facts and intelligence. Because of the style of writing, the book does not turn out to be an encyclopedia but a truly enjoyable, thought provoking and gripping read.

Whether you are a history buff or not, the Land of the Seven Rivers is bound to fascinate and raise many questions regarding a country steeped in tradition, culture and legends. It is a book worth reading, if only, as the author says in his dedication, to know where you came from. He certainly helped me understand and appreciate my roots better.

P.S – Book sent for review. Opinion 100% mine.