read

This Mahalaya, revisit a unique retelling of a classic Indian epic

‘The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao’ by Lindsay Pereira is Karuna Ezara Parikh’s October recommendation

City-based author Karuna Ezara Parikh’s book club, Karuna’s Kitaab Club is known for recommending the most stimulating books, and hosting the most stimulating discussions every month. Her October pick is Penguin India’s The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao by Lindsay Pereira, is the perfect Mahalaya read. A retelling of one of India’s most popular epics, it is the story of the once-popular Ramu, and his conflict with his neighbourhood gangster Ravi Anna over a girl named Janaki. The book is set in the Bombay of early 1990s, following the demolition of Babri Masjid and the tense atmosphere in the city. 

“I loved Lindsay Pereira’s first book, and was eager to see what he would write next. The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao is a remarkable achievement. It’s not easy to take a story the world holds beloved, and turn it into your own. Harder still is the task of creating art as an authentic mirror. Our readers so far have been very impressed, and we chat with the author on October 28,” said Karuna. 

— Vedant Karia

Want to get featured in the Try This Today section of My Kolkata? Mail us at trythistoday@tt-mykolkata.com