The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay
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When photographer Karan Seth comes to Bombay intent on immortalizing a city charged by celebrity and sensation, he is instantly drawn in by its allure and cruelty. Along the way, he discovers unlikely allies: Samar , an eccentric pianist; Zaira, the reclusive queen of Bollywood; and Rhea, a married woman who seduces Karan into a tender but twisted affair. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, the four lives are irreparably torn apart. Flung into a Fitzgeraldian world of sex, crime and collusion, Karan learns that what the heart sees the mind's eye may never behold. Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi's The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay is a razor sharp chronicle of four friends caught in modern India 's tidal wave of uneven prosperity and political failure. It's also a profoundly moving meditation on love's betrayal and the redemptive powers of friendship.
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You've heard all too often about a young, lost, upper-middle class 20-something in love with Bombay: the ‘city that never sleeps', a cliche outdone only with old favourite, ‘the spirit of Mumbai.' However, that is not what this book is really about. It's about - well, I'm not really sure what it's about. It clearly revolves around the murder of a famous model shot in a bar, inspired by the real life story of Jessica Lal, who was shot down in a Mumbai bar years ago. But what purpose that sub-plot serves, is beyond me. By the time I finished the book, I wondered why the author had included that whole bit in, as it clearly didn't go anywhere.
There are lots of scenes that seem there to serve as pure shock value more than anything else; done once, it's okay, but as the book progresses on, it quickly gets annoying. This book has its moments with satire, but only in terms of smart-ass cynical quips and one-liners from the characters.
Maybe one star seems too harsh. But if I had to be honest with myself, I really cannot pretend that I didn't dislike this book. After I turned the last page, it left a bitter taste in my mouth, prompted by a sentiment of WTFness and anger that I had spent 500 rupees for this tosh. Darn it.
