3 Review(s)

This is the 2nd edition of the book 'Potpourri' by the same author released earlier. It contains stories and character sketches of a varied set of people from urban India. The characters in this collection are a Motley bunch. They are as varied from each other, in many cases, as they call it, as different as chalk and cheese. Therefore, on the one hand, you will find characters like Srini (the Iron Man) and Balu Auto. While on the other hand, you will find Damodar Das and Chaman Tiklu. Then you will find Badshah vying for recognition, and the Sports Teacher hiding from it. The Cook and the Night Cabbie doing their jobs selflessly, so much as to bring out change in our own behaviours; and the Begging Girl who, beneath the surface, is going about her act in a not so selfless way. The Driver in covid looking for a better life, and the Zero who can’t stand someone else’s better life. The Soulmate who uses his intelligence to steal a heart, and Swamy who is heartbroken in covid till he hits upon an intelligent idea. There are many such characters in this collection with the snapshots of their lives on the pages. In some longer stories like The Gymnast and The Storyteller, it is more than a snapshot, as they extend over longer periods. Potpourri is a collection of stories about a motley bunch of characters written in simple language about simple people that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.