The Absence Of Good Desi Chick Lit

Have you read this one: Single in the City: The Independent Woman's Handbook - its a Penguin publication with a bright pink and blue cover and funny cartoons. Cant remember the author but it had some hilarious "real-life" episodes. Its not fiction though.

Ooooohhhhhhh I love the idea. We can start off on DC itself and maybe the guys can have their macho edition too;)

Dee,
You've got it, girl! With DC backing, we should be able to get a decent publisher interested in our works, what say?

Madhu,
Like I've mentioned in my post, I normally steer clear of chick lit - which includes Danielle Steele's impressive array of tearjerkers.

I may not be decent but I am a publisher:)

I may not be decent but I am a publisher:)

HA HA HA!
And you've already got us, publisher!!

go for it

digression:

Jimmy never went ot confessional so when one day he shows up Father Flaherty was taken by surprise

after a lot of fidgeting and patiently waiting the father broke the silence and said 'yes, son?'

minutes of silence followed

wanting to move on father said, 'what is troubling you my son? is it nancy?'

silence reigned as jimmy shook his head

'maggie?'

silence

'janet?'

the father gave up, blessed and left

jimmy got up and left too

outside the church he met his friend chris who also flipped at seeing him come out of the church

'what were you doing in there?'

'oh nothing - just went in to get some tips'

He kills me - every time!

what about Shobha De?

M,
Glad you raised that subj - personally, I never cared for Shobha De's brand of fiction. It just seemed way too smug and pompous and as far removed from me as possible. (That's my personal opinion anyway!) When I say Chick Lit, I mean specifically that type of fiction that deals with day to day stuff happening with regular folks like you, me and other assorted janes. Not the hi-society divas like the ones you bump into in De's world.

Desi Girl - I love the idea of lamenting the lack of something you obviously disdain! I just referred a friend to this piece to prove the validity of the "argumentative Indian" idea.

De's book drawn on Rekha's life (cant remember the title) is definite pulp and definitely not all glamour/diva. Instead its more about the sleaze and dirt of the film industry. Although she is definitely along the Steele lines.

Fyi a lot of Penguin India titles are definitely not "high" literature but pulp. And there is a fair amount of writing by women on their list that fits the "pulp fiction by women, for women" criteria of chick lit.

I am intrigued by your apparently contradictory stand - you dont seem to like chick lit. I am also not sure what you are willing to qualify as chick lit.

Perhaps you are being a bit too driven by Western definitions?

For most women in India, Bridget Jones is not a reality. The idea of a diet-obsessed, neurotic twenty-something chasing the idea of marriage wouldn't get very far. First, she would have an aunty-ji or neighbour to set up the dates/marriage for her. And two, her diet obsession would last five minutes into a trip home where mummyji would be horrified by her attempts to lose weight.

Why expect a homogenized "chick lit" where all life is about dating, sex, diet and designer tags when that is obviously NOT the reality for the bulk of Indian women?

Anamika,


Why expect a homogenized "chick lit" where all life is about dating, sex, diet and designer tags when that is obviously NOT the reality for the bulk of Indian women?
Of course! Which is why I've mentioned these kind of things: How tough it is to walk past a crowd of roadside romeos without batting an eyelid; how to cross the road opposite Ethiraj College (in Chennai) without getting run over by blokes driving outsized bikes; how to go on a date without grandparents and assorted relatives spotting you around the countryside. There's also the intriguing life of upstairs-wali Mallika and her shenanigans, the old boy next-door and what he gets upto when maami goes to the market, Flat Association President mama who makes sheep eyes at Lily aunty's cleavage at the committee meetings... well, you get my drift?


Obviously I should keep snowing!

Take the bulk of Bollywood movies and transpose them into books, and we'd have Chick Lit! =]

Vi,
You're good, girl! Hit the nail right on the head!
Dee,
Let's skip publishers - Bollywood / Tollywood / Kollywood / Mollywood - here we come!!!

gawd, i'm sure they have 'writers' couch;)

well DG, if i can find a publisher in the near future, yours truly will be only too happy to supply the need :D

Dee,
*ahem* consider your comment at #15 with Aaman's at #4 and cor blimey!!

Amrita:
oooh how did I forget you, gal-pal, in my list? *slap on the wrist*