Desicritics Comments on Book Review: Above Average by Amitabha Bagchi

Comment by Ankita

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:32:16 EDT

I have also read this book and liked it a lot. The main reason why i picked this book is coz i saw this book at http://www.indiaplaza.in/Goldenquillaward/ and it was listed among the 5 best books for the award.

Comment by Amitabha

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 05:36:01 EDT

I think writers dream about having critics bring this level of engagement to their work. At least this writer does. Thanks Aaman, great work. Like many other people I was beginning to whine to my friends about lazy reviewing, this has shut me up once and for all.

Comment by Aaman

Mon, 9 Apr 2007 11:19:11 EDT

I'm not from IIT or from Delhi, but appreciated it nevertheless. It rises above the insider joke to draw you into the milieu, as good books should.

Comment by Aspi

Mon, 9 Apr 2007 11:11:06 EDT

Aaman, Amitabha's book has been on my side table for a bit and I can't wait to get to it while I finish some other stuff first. But I have read the first chapter and I wanted to ask you a related question. Do you think the book is insider-IIT or has specific references to things in Delhi that might be appreciated by the rest?

Comment by Tanay

Mon, 9 Apr 2007 08:47:34 EDT

...failed techno-entrepreneurs, rootless desis in the diaspora, and a regression to the mean. Aaman, can spell exactly what you mean, here :) and I couldn't agree more. Same is happening in Indian moviescape. Also read an interesting article yesterday, how the Indian movie industry, like any other service industry is also confused and lost. Take a patch from here and there and make candy gloss movie, the flag bearer being the Karan Johar, with some dance numbers shot in Manhattan and NDTV devoting long hours to cover that. "We are all confused. Most of the mainstream films are urban-oriented and usually based on the themes of the middle class. All the filmmakers, including me, are confused. No one knows which way to go... filmmaking has become very expensive. It is four-five times more expensive than say 10-15 years ago. It is difficult to hold on to one's convictions. Hindi cinema makers do not have any conviction. Real India is missing in films."