Book review- Bankerupt

Book -Bankerupt                 Author - Ravi Subramanian                       Publisher-  Penguin

Genre- Thriller                     Number of pages- 319, paperback        Purchase Price- Rs 250 from book stall

Available- in all book stores, online stores

The plot- Aditya Raisinghania is a senior investment banking manager at the prestigious Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) in Mumbai. Cirisha Narayanan and her father walk into BG2 on a warm summer morning of 2000 for a huge loan amount. Cirisha is a research scholar at M.I.T Boston struggling for a permanent job there. The duo meet and get married a year later. While both are doing well in their fields, Aditya bumps into his old classmate Shivinder who is a top shot with a footwear giant. Aditya helps Shivinder professionally to inflate the profits of the company on papers and cook up a false success story to attract international investment. Aditya soon gets promoted to the head of the bank, Shivinder is able to show profits for the company and together they literally mint money.

Meanwhile Aditya and Cirisha’s marriage starts to fall apart because of the growing distance between them. Her frequent trips to Boston and absence in Mumbai frustrates him.  To make the marriage last, Cirisha comes to India on a long break for a research project only to find something fishy at Shivinder’s company. Oblivious of Aditya’s involvement, she requests authorities of the parent company to investigate the fraud. The whole scam balloon built by Aditya and Shivinder bursts one day, costing Aditya his job. Aditya moves to Boston with Cirisha in quest of a new career. The worse and unexpected happens when an esteemed M.I.T professor supports the National Rifles Association (NRA) against the favour of gun control and wins several accolades across the country for his book. Richard, Cirisha’s colleague and closest friend, is also struggling for a permanent tenure in M.I.T since long. A frustrated Richard, on losing his last chance of tenure during the campus interview allegedly shoots the council members before shooting himself dead. Multiple rounds of chasing the culprits, protecting the victims and fishing out the clues happen. What follows next puts the readers in awe with an unexpected series of incidents, difficult to believe.

The 319 page book is a true thriller that involves financial fraud, politics in educational institute, murder of characters, all driven by desire and greed!  The story is quick paced without a single boring or dull moment. It keeps you riveted throughout. At least I was engrossed thoroughly! Subramanian’s style of writing is unique where he keeps the chapters short, interesting enough to keep readers at the edge of their seats.

The character portrayal is good, could have been better though.

Bankerupt lives up to its name and the tag line (desire, greed, murder). The plot is very well written and sub plots neatly weaved in together.The climax is not a happy ending fairy tale. It’s tragic and sad, leaving the readers thinking about the protagonist’s future. (I do so when I am totally attached to the characters).

Spoiler, loopholes of plot- Mr. Subramanian, why did you kill the character and take the story in reverse? By the time the actual story is revealed, the readers forget the initial incident and the time warp.  Secondly, checking email is one of the first things on a crime investigation, especially when a prestigious institute is concerned. Thinking of doing so and hacking a password would not have been difficult by Boston police team!

Recommended for- Thriller lovers, or Finance professionals in large corporates who would love the story and its twists.

My rating- In spite of a gripping plot and quick pace, I would rate it 3.5 on5, owing to a weak climax and loop holes in the plot.

About the author- (Source:Wiki page)- Ravi Subramanian is a banker by profession and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore. Post a career spanning two decades in the banking industry, he has authored novels such as Devil in Pinstripes, If God Was a Banker, The Incredible Banker, and I Bought the Monk’s Ferrari. He is also a columnist for The Economic Times. He has won the Economist Crossword Book Award twice, and has also won the Indiaplaza Golden Quill Book Award.

I see you, do You see me?

Contest entry for blogadda.com http://blog.blogadda.com/2010/06/30/being-invisible-for-day-contest

Refer to Pringoo.com

Mr. India had sent ripples across the county by its innovative concepts. I refer to my friends as Mr. India who barely show up online or keep in touch. Be it Navjot or Prithvi, they have earned the proud title “Mr. India” from me pertaining to their “invisibility”. Years after the movie hit the box office, it still creates a fantasy. I still wonder, what life would be if I turn invisible. End number of times I have participated in school essay writing competitions about the same. Same nostalgia comes running to me through this bolgadda contest today.

It fills me with trill and leaves me goose bumped with the thought that I would be invisible! Mr. India’s gadget would me strapped to my wrist and people wouldn’t be able to see me! Imagine the excitement and the sunning things I can do! Often I have heard others saying that the invisible power would make them rich, would eradicate all their problems an all. But aren’t there so many things to do beyond getting rich? Isn’t there a world beyond greed, where one has all the capability to do anything, feel happy, and make the world a happy place? Ah! I know I am sounding philosophical, but that’s true I swear!

I don’t want to loot money from rich to help the poor, like Mr. India did, neither do I want to be an invisible Robin Hood . With such an incredible power I think of doing wonders! How about travelling across the world without paying airfare? Or the idea of visiting the Africa wild safari, the mesmerizing Egyptian pyramids, the Bermuda triangle, being invisible, just leaves me breathless! Considering, that travelling happens to be my passion, this power of invisibility would take me to places where I could not imagine going as visible. What a trip would be like, around the world in 80 days or in the eight wonders of the world? I can hear my heart pump with excitement…lub dub..lub dub…

I wouldn’t have had to bother about buying a costly ticket to witness the thrilling FIFA world cup or IPL matches, which set the adrenaline pumping high and the crowd roaring with every score! I’d love to be invisible. Ah! Hopefully some day!!

If this power is used positively, then sure Maoist attacks could be prevented and save the lives of the Indian soldiers. I wish I could detect the deadly plans and stop the attacks..Ok, my patriotism overpowers my fun factor here.

Wearing the gadget and becoming invisible any time certainly gives me an opportunity to spook my Hari sadu  boss. (Only if he doesn't use his red goggles to see me. hahaha!! ) Sneaking into an ice cream parlour to hog on my favourite flavours, travel free of cost on the Metro trains, be a part of hi–fi social event, the freedom of doing anything, going anywhere and the list continues..and so does the dream of being invisible one day!

I would walk on Ma’s favorite carpet with my slippers on, but  she would not yell at me! My sis will not question anybody when I’d wear her top which I like so much! I can imagine my brother bumping into me with a stunned look on his face. But not even once would he wonder that what did he bump into?  The cup rising in air and the coffee being sipped by the invisible me. My family being aware of my presence but definitely cannot see me with naked eyes. Feels good to be attend glamorous functions, and of visiting the wonders of the world free of cost. But what’s the point when I can’t get my pictures clicked? What’s the point socializing without having seen by people? The fun & excitement is a little short lived to be turned to reality.

Though it gives a feel good factor for some time, had blog adda not brought up this topic, the fun would have been lost in the pages of old essays without triggering that excitement or wandering of the mind in the lanes of creative thought! Mugambo Khush Hua..Ya true!!  :-)