‘Da thinks Indian engineers have no imagination. They have only EMIs.’ Sentences such as this produce a smile, even though the story is serious in nature. Arathi Menon’s book Da is set in 2013, when Section 377, a colonial law, labelled homosexuality a crime.
Da is a novel about the fragile beauty of a non-traditional family. The narrative is from the unvarnished perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy.
The story centres on Ved, an inquisitive and fiercely loyal teenager whose entire universe is his adoptive father, affectionately called ‘Da’. Their life is painted out for the reader with descriptions of comfortable domestic routines. In the earlier chapters, there are vivid descriptions of food. At the same time, some elements of the setting—such as school socials and teenagers engaging in early physical intimacy—feel somewhat reminiscent of Western coming-of-age tropes, sitting in an interesting juxtaposition with the book’s distinctly urban Indian backdrop.
In later chapters, the novel shifts toward a frank and graphic exploration of adult intimacy and sexuality, anchoring the very real personal stakes that drive the story forward meant for mature readers, in my opinion.
It makes you think about how much damage societal prejudices have caused people whom the world refuses to accept as normal. The law has since changed. But have people? Each one of us must look deep within ourselves to find an honest answer to the question.
‘Logic took a nap when liquor entered the bloodstream’: this translated Mirza Ghalib couplet captures the essence of the lighthearted, unpredictable, and entertaining patient encounters that populate The Great Indian Medico Masala by Dr. Kumar Nirbhay.
If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind the sterile curtains and swinging doors of an Indian hospital, this book will tell you all about it.
True to its name, this book is a rich, spicy mix of everything life throws at a doctor. Dr. Nirbhay has a brilliant eye for the absurd. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud at chapters that describe incidents such as donation boxes installed to filter out visitors and people such as a patient obsessed with scratches by a cat, a person called Humpty Dumpty, and yet another called Dr. Ravan.
When it comes to the language and writing style, Dr. Kumar Nirbhay keeps things refreshingly conversational, lively, and unpretentious. Authentic Indian colloquialisms, witty banter, and the distinct flavour of hospital and hostel slang instantly ground the scenes in reality. Some, too real. The chapters about prostate and colonoscopy have some graphic descriptions!
The short, snappy chapters make the book an absolute breeze to read. The book is a genuinely funny peek into a world most of us only see from a distance during hospital visits.
Written very much in the voice of a seasoned storyteller, the book does not have any heavy medical jargon or clinical dry-speak.
For the average reader, this is a massive win. You don’t need a medical dictionary every few pages; instead, terms and concepts are seamlessly woven into the narrative with natural context. Dr. Nirbhay’s descriptive language paints vivid pictures: the suffocating tension of an examination hall, the frantic pulse of an emergency ward, or the quiet camaraderie shared over late-night canteen snacks.
You need to know some Hindi to understand the humour in all its glory. There is the chakkarometer, lota therapy, the jawai and dawai incident, and aur bahut kuch!
What I loved most, though, is that the humour never feels mean-spirited. Underneath all the quirky anecdotes and laugh-out-loud mishaps is a profound sense of warmth and genuine affection.
The book is essentially a front-row seat to the organized chaos of the Indian healthcare system, served up with a heavy dose of wit, unfiltered reality, and Hindi phrases. A light read perfect for those times when you need to escape from harsh realities.