PLOT: 3.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5
As per the natural order, a male and a female complete a couple; a yin and yang. A couple represents an entity of nature that brings balance.
With the current state of our society, the couple has been redefined as two people who fall in love and who intend to spend their lives together, which by all means is a fundamental right.
The LGBT community has been a centre of attention because of these reasons itself. The problems and issues these communities face are mostly related to their right of choosing a partner for their lifetime.
377 by Manish Jani tries to indulge us into the problems faced by the community and helps explore the possibilities of us helping them attain their fundamental right.
The story revolves around two people who are renowned doctors and have been busy with their regular lives until one day fate brings them together.
From there on everything that happens helps to corroborate the fact that how deeply two individuals can feel for each other.
The story progresses as they overcome one hindrance after the other, ranging from acceptance by friends, family to society.
The biggest hurdle of them all being the Indian Penal Code section 377 which prohibits two consensual same-sex individuals from getting intimate even in their own personal space.
The ladies decide to take this act head-on and try to bring about awareness in the country about this injustice.
The book is very well composed, well researched, and has an excellent eye for detail for each incident in the book. It deals with one of the most controversial topics and still at any point in the story doesn’t seem to be hurting the sentiments of any community.
The campaign to fix 377 is dealt with absolute perfection and is evident in the fact that thorough research has been put into it.
377 by Manish Jani is a feel-good novel, a novel that indicts the feeling among one that anyone can stand up to the system and directly influence the actions of the parliament.
It tries to make us realise that the real power still resides with us Indians if only we are determined enough to stand for a good cause.