PLOT: 4.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
WRITING: 5/5
HUMOUR AND ENTERTAINMENT: 5/5
After a long time, I picked up a book that was hilarious and gave me not one but many laugh-out-loud moments. Raghu Srinivasan’s Manohar Kahani is everything that you would want in a comedy book – a whole bunch of eccentric characters, a cunning con of epic proportions, and a generous dose of laugh-out-loud moments.
What is the book all about?
The book is a comic drama revolving around a seaside resort on the Konkan coast. All of the drama that ensues, occurs because of this resort and in a bid to own it.
Who can read?
The language is rich and flowy and with some effort, beginners should be able to enjoy the book.
Let’s delve deeper into the story
The Mehta family is far from the ordinary. Each member of the clan is quite unique and eccentric in his or her ways. Kalyani Mehta is the boss lady, the face and the person behind the tranquil seaside resort cum homestay called the Kokum Grove. Nestled somewhere on the scenic Konkan coast, in a small, and yet inconsequential town, Kalyani built it from scratch and is quite proud of her effort.
Her husband Bambi is a retired government official who now dabbles in the occult and is currently happy being promoted as the head shaman of an esoteric society. Mithu, Kalyani’s son doesn’t believe in private enterprise and likes to stay as far away from the affairs of the resort as is humanely possible. Being a leftist, he wants to make art films in Mumbai and wants his mom to financially support his life choices.
Though dysfunctional as a family, the Mehtas do enjoy their lives until one day a snake comes and creates chaos. This snake is Bobby Chander, an NRI billionaire businessman from South Africa, a shrewd real estate tycoon whose eyes are set on Kalyani’s resort. Except Kalyani doesn’t want to sell and Bobby doesn’t know how to back down.
He is keen on making life miserable for her until Kalyani is reluctantly forced to call her own trump card into the picture. Her con artist of a sister, Maya. Now, with Maya’s elaborate con, chaos ensues and a variety of characters are drawn into the fiasco, in which everyone is pursuing their own hidden agendas.
My thoughts
As if I haven’t stated above already, Manohar Kahani is one hilarious book. It’s witty, funny, and an epic comedy of errors. The humour isn’t the one that gets you to chuckle but one that has you laughing out loud awkwardly, gregariously, and quite generously, much to the discomfort of those around you. Do not read this book in public, I warn you, or you will undoubtedly become the target of everyone’s puzzled glances.
Coming to the characters, all of them are unique and intriguing in their own way and mind you, there is a huge cast of them. This huge number of characters, however, does not create any confusion or chaos as is mostly the case. On the other hand, the confusion and chaos that they do create are very much a part of the story and the medium through which entertainment is served in dollops of hilarity.
The light-hearted banter is too good and the mess that everyone finds themselves into towards the end is simply peak entertainment. I love how refreshing each of the characters is, oddly set in their own ways, and all working in tandem towards creating that grand finale of epic proportions.
The writing is light, breezy, and pacy. The book is action driven and there is something happening all the time. There is never a dull moment in the story, and the whole occult and con-artist angle to the plotline only adds to the entertainment in wholesome doses.
Both the title and the cover are equally eye-catching, and one big reason why as soon as I set my eyes on the book, I decided to hit purchase.
Overall, Manohar Kahani is a much-recommended read to not just every humour lover but to all readers in general. Trust me you will discover a hidden gem of an author and a voice that you would want to keep coming back to. Let me assure you once again – no matter what your fiction preferences are – you are bound to love this one.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Manohar Kahani using the link below.
