Aditya Kripalani's debut novel

I’ve been reading. And I’ve just come out of the trance that a new fiction novel, Back Seat, put me into.

The spirit of Mumbai, an out-of-work bar dancer with roots in Ratnagiri, a scrawny Bihari boy who lands on his feet in the City of Dreams — they’re all convenient cliches. And yet, first-time author Aditya Kriplani has woven them into an intricate and gripping tale whose warp and weft conveys stark realism and dark urban romance.

Perhaps it’s his Film Institute background and screenplay structuring skills that make this an evocative book. Back Seat is much more intense than your average chick-lit, even though there are liberal doses of bittersweet female bonding and the pointing out of male foibles.

The beautiful black-and-white cover of a rain-splattered car window at Marine Drive with a sunshine yellow shoe tossed carelessly to the back of the car brings alive the magic of the Mumbai monsoon that’s an integral part of the author’s landscape. I can almost hear the swish of the windshield wipers and the patter of raindrops as the story unfolds. The little girl on the beach turns into a savvy call girl only to regain her innocence as love blooms in the backseat of a car, right in the midst of her misery and the calm-chaotic Mumbai rains.

Kripalani’s insights into individual dreams, intense loneliness, passionate romance and soul-searching bring the protagonists truly alive. His observations on life in different parts of India as well as all the asides about the various people in the city are true to life. I found that the action (and there’s lots of it!) is like a masala movie mix of friendship, love, sex, angst, anger, frustration, pathos, adventure, fights and even a makeover of sorts.

And surprisingly, I loved his story-telling and thoughts so much that I was even able to discount the atrocious spellings and grammar in the book, and look deep into its sensitive soul.

Back Seat by Aditya Kripalani; published by Neurotic Ink, 2008; Pages: 320; Available at all leading bookstores.