Sinema: The Bollywood Bungle of Andy Duggal - A Laugh Riot With An Edge of Darkness

Sinema Book Review: Vikram Singh’s debut novel, Sinema, is a comedy on the surface, but as you embark on this journey with Bollywood producer Andy Duggal, the prodigal son who never left home, you realize that the laughs hide a satirical darkness. The story looks behind the glitz and glamour to pick apart the idiosyncrasies and insecurities of the film industry.

We start with Andy, a loser in every sense of the word. He’s broke, heading towards a divorce, and the blockbuster he’s put his ill-judged faith in is likely to die on the cutting floor if he doesn’t come up with funding. Funding that Andy won’t get because he owes money to pretty much everyone in town. He thinks he’s hit rock bottom, but little does he know that the bottom of this rock goes far deeper than he could ever have imagined. Just when Andy thought he couldn’t sink any lower, enter Javed Supari, a gangster bent on dragging him directly into hell.

And so begins the ride of a lifetime, populated with a colorful cast of characters. There’s Joni, Andy’s exasperated and exhausted soon-to-be ex-wife; Gogi, his reliable, ever-dependable local bar owner and supplier of the substances that keep the Andy-machine running; Karan Khan, the famously flaky film star upon whom all of Andy’s hopes and dreams rest; Syalji, the unshakeable samosa eater who runs Andy’s production company while Andy is busy partying and sleeping off his many hangovers; and most importantly, Shama Devi, the yesteryear star turned aging recluse who now lives only for her plants and dogs on her coveted property in the center of Mumbai.

Vikram Singh’s evocative prose draws you into this most exciting of worlds. His punchy dialogue and fast-paced action sequences paint a picture that you will never forget. He pulls no punches as he reveals the dirty deals that go into making a blockbuster film. Full of twists and turns, this is the sort of book you stay up all night reading on a Monday, though you know you have to go to work the next day, because you just have to know what happens next. It’s a MUST-READ for anyone who likes Bollywood, action, gangsters, or just books in general.