Book Review: ‘Chandpur ki Chanda'

Just finished reading one of the most verbalized-about Novels by my dear friend Atul Kumar Rai, “Chandpur ki Chanda”. Written with utmost honesty, this was a powerful read and a joy ride for me. Reading this novel, my ocular perceivers were getting wet many times. Sometimes with someone's pain and sometimes with bliss. On the very first page, Atul has dedicated some lines to his parents, believe me, the peregrination of Atul’s subtility commences right from there. When Atul introduces his premise on the front page itself, shows that he is ardent about relationships. The first page itself will connect you with a regional background, describing it as well. Which transcends the established tradition.

The Novel has been written keeping 'Chandpur', a village on the banks of ‘Saryu’ river in Ballia district, in the center. His portrayal of such a village, which seems to have been left far behind in the component of life and has taken it as destiny, is remarkable. As anon as you read the first line of the second chapter, you will feel that a scene from the front is coming in front of you and is revealing its veracity. One line 'It is more facile to get a contracting license than to get a driving license in this country and to build a road more facile than making khaini' Unveils today's political and convivial development. In Some components, like the Intro of Chapter two, you can draw parallels to a satirical Hindi novel indited by Sri Lal Shukla ‘Rag darbari’, as he describes his village.

Concurrently, one can visually perceive the ‘labeling of characters and the village’ by Atul is the finer version of labeling done by Arvind Adiga in White tiger, which shows the range possessed by Atul as an author Having grown up in the environment in which the plot is woven while reading it, it was felt on every page that Atul has crafted each character and scene with great detail, be it the 'Ballia Station' campus view or the 'Inter College Classroom' view or there is a context cognate to 'accommodation fee or Suvidha shulk’, even if the atmosphere of 'Fagua'. The scene of 'Gudiya's wedding' or the village drowning in the flood and the scene of the flood palliation camp, every scene was inscribed with very detailed optical discernment, which looks homogeneous to the core competency of Atul. The most unique thing about this novel is the way folk musical compositions have been utilized, it seems as if the illustration is going on in front. Folk musical compositions integrate to the resplendency of this novel. Even the uses of words like ‘Piyarka suit’, ‘Kareja’, ‘Bhukbhuka’ etc are like icing on the cake for its premise.

Seems like, Atul has drawn a live blueprint of all the real episodes of Village life. On the one hand, where there are some cheeky dialogues, there is some talk of quirks on the other hand. Each scene makes you walk like a bioscope, of those surroundings, of that village. This novel is peerless at the caliber of content and craft. The thing I found most commendable is that despite having 287 pages, the novel is e nowhere near cumbersome. Atul's strenuous exertion can be felt in the cull of every single word. There have been many immortal characters in novels depicting love, but Chanda alias Pinky and Shashi alias Mantu are like two very special couples, one can adore their simplicity. Though ‘Chandpur ki Chanda’ doesn’t have resplendently articulated prose or the Depiction of Platonic love like ‘Gunahon ka Devta’ or Subtly veracious but Brutal Depiction of Love like ‘Rekha’ but it has the Rawest and most authentic depiction of profound appreciation, which is where Atul limpidly shows his capability. The novel withal shows his faculty to inscribe differently. The effort made by every Hindi author to make a woman look impuissant is a point that is an astronomically immense differentiator in ‘Chandpur ki Chanda’, is worthy of much exaltation.

In a nutshell, Chandpur ki Chanda is a starkly prehending novel, the story-telling is engaging which keeps one on the edge. Atul tells the story with great panache, with a blow-by-blow account of genuine rural life events that sometimes feel like a thriller. While the characters seem simple, underneath the surface they are convoluted and conflicted jocosely. What remains with the readers is the author’s earnest and unequivocal expression of Love. “A thrill-ride of a rural love tales”, could be verbally expressed as a deeply satiating and fitting conclusion to one of the best novels in many years. If you like reading raw and genuine love stories then do give this Novel a read.