My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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6 May 2005

Aruba, Jamaica, Ooh I'm Gonna Take Ya, To Bahama, C'mon Pretty Mama

The four tequila shots in my empty stomach are now sending gentle tendrils of warmth up and down my system. And I'm sooooooooooooooo buzzed. I'm so buzzed in fact, that I'm having to backspace all of this and rewrite just so it looks legible.

Where was I, gentle reader? I was at the launch of a new tequila brand ("So smooth, you don't need salt madam"). It looks like my beats now include books, embassies and alcohol! And I'm not complaining either. Nothing says contentment more than man with a tray full of tequila shots pausing discreetely at your table and proferring it to you. It would be rude to say no, even. So I didn't.

I love my job, some days.

Met Rana Dasgupta and his girlfriend at the launch too. No doubt I babbled at him. I've been doing that quite frequently lately. At the Namita Gokhale launch I went to yesterday, I met her daughter and asked her vigourously, whether Jay Panda was divorced. "No, him and Jagi are very much together," she said, raising an eyebrow, because this is really not the kind of conversation you expect to be having in the polite environs of the ladies room. (Yes, we socialise in there. Yes, that's what takes us so long). So I went on at length, noticing that my foot was being inserted further and further into my mouth till finally she said, "This has been an interesting conversation. here's my card."

I spent the rest of the book launch skulking behind pillars. Once I caught her eye and she winked at me, but besides that there were no further incidents.

I've been quite the social butterfly this week. Met up with some ex-colleagues on Tuesday, two of whom are moving to Mumbai and the other, Urvashi, I met today too, with Jabberwock at the Defence Colony Subway. Both of us tried to convince her to blog, but even though I came up with my FAVOURITE BLOG URL OF ALL TIME (no secrets from you dot blogspot dot com) (which actually turned out to be a real-life blog with this woman bitching about her husband and men who were like "wet noodles" during sex. Sorry, Urvashi, now you can't have it) she didn't seem very interested.

And that combined with drinks with some people and dinner with others, makes this quite a busy week. Blogging has been much discussed, by the way, and I realise really, there's no point keeping my identity a secret any more. At least in Delhi. where everyone knows who I am. I still nourish hopes of anonymity amongst my foreign visitors though.

Oh and ooh, bought this brilliant book the other day at Full Circle. Go read.

18 comments:

  1. its really amazing when u down a few shots, isn't it?
    and god! women socialize in the "ladies room"?! then what are the parties that they go to meant for?!

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  2. Aruba, Jamaica? You're doing it again, babe :)

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  3. Every time I switch on the telly, I see Jai Panda. EVERY SINGLE TIME. i think all he does is position himself strategically behind a VIP.

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  4. So I heard the uncensored version of the ladies loo conversation :-)

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  5. Mandar: See, the ladies loo socialising is much more intimate than the actual party socialising! You should know this!

    Invictus: Yes you did.

    the box: I try to start each post with a few lines from a song, I do it all over the place, actually!

    Mangs: I don't know. I think he's kinda hot! :)

    motheater: Hmmmm... I had a feeling you would! Don't hold it against me, I'm actually a very sane person normally.

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  6. You have forced me now to leave my first ever blog comment!

    Urvashi?? Urvashi?? I know two Urvashis and neither are very gripping.

    How about Surangama Dutta-Gupta?

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  7. How about not? ;)
    I happen to LIKE Urvashi, btw, but if you object, ummmm... how about Tina? Short and sweet!

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. Ahh yes, tequila shots. I will be making kamikaze shots at the party today evening, just doing my bit to spread the love and cheer.

    I had a recent foot in the mouth episode involving some Blore highflyers... and since I'm not even bother to shroud myself with the semblance of anonymity that you are trying to hold on to, I shall refrain from saying anything more about that :)

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  10. Hmmm...so even celebrities have bouts of foot-in-mouth disease :)

    And while on celebrities, I'm in Delhi and - intitially unwillingly, now willingly - have no clue whatsoever as to your real-life identity :) ... or shd it be :(

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  11. 1. I don't know who you are (yet).

    2. I want to hear the uncensored version of the bathroom conversation.

    3. I googled Jai Panda (cuz you said he was cute) and all I got were a bunch of pictures of panda bears.

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  12. @Mint Chutney
    trust me, if he is cute, then every goddam goat in this world is cute. ;)

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  13. hmm.. i dont know you (though you remind me of someone else i used to know, but you're too young).. and i suspect all young indians are only removed by two or three degrees of separation, tops.

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  14. fingeek: (sorry if its rude to reply to other people's comments on eM's blog,but..) this degrees of separation thing every time i run into a blog i like which is indian, in about two days i know all about the blogger, cos someone knows someone, knows someone knows them. Ufff.

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  15. Vignesh: Ooh, tell, tell about foot-in-mouth!

    n.a: Isn't it much funner not knowing? :)

    abstract: Worry not, you're secret's safe with me!

    Mint: 1) Good. 2) Email me for more details. 3) LOL

    fingeek: Absolutely, I totally agree, in fact I'm been planning to do a post about that for a while now!

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  16. Jai Panda and hot! Well, Mangs I am gagging.

    And mint chutney, I was the sole witness to the ladies room special;)

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  17. i Never said he was hot!

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  18. Hi,

    I read this blog in Jan 2006. I was bit agreeable because I too had stories of Jay-Jagi separation. But I didn't take it seriously because you didn't go any further on the topic.

    But then in Nov 2006, I wonder how come Jay dedicated the MTV Style awards to his wife deserted Jagi.(oop! did i mis-spell the term, coz, i mean sweetness....something served after you have all the hot and teekhi platter).

    Thereafter comes the great Young Global Leader Awards to Jagi. She goes endlessly stating how she is being considred as a Role Model for woman in Eastern India. Believe me....or do come to eastern India to ote down the list of aspiring woman entrepreneurs amidst illetracy & poverty!! So she is leading whom? She is role model for whom?? And what about the ghory issues of loss-making sick OTV losing roots. To avoid any mal-functioning, it is heard Jay works overnight planning day-to-day things for OTV!! It has even created news that Jagi daringly climbs the cable ropes of sky-view (inspired from Jay's bunjee jumping) and does daringly slap her office peons! Wow what a role model!!!

    Would appreciate another blog on this topic!!

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