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



Sign up for my newsletter: The Internet Personified

8 September 2008

Stuff I've been doin'

Sore throat, ergo bullet points.

* Pause is the new Zenzi. In my life, anyway. I started going, "Zenzi? Not so much." about a couple of months ago, and really, the less often I go there, the less I actually want to stay there once I do visit. It helps that I'm poor and therefore unable to spend my salary on Zenzi rent. It also helps, in an odd kind of way, that I'm no longer single. See, back in the day, when I went to Zenzi, I went because there would in all likelihood be someone there to flutter my stomach and fill me with a sense of possibility. P'raps after Zenzi, we'd all hang out into the wee hours of the morning and perhaps we would kiss and perhaps he'd send me flirty texts and so on. Many hearts have been broken at Zenzi. But now that I am comfortable (and, sigh, yes, slightly boring to read about) I don't need to do that anymore! Isn't it awesome? JC used to be a Zenzi type too, before you ask, in fact our very first date was at Zenzi which was annoying because people never leave you alone there, so our "date" turned into about six people and Vie and then Rock Bottom. And then back to JC's house where he played his guitar for me and I looked longingly at him--so pretty! Such a hot British accent!

In case you haven't guessed already, he isn't Indian, he's a firangi through and through, one of those reverse coconut types though, brown on the inside. It's interesting dating a firangi, it's also kinda dangerous because they very seldom want to settle down in India, usually they're just "passing through" and you have the risk of just being the "Bombay girlfriend" as there was a "Thai girlfriend" and an "Egyptian girlfriend", you know, something else to add to your Exotic Country Experience.

Although JC isn't the first firangi I've dated. Bombay is a multicultural city--and not just dipbrats either--and my dating list at the end of almost two years reads like the United Nations. Okay, not that bad either, but there have been quite a few internationals. JC wants to stay here though, in Injah, which is awesome and totally works for me.

* But though Pause on a Saturday night was excellent fun, they played stuff like Macarena and Sexy Eyes! (Which, yes, is painful unless you're in the right mood, which I was.) And then I asked for Mahiya, which still remains my all time favourite Hindi song to dance too and they played it immediately. Sadly though, there was a birthday party on, and the party throwers had brought their own DJ and soooooooooo, this entitled them to make long speeches on the microphone. This pissed me off HUGELY. I mean, sure, you got the DJ, but I'm fucking paying for my drinks and the atmosphere as well, so don't inflict ten hour long punchline-less Santa-Banta jokes on me coupled with Geeeeeeeeeeeeta-you're-awesome-happy-birthday! People are stupid and annoying.

* We now have a Sunday Night DVD Club (with its own Facebook group!). Well, by we, I mean me and Ira, who came up with the idea, and the boys we know watch with us, over bitching and complaining that we don't show "real" movies like Bourne Ultimatum or Fight Club or whatever. Ira and I take suggestions into consideration although we hold the ultimate veto vote (hey, just realised veto and vote are anagrams of each other!) and so far, there have been no complaints about the movies we choose. (Well, okay, perhaps not Becoming Jane, which should have ideally been watched just the two of us). Last night we picked The Hoax starring Richard Gere and I can strongly recommend it to anyone. It's about a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes by a writer who really wants to make some money and how he fools everyone. I love con movies. My favourites: 1) Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells 2) Catch Me If You Can 3) The Heartbreakers. It's good shit, our DVD club, even though the boys are planning a coup and forming their own club with strippers and popcorn, I can't imagine it'll ever happen and we will rule forever. Amen.

40 comments:

  1. hmm...

    wat about death becomes her?

    i just lurve dat film.

    do take it into consideration.

    ReplyDelete
  2. a DVD club... seems like something that I should start too...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Becoming Jane is excellent. Only my husband fell asleep after 15 mins!

    ReplyDelete
  4. hey eM...Your havin lotsa fun n frolic..even tho am sitting inside a pressure cooker right now,it feels nice reading urs.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Before Independence We used for British-Firangi..Right now u dated wtih A Fiarngi-..Phir-AAG-Lagi...you are 100% Em-Ultimatum however u delivered...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Been a closet reader for so long. And because I just read the book (and rather liked it. Though my copy had scores of pages missing, and pages sticking together, and such random annoying stuff.) I thought I would just say hi. :)

    So,
    * clears throat *

    hi there!

    p.s. Why not stuff like Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen? You get to watch some con, some action and some super hot guys - together.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The movie which gets even the boys crying is Taare zameen par. WATCH WATCH WATCH!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just discovered your blog in a now-out-of-date edition of Vogue India. I have to say, you rock!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Read abt ur blog in pune mirror..u rlly rock...

    ReplyDelete
  10. your profile info needs updating now that you're not single anymore :)

    keep up the confessions.. makes ppl feel less guilty of their own misadventures/escapades and guilty pleasures!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My all time fav is "PYAASA"(guru dutt)..its a classical film............

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Hoax.
    Yeah, baby.

    Becoming Jane? Not so much.

    No really, Becoming Jane? Honestly?

    ReplyDelete
  13. There are strippers in the authentic DVD club of bandra??? no one told me!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. If you like cons, check out Gene Hackman's "Heist" and Denzel Washington's "Inside Man". The most recent con movie I watched was "Flawless" with Michael Caine and Demi Moore. Not exactly a con movie but not bad at all...
    There's also this show called Hustle. I think its a BBC production. Great cast and plots.

    Been a longtime reader/lurker. Summing up all the eloquence in me I say - you write good :)
    Congrats on the book.

    Cheers,

    P

    ReplyDelete
  15. A reverse coconut is called a 'teabag'. White on the inside, brown outside.

    ReplyDelete
  16. HEY! Becoming Jane wasn't so bad, trust me I have seen a lot worse. The boys will never suceed with their DVD club because when they run out of beer and stripper money, NO ONE will come to their club anymore.

    Oh dear, you realize that I am left to run the club alone this weekend don't you?!
    I have a long uphill battle ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi ,

    I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don't you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘The Compulsive Confessor’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;

    BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!

    This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. :)

    Cheers,

    ReplyDelete
  18. If you like con movies, try Matchstick Men next time...

    ReplyDelete
  19. cooooooooool blog...
    found it( your name) @ The Week's Cover story.
    and then searched for it...
    midblowing experience!

    Shiva'
    CrAzYbLoG ,
    v.CoL
    (hope u checkout a 15yr old's blog )

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi,
    I have been a regular reader of your blog and have enjoyed it guiltily. Just read an excerpt of your book and almost jumped out of my skin when i saw that your protagonist is called by my name which is quite an uncommon name!!(just that i spell it differently!!) can you share where you thought about this name ?
    I am a little selfish and protetive when it comes to this name..there was a time when i used to think of taking a copyright of that name and to use it for my daughter!alas!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your comments page is like forum. I just discovered that there are other fifteen-year-olds capable of writing as well.

    ReplyDelete
  22. hey em, cool blog.m a little new to the whole blogging business, but i loved yours all the same. been reading it for a long time now, its just recently that i jumped on the bandwagon too!
    keep goin!
    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  23. found your blog by bloghopping. Enjoyed reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. seems like theres a full epidemic of throat-related diseases ......

    on another note, what do you do for fun/adventure besides the usual partying, clubbing movies etc??

    ReplyDelete
  25. Where is your home town in Kerala?
    Alleppy or Kottayam ? I heard about your book but couldn't get that. Right now I am in Europe. Hope i can get one shortly.
    All the best...

    ReplyDelete
  26. A Firang boyfriend, a book, a blog that has people swarming over, a DVD club et al.. not bad at all dudette!
    Nice posts!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Becoming Jane is an all-time favourite of mine!!!
    James McAvoy!!! *drooooooool*

    ReplyDelete
  30. Like your blog. Like the honesty. I started writing my own after reading yours. Way to go gal. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  31. hi there
    i have mailed u before for the review of my blog have given the permission to your id : thecompulsiveconfessor .

    My blogs link :

    http://dibyenduwrites.blogspot.com

    Thanks in advance
    Dibyendu

    ReplyDelete
  32. Heh. I TOTALLY love yer book. SO much, that I gave up going to math class JUST coz I wanted to read it.
    I mean, just for today.

    AND, I love the cover THE MOST. =D
    And Topsy, though she reminds me of this one really old juice-waale-carton ka naam. :]

    Haffun. :]

    ReplyDelete
  33. hi..i love you're blog..and we do seem to have a lot in common...also went out and bought you're book..still have to read it though..but i'm really disappointed that u rarely post on the blog nowadays...like once a week..write more often..and write more about the sights and sounds of bombay..miss my city..

    ReplyDelete
  34. Burp!!! Sumptuous... Add one more to the list!!!

    (The Captche (word verification) this time was 'pejhwr'... Decode!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have read so many blogs till now but urs is great... It's the crapiest thing i have ever seen. Saw ur interview on TV, you discussing about ur book.. Got curious.. but now got disappointed :(

    ReplyDelete
  36. i've nevr heard about zenzi.....
    so....i searchd 4 it in google and found it out....
    good that you shared your experience about the whole zenzi thing....:)

    ReplyDelete
  37. slurp slurp.. first timer.. am burping now

    ReplyDelete
  38. i thought one has to go to different countries to date different firangis.. Hmmm.. may be it is true only for men..

    ReplyDelete
  39. Injah. I think thats the funniest thing I have heard!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your feedback! It'll be published once I approve it. Inflammatory/abusive comments will not be posted. Please play nice.