‘Minister’s Mistress’ is a racy read. The plot revolves around the world of politics and all those prime players and characters, who live in a complex scenario. Vinod Pande’s style is simple and direct, and there is an effortless flow to it. With that, this 407 page volume can be read at one go! A book review by Humra Quraishi
BOOK REVIEW
Tile of the book- Minister’s Mistress
Author- Vinod Pande
Publishers – Reindeer Books / Become Shakespeare.com
Pages – 407
Price – Rs 399
Vinod Pande, the former civil servant with the British Government and broadcaster with the BBC, quit his job and left London to make Mumbai his base and film making his passion. To this day, his films stand out – ‘ Ek Baar Phir’, ‘Yeh Nazdeekiyan’, ‘ Sins’ …and many more full-fledged films and television serials, besides videos for You Tube.
In between it all, he has been writing one novel after another. His latest, just launched novel is: Minister’s Mistress. And as the title more than relays, the plot revolves around the world of politics and all those prime players and characters, who live in a complex scenario … burdened or say over-burdened by varied layers! To quote, “Rajan Mehra and his lady love Mohini have to pack their meagre belongings to be on the run yet again. They are pursued by two forces at the same time. One for their life and the other for their death.”
Just to give you readers a peep in the build-ups to this novel, here’s some more to the story as it unfolds, “ It is in this cloak and dagger situation that emerge the signs of the minister living a life of solitude in hiding, with an equally tormented soul at the hands of not only her ex-husband but also the world at large. Just as they thought they were secure in their little world of anonymity, their utopian nest is disrupted…”
The rest of the story ought to be read in the novel itself. It’s a racy read. Vinod Pande’s style is simple and direct, effortless flow to it. With that, this 407 page volume can be read at one go!
What I find fascinating and rather intriguing is Pande’s awareness of the world of politics and with that of the political lot! He seems to know it all, though he is far away from politics. Residing in Mumbai, nestled in the world of creativity, yet that in-depth awareness! Quite obviously he seems a keen observer.
And what one marvels is his ability to carry on with a whole lot of creative work. Today, he is a U- tuber, film maker and a writer! This when he is in his 80s!
