Publication Date: 20th Jan 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Family Drama
2.7 Stars
One Liner: This is NOT a romance
Aspiring filmmaker Ram (Sriram), a Malyali, arrives in Chennai to join a course at the film institute. There, he meets Anandi, the fierce receptionist who follows instructions to the dot. It is hate at first sight but neither is prepared for it to turn into love. However, the couple has many hurdles to clear before they can find a way to be together.
The story comes in third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I liked the cheerful characters on the cover and the
color scheme. The premise sounded good, so I requested a copy. While the
beginning was great, the book soon spiraled into an OTT drama that got darker
and darker (yet without any intensity).
So, the good things first:
Given the setting, you should know that this is a
desi book for the local audience, especially those who are at least a little
familiar with the traits of people from the city (Chennai). Though we are all
Indians, each city has molded its people into certain types. A Hyderabadi is
different from a Chennaite who is different from a Mumbaikar and so on! The
land feels tangible on the pages and shows how much the author loves the city.
There’s a glossary at the end, though the meanings
of most words have been provided within the same context. I referred to the
glossary only once but it’s helpful for those who need it more.
The first 60-70 pages are entertaining. It has a
light vibe with diverse personalities. Though there’s no depth yet, it’s easy
to keep them separate.
Making the MMC a softer and mellow character gives
the book a different appeal, which I hoped would work in its favor. The FMC
seemed terrific and I was curious to know her backstory. Alas!
I appreciate the dry and detached tone when
presenting dark scenes. This is not the genre for detailed descriptions of all
that abuse, so it’s a relief to stay at a distance from the events.
However, soon, things started to get too cliché and
OTT. So, here’s what didn’t work for me:
The Goodreads blurb mentions in capitals that this
is the ‘most anticipated romance of 2025’. Based on the cover and premise, I
thought this would be a desi love story with some masala. Even the author’s
note at the beginning mentions he says he is more of a storyteller and the book
has a cinematic feel. I went in hoping for a steady-paced filmy romance with
drama and humor (the filmy kind, obviously). It got it in the first few pages
but then… bam!
The book is not a romance read. There is NO romance,
no chemistry, no connection, and no love story. In the acknowledgments at the
end, the author mentioned the book was first titled Chennai Diaries. It should
have been retained as it’s a more apt title. I don’t know whose idea it was to
market this as romance.
This is a social drama with themes like friendships,
found family, violence against the trans community, transphobia, child abuse,
and more. There’s a sprinkle of some filmy-style scenes of chasing and attacks
to add to the ‘thrill’ element.
I won’t talk about the narration as we have been
warned already. The flashbacks come in multi-page dialogues (which would be
accompanied by visuals on the screen). However, the overall vibe is superficial
at best. The book was written to be made into a movie and has been stuffed with
issues that needed better treatment. Some of the execution is outright
disrespectful.
To summarize, Ram C/o Anandi is a social drama
dealing with dark and triggering topics. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any
romance here, but good if you do. You may like it better.
Thank you, Blogchatter and HarperCollins India, for
a copy of the book. This review is powered by the Blogchatter Book Review
Program and contains my honest opinion about the book.
You can buy the paperback of Ram C/o Anandi on Amazon.
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