The real deal - book review

The Real Deal by Paritosh Uttam is about the M TV show Roadies and its craze amongst the youth. Obviously Roadies is not called Roadies here and it becomes the Real Deal.

Paras and Sulochana hail from a small town called Bisalpur. They share the craze for Roadies aka the Real Deal and its bikes. This common thread is enough to fly sparks between the two. Their middle class parents are against their taking part in the Real Deal. The dynamics between Paras, Sulochana and their respective parents are portrayed very well. The writer succeeds in creating the small town Bisalpur where everyone knows everyone.

Both Paras and Sulochana make it to the show. It is from here that the novel begins to drag and falter. Now the novel is nothing but Roadies episodes transcribed. There is also one foul mouthed Pepe who interviews the contestants. The author describes him as the rudest man on television. Now you require no brains to tell that he is Raghu. The co-interviewer is Sahil, an ex-Real Dealer himself. (Read Ranvijay). I liked the final twist in the novel where Paras and Sulochana, the only two finalists left, fight to win the show.

The following scene in the book could easily qualify for the worst sex scene in books award. ‘ He kissed her as he knew never before, until he felt that her mouth was an extension of his, lips merging with lips, tongue with tongue. He tasted the food they had just eater from her tastebuds, and inhaled a tangy peppermint vapour from her throat.’ Also both the protagonists decide to hide the fact that they are from the same town. Yet both of them mention that they are from Bisalpur.

This novel is endearing in parts. Worth a one time read for sure.