Back Seat

by Aditya Kripalani

Kripalani, Aditya

246 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2009

About the author

Avid reader.
Film student from FTII, Pune.
Novelist.
Screenwriter.
Copywriter.
Musican.
Lyricist.
Writing is the answer to my life.
After being enthralled since childhood by the written word at the age of 22 I ended up deciding to write for life. It's been 12 years since and I still feel as strongly for the process and journey of writing long fiction.

Reviews

[Amitanshu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book with a casual intent. The first couple of chapters introduced enough action to make me go ahead. The strength of the book lies in the vivid description of the life in Bombay from the perspectives of three different characters. The time spent towards sketching the scenes of the city is commendable as it makes the story believable.

Having said that, I felt that the plot wasn't something very new. There are a few chapters where the interactions between characters seem to have been inspired by movies.

However, the humane side of every character is highlighted thoroughly and this makes it a poignant piece. They are vulnerable and scared, yet full of dreams. Some chapters reveal that and even more.

I was glad that the climax had an unexpected twist and the protagonist wasn't forced to go down an all familiar road for penance. It evokes a few questions about the moral fiber of the character and makes you ponder even after finishing the book.

This book made me realize that Indian authors have plenty to offer.

[Rishi Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was bought on an impulse after reading few words like "serious and hard hitting" somewhere and how right it turned out to be! I liked the way the entire story was taken forward and the way the characters were developed through it. The details everywhere was also something which catches your attention and starts making picture in your mind..I won't be surprised if this is made into a motion picture soon! Talking about details, there is this one situation when the female protagonist is advising her best friend how to dress better and ways to control her better half and she is doing all this while preparing crab masala which almost makes you learn how it is prepared...every single detail has been captured there which is just amazing.
I was just taken aback at the suddent events in the end but still liked the book for sure.
We will definitely see many more books from Mr AK in coming years!

[Deepti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way each character is built, where each one is cocooned in their artificial reality, yet is yearning for the very basic emotion, need called Love.
Their progression, their language, their style, and their geography that weaves into this magical place called Bombay keeps you glued to the story.
Back Seat is a tasteful concoction of emotion, drama, thrill, sex and violence…. an amazing visual writing.

[Amogha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts off with promise of being a different take but somehow ends up like a Bollywood movie. The story manages to depict the various aspects such as drugs, prostitution, business constitution, unexpected camaraderie, plight of the poor people in contrast with the rich, etc rather realistically – a huge plus in the otherwise not-so-intriguing plot.

There are loose ends and lots of masala but what fills this book with life is the description of the city of dreams -Mumbai. Aditya Kriplani has managed to capture the essence of Mumbai, wrap it up with rightly chosen words to describe it, and when he presents it to the reader, the essence is not lost one bit. I thoroughly appreciate the author for having accomplished this seemingly impossible task of giving the readers a glimpse of what Mumbai truly is. The book can almost act like tour guide – all the things that one must experience in Mumbai and around from the kebabs at Bade Miya’s to the beauty of Marine Lines to the frenzied shopping at Bandra to the Lonavala getaway to the Konkani influence: all wrapped up in a story revolving around Nikita, an ex-bar dancer striving to set up a business of her own.

The other main characters are Shashank- a rich spoilt- brat vying for his father’s attention, and Vijay -one amongst those thousands of people who flee their small town and end up in Mumbai to start all over again. Through the three characters, the writer spins a tale of romance, vengeance and manipulation. The plot is predictable - that Nikita is clinging onto a false image of a person she had loved – which takes away the major element of surprise that the writer seems to have in mind. Plus, I really couldn’t understand why Vijay had to be the victim of Nikita’s rage. According to me, he truly didn't deserve to end up like that or maybe that’s too harsh a reality for me to digest. But it also plainly suggests that Nikita’s character has more layers than what the plot reveals. If the ending wasn't so abrupt, I might have ended up liking the book more.

This book definitely stands out in the present day Indian literature where the market is flooded with mindless romance written by half-boiled writer beans. But, it also falls short of the oomph needed to term it as a very good read. In all, you can pick this book up for a casual read if you are exploring Indian literature or want to see the essence of Mumbai painted in words.

Update : Just found out that this book has a sequel. Maybe the qualms I had about the not-so-smooth ending of this book will change through it. Let's see. But till then, this review stands!

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Back Seat’ is, by far, one of the best stories I’ve come across in a very long time. It made for a read which was refreshingly different. Gripping and exhilarating, it went to the depths of human character and emotion. The characters playing out their lives before our very eyes. The innocence, the excitement and even the silent suffering of each individual was put across beautifully by Aditya. The simple tone he chose for the book was fitting and the description elaborate.

As for the characters, my favourite was Nikita who feels like someone I have known all my life. Someone whom I have a very strong connection with and whose story I will carry with me for the rest of my years. Vijay’s story is the epitome of what real life is truly like, with no exceptions or fairy tale illusions. Shashank is the little child inside of every one of us who only wants to be loved and accepted. These three protagonists seem like they actually exist out there, in real life, somewhere. The author has given them life, and how wonderfully vivid their journeys have been.

I have to add though, that the written English needs to be polished up a bit and a few punctuation and typos here and there. Looking forward to the sequel.

[Gautam Mehra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back Seat is a journey .. not a tale. Aditya Kriplani has used the simplest form of prose to transition the journey of individuals in a city that really has something new to offer everyday. Adi has almost mastered the art of story telling in this case, you can actually see a movie running ... very gripping. Am a foodie and if I had to describe this piece of art .. I would say that Chef Aditya Kriplanis Backseat is the "Pièce de résistance" ... the finest piece of meat that is slow cooked .. the description and transitiosns are like the dense delicious flavours slowly charred bits giving that extra kick to the timelines at differrent stages. A strong piece for bollywood.. am sure a lot of directors must have their hands on this piece .. absolutely seemless and superb work by Aditya Kriplani ..

[Umesh Ranglani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backseat is a novel which will take you on 3 journeys reaching the same destination. The 3 protaganists in the novel are vastly different and yet have a lot in common . Their angst, their dealing with the cards life has dealt to them, their struggle to overcome the obstacles, their interaction with each other will make you connect with them, feel for them, love them, hate them.

If you are from Mumbai, you will quickly be able to visualize the pages as they come to life with the words Aditya has used to describe it, if not, then you will be able to vicariously live in Mumbai through these characters.

Read Backseat. I recommend it.

[Arhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a must read book for any bombayite. The whole story is like a script of a movie. The way Aditya has protrayed the characters is awesome. Felt that end could have been little better. End of story leaves you to think about the other characters in the novel. Really liked the part where four characters Nikita, Vijay, Motorist & a taxi driver have tea after a incident.

[Karthik Manohar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very curious about the title.I mean why do you wanna name a book Back seat, well after reading the book, I think a lot did happen in the Back seat ;). I felt the story was being dragged at the end, otherwise it makes a good read. It’s a good work for a debut novel.

[Gaurav · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am just awaiting for Aditya Kriplani's next book !

[Priyank Nandan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and racy read with indepth character sketch......you feel for and live the life of the protagonist...

[Manali Desai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the way Bombay has been described through the lens of each different character.. an outsider, a person born and brought up in the city, someone rich and someone poor... For those that love the city, this book is a highly recommended read...

[Manali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the way Bombay has been described through the lens of each different character.. an outsider, a person born and brought up in the city, someone rich and someone poor... For those that love the city, this book is a highly recommended read...

[Prasanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl, Asawari, loses her father in an accident during Ganapati Visarjan and then a few years later her first love, Aslam, is killed in a fight in Mumbai. Sold into the sex trade, she becomes the star performer at Athithi Dance Bar. Asawari as Nikita, grows up into a fiery, on the face, ever-ready-for-a-battle woman whose cherished dream is to open a Konkani cuisine restaurant in Mumbai.

A teenage boy from Bihar, after witnessing domestic abuse daily in his house, one day decides to act and save his mother from his sadistic father. But in the scuffle, both his father and mother die, leaving him an orphan. Vijay flees away to Mumbai, the city of dreams, and is employed as a driver to a rich, spoilt, brat Shashank. His job is to drive Shashank around at night to the various discos, prostitute houses and hotels and sometimes when Shashank is too stoned or drunk, he has to haul him away to his house.

Shashank, the only son of a famous film producer, craves for his father’s attention, his love and his approval. But Shashank has everything in his life except what he really yearns for. In a desperate attempt to escape from reality he turns to drugs and booze. Enchanted by Nikita’s charms, he proposes a one-month deal to her, during which she has to be his keep.

The story of Back Seat is all about how the lives of these three people from different backgrounds fuse together in a ride of their life. Providing a perfect milieu to the whole drama is Mumbai. Everything about Mumbai is embodied in the book, right from the lives of Mumbaikars, the famous buildings, the fashion streets, the spirit of Mumbai, the accent and food style of people of Mumbai, everything about Mumbai shines bright in the book.

I have read many books based on Mumbai city, but Adtiya Kripalani has beautifully captured the essence of the city. The characters are well portrayed but I did end up wishing that the dynamics of relationship between the three main protagonists in the book-Nikita, Vijay and Shashank had been more detailed.

When Vijay and Nikita, turn from strangers to friends to lovers, somehow the whole transition seemed abrupt. The language of the book is as colorful as the lives of Mumbaikars, with a whole lot of MC’s and BC’s thrown liberally throughout the book. Despite the fact that I squirmed in the initial pages, it did give a raucous feel to the book.

While I still could digest the profanities in the book, what left me disappointed was the ending which was brusque, as if the author was in a real hurry to finish off the book. The last four of five pages had too many implausible twists and turns that left the plot kind of lynched.

[Gopi · Rating 3 out of 5]

BACK SEAT is a story of out of work Bar dancer, who is trying to save money to realize her dreams. It starts with two individuals Nikita and Vijay, who were forced to come to Mumbai by circumstances and slowly they start loving this ‘sweet mess’. When they meet they did not like each other initially but slowly they fell in love and risked their livelihoods to be with each other. Nikita took a hasty decision due to the trauma of a past incident which jeopardised their dreams. However, what transpired eventually is very different and unpredictable,which probably is the high point of BACK SEAT.

This book gives a good account of Mumbai and its nightlife. It talks about places people like to visit in Mumbai and why – book Marine Drive, Promenade and Queen’s Necklace. It also depicts the apathy and ruthlessness that marks Mumbai and points to the dark side of the city. It captures lives of film producers, how they end up with their muses and how such life is accepted by them naturally. Surprisingly people take these behaviors very naturally in Mumbai, which could have easily been a big gossip topic in any other city in India. It shows how next gen in underworld is developing friendship with rich kids to find potential customers for drugs and other stuff they deal in. It also shows how quickly mumbaiytes get over their guilt and move on with their normal lives, burying all guilt of their past behavior and the harm those may have inflicted on others.

BACK SEAT is a frank and honest story weaved around Mumbai. It is accurate, contemporary and somewhat artistic. The books is slow paced and there are unnecessary details and descriptions building the story. The book uses lots of expletives which often appear out of place in the social context described. However,what stands out are accurate and detailed account of the City of Mumbai,a remarkable climax and a pragmatic ending.

Please read review of BACK SEAT here.

[Manu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Judging by the date of publishing, this is probably the prequel to the school of writing that has one Mr.Tripathi as its patron saint now. The language skills are right up there - my favourite would have to be "help her bare the night" which, in the context of dance bars, was unintentionally very funny. There were enough bloopers around to indicate that the above was not clever wordplay.
The plot itself is fairly predictable except for patches, and the pace makes it bearable. The characters are uni-dimensional, though on a few occasions, they get out of their skin and go roaming randomly. The language is Marathinglish, and it's possible you might pick up a few non-English phrases by the time you finish the book.
The good thing about the book is Bombay itself, as the author successfully captures the city's flavours through his characters. The ex-bar dancer forced into prostitution, the migrant who becomes a driver by chance, the repressed housewife who decides to break free one day, the producer's son and his underworld connections, are all stereotypes, but through them, the author gives life to the city.
The narrative pace ensures that boredom doesn't set in, so if you really have nothing else that you want to pay attention to, go ahead and read away.

[Shreya · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is not for people who read books also for the pleasure of letting the language seduce you like Mr. Banker says 'terrible brilliance'. Can someone explain it to the author.. a book is not a script of a film bound in an artistically done cover(I bought the book for the sheer beauty of its cover).

The storyline is good but the relevant content in the book won't exceed fifty pages. The rest of the pages is stupid explanation of a bar dancer's skirt or inability of the author to Google and find out the exact word to define the skirt or sandle. The moment I read Nikita the protagonist will be cooking some crab curry.. I knew I'll getting an entire recipe and so did I.
And Victoria secret dupe No. 6??? Are you serious???

[Apoorva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing thrilling about the plot, but the author does manage to stir up emotions. Overall, a decent book. Would have probably rated it more if it hadn't been so draggy towards the end. I did expect a little more though.

[Rupavph Boral Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

tragic ending