When this book Losing my Religion came for review, I was really not in a position to accept any new books for review. But I had liked almost every book that came from Fingerprint Publishing. So I picked it up to read. It lived up to my expectation. And before I knew I was sucked into the plot. The protagonist of the story had streaks of me – an entrepreneur (I am not, but I study them) and a traveler with a keen business sense.
The book moves places with the story. It begins with Bangalore, takes you to a remote village in Himachal and actually makes you Google for the place before it settles for a bit on the west coast of India between Gokarna and Goa. It then takes you to Haridwar. Before its finale in America. Each of these places chosen for the story is unique and have a history behind them. Each of them is as different from the other as possible. The spaces are an integral part of the story, as they change perspectives of the characters in the story, impact them. And somewhere become a part of their lives.
Mudagal’s writing is beautiful. His storytelling is edgy and keeps you curious. His language is modern but not frivolous. And his characters are strong and something that most of us aspire to be – living life on our own terms, being successful and no apologies for being wealthy. He also gives a strong message that business need not be glamorous always. You can make as much money being a geeky nerd as by being a trader on the streets of an ancient city or being a part of the age-old traditions. He also demystifies the media by putting light on some of the most famous reality shows. And how they are doctored and managed for the viewership. Rather than for the content or talent of the participants.
There is a romantic love story between two strong individuals. And how their passion for each other brings them together in a very filmy way despite all possible differences between them. Somewhere he seems to be rooting for the free spirit. That is getting lost in the society where most of us are trying to live our life as expected by others and not as we want it.
The fast-paced story never gets predictable. It is the story of a new age protagonist, who creates his own destiny with his own talent. Driven by his own passions, who can be down and out for a while. But would always come back when he finds the right purpose in life. He values friendships and relationships. But is completely driven by his inner strength. Sometimes I felt this was like a dream story for the author himself, who is an entrepreneur – to have a hippie friend who never lets you be a part of the crowd, a brainy, beautiful, billionaire girlfriend and a knack for making a profit out of any business.
What I liked most about the book Losing my Religion is the very contemporary sensibility that the author has brought out, without disregarding anything from the past or without getting into any debate of this vs that.
Read it.
You may buy this book – Losing my Religion by Vishwas Mudagal at Amazon.
