"Scandal Point" debut novel by Fahad Samar. This book is published by HarperCollins publishers India in 2013 and has 289 pages. Fahad is a filmmaker. He has directed TV shows like BPL Oye! , Superhit Muqabla and The Poppudam Show.
Kapil Kumar, is a yesteryear superstar, well known for his brash language, his penchant for bedding his female co-stars and his ego. He decides to launch his handsome and attractive son, Ricky Kumar, as a hero in Bollywood film that he will right, produce and direct. It would be a remake of his super hit film. Gautam Goyal, is a handsome, arrogant and drug addict son of billionaire NRI Mr. Goyal, who owns a chain of Indian restaurants. He comes to Mumbai for detoxification. Paths of Ricky and Gautam cross. Not once, not twice but many times.
Ricky hates Gautam. Why? What happens to the movie? What about rehabilitation? Who are Sheena and Meneka? How does Bollywood, business and politics interact? Where will the story go?
This is a tale of film industry. An industry that is vengeful, slutty, partial, ruthless and extravagant. All the masala ingredients are present in this book. It has affairs, sex, oneupmanship, corruption, film making, hidden agenda, sibling rivalry, drug scandal and revenge. It is a web of deceit, lies, lack of trust and scandals. All the characters are entangled in this web.
The story is scattered all over the place. Although it has all the ingredients what is missing is order. It appears that everything is thrown in together without the unified and homogeneous effect. Author has tried to put too many spices in the pot pourri hoping that the recipe will come out trumps, but none of the spices has had the desired effect resulting in a confused taste. In the end Fahad outdid himself in making it unbelievably scandalous in an attempt to bring the story to conclusion and close the loop.
Fahad should have chosen a smaller canvas to make the novel more effective. He knows how to captivate audience should have kept it up through out the book. Many incidents are taken from real life of the film personalities and knowledgeable readers can recognize the origin.
It is more of a nude rendition of film industry than a tasteful and artistic portrait. What is the significance of 'Scandal Point'? It's only the name of a pub where the story starts. More appropriate name for the book would have been 'Scandal'.
An OK book. Read if scandals interest you.
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