Not A Game Review

A closer look at one of the most precious connections you can have in life, and simultaneously the biggest taboo of them all – love – through the lens of the finest literature to emerge from the subcontinent in the past few decades. Discusses The God of Small Things, A Suitable Boy, Family Matters and The Inheritance of Loss.   __________________________________ About a year ago, I got into an annoying debate surrounding arranged marriage. ‘If two consenting adults wish for their parents to find them a match, why should you have a problem with it?’ my (non-Indian) friend declared emphatically. ‘I think it’s touching that Indian parents take such a deep interest in their children’s lives; after all, they’re only doing it for their best interests.’ ‘Ah, if only it was that simple. The ground reality is that in many cases the bride or groom are caving into familial pressure and emotional blackmail. Some even go so far as to break up with their current partners, giving up secre...

Over the past year, I have cherished a newfound sense of curiosity when it comes to literature from the homeland. With its poetic title and tale that delved into everything from globalization and the dream of settling abroad right down to the effects of colonialism on those who found themselves newly free, The Inheritance of Loss started me off on a journey of discovery, both of the self and Indian literature. Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake gave me a glimpse into life on the other side – a window into the lives of the children of immigrants growing up abroad, and the struggles they face when it comes to their identity. Rohinton Mistry’s works – particularly A Fine Balance – left an indelible mark on me, as did Family Matters . The former took me to the Emergency period of 70s India, something our history books never dared to. The latter, a more subdued yet resonant work of art dealing with regret, strained familial relationships and death, made me notice the delicate family dynamics ...

  Image: Netflix The Witcher is one of those rare occasions where the games actually do it better than the on-screen adaptation.  Full disclosure, my comparisons are limited to the games as I haven't read the books. But even putting aside everything witcher for a moment, it has become abundantly clear that this show isn't made for anything beyond fluff, surface-level entertainment.  *                                   *                                     * The first season of The Witcher remains the only show I have, and ever will, binge-watch in my entire life. I came out of it tired, groggy and with a headache. I have no idea how bingeing has become so popular the world over and all these media outlets push 'new shows to binge this January.' I remain convinced ...

12th January 2015 A few minutes ago, I finished cooking my dinner of chow mein and washing the dishes. Thanks to the sweltering summer heat, the food still hadn't cooled off. I was almost heading back to my room to wait it out with a YouTube video or two when I glanced at the kitchen door that leads out into a small grassy lawn in the backyard. A dog barked in the distance, steadily keeping up its tirade against unseen forces. Had it spotted a rat in the yard? Or a neighbour walking their dog? Perhaps it was simply barking in anticipation of its dinner.  I walked over to the screen door, and did something I hadn't done in years. I put my head against the door and closed my eyes, breathing in the metal, dust and the aroma from someone's dinner all at the same time.  I thought of everything and nothing. In a taxi, on the way to visit a relative in Vadodara. A power cut on a monsoon evening, the electricity cut off at the slightest sign of rain. It was as if there was a person...

It is a sad, sad day when I reach the final page of Family Matters . For one, an exquisitely crafted story of the day-to-day life of a lower middle class family in 90s India is forever over. But more importantly, this was Mistry’s final full-length novel – the author has been away from the public eye for nearly two decades now, and I doubt he will be coming back to literature. All we have now are the gems he left us from the decades past. I start thinking about the novel, its characters, political stance, and the setting. Most of all, I sincerely wonder why a novel about a dying man in his late 70s resonated with me, a 21 year old college student. Was it to the author’s credit, or perhaps the Indian setting? Or the outspoken contempt of certain political factions that Mistry dares to put into words? And then I realized that it was all of these and more. Family Matters isn’t just Nariman or Yezad or Roxana’s story. It is the story of my family, and quite likely yours too.  *  ...

Since November 2020, all of my games-related pieces have been going on  Gamer's Waypoint .  I've had a bunch of posts building up on my laptop on a variety of topics: from South Park and nostalgia for old games to books I've been reading and an analysis of mother!. And then I realized: all of that could just as well go on here (none of it is a game review, after all).  From now on, I'll be using this blog for more than just game related content. Books, films, TV shows and whatever else I fancy this new year.  If you're reading this, thank you.