DOPEHRI

 𝐃𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐢
𝐁𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐣 𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 : 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚
𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: 𝟏𝟏𝟎 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 : 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 : 𝟗𝐌𝐚𝐲 - 𝟗𝐌𝐚𝐲(𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐)

While browsing Amazon, I came across this gorgeous cover. First, it was the cover and then the blurb that drew me in. It was only then that I learned Dopehri was written by Hindi movie actor Pankaj Kapur.

'Dopehri' tells the story of a 65-year-old woman affectionately known as 'Amma Bi' by everyone. Age has taken its toll on her, and she now lives alone in a Haveli named 'Lal Haveli'. She is quite wealthy and respected in the community. Her aura and charm are so magnetic that everyone is drawn to her, and she is respected and feared in equal measure. With a hard exterior but a soft and big heart, Amma Bi has a love-hate relationship with her servant, Jumman. Sometimes, her words pierce through his heart and make him cry, and other times she guards him and saves him from trouble.

This narrative captures the nuances of life in Lucknow beautifully. I also loved the descriptions of the Haveli and the daily life of Jumman. Throughout the story, we see how we sometimes end up in a rut because we have accepted the circumstance around us, but how something or someone can change all of that, help us to see our lives in a new way, and help us to make changes to live fully again.

However, I would encourage you to read the original Hindi book since the English translation somehow lost its charm.

My Rating:

5/5

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