Thalassery Biryani

Stories on the human condition in a language that exudes empathy and concern form the foundation of this collection, which marvels at life in Thalassery, a South Indian small town. These stories reveal the cultural plurality of Thalassery and show an epiphany of a local journalist; a glimpse into a lottery seller’s life; a suspected crime; the storms faced by a doorman in a cinema theatre in the small town; the metamorphosis of a research student; the romance between a woman and a sculpture; and a shrine housing a miraculous statue. Magic realism, suspense, symbolism, and postcolonial sensibilities underpin the narratives. The struggles that the middle and lower middle-classes undergo in modern India become the central concern of the stories in this collection. These stories, Indian in essence, universal in appeal, existentialist in concern, find a versatile expression in author Anu Lal’s narration as they enlighten and entertain.