If life were a film | Review of Ram C/o Anandhi by Akhil P. Dharmajan

A cinematic novel with friendship, love, drama, and mystery, "Ram C/o Anandhi" could easily be a film adaptation.

The first thing that strikes one after reading the debut book, Ram C/o Anandhi, is that it could easily be made into a film. Not so coincidentally, the author, Akhil P. Dharmajan, co-wrote the script of the hit Malayalam movie 2018.

In his author’s note, Dharmajan calls this book ‘a cinematic novel’, and it helps that all the elements that go into a regular commercial film are in here: friendship, love, drama, mystery, and even the proverbial fight sequence in the climax.

The story is based mainly in Chennai and the city is very much a character in the book, providing both texture and backdrop to the narrative. The protagonist, Ram, comes from Kerala to join a filmmaking institute. We soon meet the supporting characters, two of whom will be his companions as he navigates life in a new city. Then, the woman he falls in love with makes her appearance and their combative first meeting is the cliched staple of many a romcom.

Everyone has a backstory that is explained at length but there is no effort made to delve into who these characters really are. The writing merely skims the surface, and depth is sacrificed for pace.

There is one subplot though, involving a transgender character, that is handled very well. Ram’s friendship with the woman has a refreshing, charming feel to it. We get a peep into the lives of the transgender community and the travails they face.

This book has been translated from the Malayalam original, which came out in 2020, but it went viral last year, following which the translations were announced. A movie adaptation too is in the pipeline. The translation, by Haritha C.K., however reads as jarring and clunky in quite a few places.

The author has made one interesting choice, in how he ends the story. It is different in tone from the rest of the book and reflects how very often things pan out differently in real life as compared to romcoms.