Ram C/o Anandi by Akhil P. Dharmajan, Haritha C.K. (translator) - Book Review

Publication Date: 20th Jan 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Family Drama

2.7 Stars

One Liner: This is NOT a romance

Aspiring filmmaker Ram (Sriram), a Malyali, arrivesin Chennai to join a course at the film institute. There, he meets Anandi, thefierce receptionist who follows instructions to the dot. It is hate at firstsight but neither is prepared for it to turn into love. However, the couple hasmany hurdles to clear before they can find a way to be together.

The story comes in third-person POV.

My Thoughts:

I liked the cheerful characters on the cover and thecolor scheme. The premise sounded good, so I requested a copy. While thebeginning was great, the book soon spiraled into an OTT drama that got darkerand darker (yet without any intensity).

So, the good things first:

Given the setting, you should know that this is adesi book for the local audience, especially those who are at least a littlefamiliar with the traits of people from the city (Chennai). Though we are allIndians, each city has molded its people into certain types. A Hyderabadi isdifferent from a Chennaite who is different from a Mumbaikar and so on! Theland feels tangible on the pages and shows how much the author loves the city.

There’s a glossary at the end, though the meaningsof most words have been provided within the same context. I referred to theglossary only once but it’s helpful for those who need it more.

The first 60-70 pages are entertaining. It has alight vibe with diverse personalities. Though there’s no depth yet, it’s easyto keep them separate.

Making the MMC a softer and mellow character givesthe book a different appeal, which I hoped would work in its favor. The FMCseemed terrific and I was curious to know her backstory. Alas!

I appreciate the dry and detached tone whenpresenting dark scenes. This is not the genre for detailed descriptions of allthat abuse, so it’s a relief to stay at a distance from the events.

However, soon, things started to get too cliché andOTT. So, here’s what didn’t work for me:

The Goodreads blurb mentions in capitals that thisis the ‘most anticipated romance of 2025’. Based on the cover and premise, Ithought this would be a desi love story with some masala. Even the author’snote at the beginning mentions he says he is more of a storyteller and the bookhas a cinematic feel. I went in hoping for a steady-paced filmy romance withdrama and humor (the filmy kind, obviously). It got it in the first few pagesbut then… bam!

The book is not a romance read. There is NO romance,no chemistry, no connection, and no love story. In the acknowledgments at theend, the author mentioned the book was first titled Chennai Diaries. It shouldhave been retained as it’s a more apt title. I don’t know whose idea it was tomarket this as romance.

This is a social drama with themes like friendships,found family, violence against the trans community, transphobia, child abuse,and more. There’s a sprinkle of some filmy-style scenes of chasing and attacksto add to the ‘thrill’ element.

I won’t talk about the narration as we have beenwarned already. The flashbacks come in multi-page dialogues (which would beaccompanied by visuals on the screen). However, the overall vibe is superficialat best. The book was written to be made into a movie and has been stuffed withissues that needed better treatment. Some of the execution is outrightdisrespectful.

To summarize, Ram C/o Anandi is a social dramadealing with dark and triggering topics. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anyromance here, but good if you do. You may like it better.

Thank you, Blogchatter and HarperCollins India, fora copy of the book. This review is powered by the Blogchatter Book ReviewProgram and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

You can buy the paperback of Ram C/o Anandi on Amazon.