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Bala Takes The Plunge
Bala dreams of making Tamil films and directing his favourite actor Rajnikanth a dream that leads him naturally to study engineering in college. This earns him his father's approval and the opportunity to export himself to America. As Director of Design at Flexit Inc., thinking up new ways to help Americans shed the excess weight around their middles and in their wallets, he is at least some kind of director. Bala loves America, and America it seems loves him even more. He has everything he needs to be a green card, a satellite dish to watch cricket and a companion to share his home albeit one with a very limited vocabulary. But he is now less than a year away from the big 30, and if he doesn't act fast he might have to settle for whichever bride his Amma chooses. So begins Bala's quest for romance as he meets both American and Indian women, some who are too old, others too young, and yet others just too stuck up. Will he ever find someone just right for him and good enough to inherit his mother's Corelle dishes?
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
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April 28, 2011
One fine morning, I got a mail from Melvin to connect up on Goodreads and he also asked me if I would like to read his book “Bala Takes the Plunge.” Well, the title did not sound interesting. Melvin is a Canadian author of Indian origin. I agreed to read the book and honestly, Melvin did not insist on a review at all. He promptly sent me the book through Flipkart. Before I received the book in my hand, I read his blog and also read about the book. I wanted to know the reactions of readers. I wanted to check out the cover as well.
At the outset, the cover did not impress me at all. I mean, it looked terribly cluttered and non-impressive for sure. While a closer, detailed look gave out the theme of the book, somehow it did not catch my eye outright. People had written some nice things about the book and of course, there were some which were not so nice as well. I have just finished reading the book. I have decided to pen down my thoughts. In a conventional sense, this may not be a book review in totality. A reader might find my own thoughts on a similar topic in there but here it is.
Simply put, this is a story of an Indian bachelor boy, Bala who is of a marriageable age living in America. He dreams of making a film with some top stars from south. He tries his hand at wooing girls in America but in vain. He lands up in Chennai to visit with his parents and also with an intention of meeting some prospective brides. Essentially, he tries to find a woman, an alliance in America but does not succeed. His parents line up several girls. Melvin narrates Bala’s witty encounters with some prospective brides. He also talks about their demeanor, their styles; he describes their thinking patterns in a humorous way. He also talks about Bala’s parents and their way of thinking.
Bala then meets this school/college friend by the name Priya who comes from a different community and rekindles his love for her. He then decides to marry her, informs his parents. They, in turn, ask those parental questions, fume. Bala finally decides to take the plunge into the institution of marriage with Priya. He also chooses to relocate to India, so that Priya can continue her flourishing career as a cartoonist and can also continue to take care of her father. Simply put that is all that happens in this humorous novel.
Now, here are my thoughts about the novel. As I started reading the book, the first thought that came to my mind was related to the humor in the book. For the first 14 chapters, I felt that the humor was really dragging the pace of the book. I mean, it came across as if it was embedded into the story line by force. It did not jive with the flow of the book. I, for one, did not find it humorous to begin with. The second thing that came to my mind when I kept reading the chapters was to do with the way the story was projected. It came across to me as if Melvin was making a mockery of all these Indian eligible bachelors by narrating the story the way he did. However, soon I got over these thoughts because I realized that his intent was not to belittle these practices or traditions. I have personally known many families from different parts of India who have practiced such or similar traditions while searching for an alliance for their child. I must also say here that while I do not subscribe to any of these thoughts, there is a long way ahead of us before we see any drastic change in Indian society.
I also think that the era in which these things, these ethos were practiced was quite different. There was no technology at one’s disposal then, the world was a much different place and practicing some of these things then probably would have made a difference to people. That’s why these practices have probably continued for generations. However, that does not mean those ethos would continue to benefit people today as well. One needs a fresh perspective on all of these practices.
I found Melvin’s style of writing constrained at places. For example, his expression was inhibited when it came to describing some encounters explicitly. He used suggestive language to describe some situations and incidents. I personally felt that the entire prose sounded quite artificial. He talks about Bala’s friend, Mike (I might have got the name wrong) making some sexual references. The entire conversation between Bala and Mike (assuming they were good friends) would not turn out to be so suggestive. Two good friends would talk openly, I presume.
I also felt that those chapters that describe him meeting several girls after his arrival in Chennai sounded extremely clichéd. I mean, I was bored reading those chapters. They were neither funny nor did they provide any insights. The only thought that I had at the back of my mind while reading those chapters was “what would parents of such girls be feeling as they prepare to receive a prospective groom at their home?” It must be a stressful time for them for sure.
I also feel (I hope I am right) that behind these funny stories and incidents lay a deep thought about these practices and traditions that Melvin wants to reach to the reader. I also feel that Melvin wanted to highlight the darker side of such incidents and encounters through this funny narrative. Melvin probably wants the readers to ponder over such thoughts. This book from its title and the narrative seems like a book for the younger generation. I am sure all those in their early and mid-twenties would enjoy reading this book much more than an oldie like me.
The book picks up some momentum after Priya enters the scene. However, the underlying romance and love portrayed in those last few chapters between Priya and Bala is quite filmy. It almost seems like one is reading a masala Hindi film script. We have seen such stuff on celluloid for decades together. It is quite melodramatic to say the least and also extremely predictable. One knew every other scene and situation that was to unfold as soon as Priya enters this messy bride hunting ritual.
I liked the portrayal of pain and the thought that Priya presents to others about her father and her concern for taking care of him. I wondered about all those young girls who face a similar situation even today all over the world. It must be quite difficult for those girls to choose between their lives and their parents. How tormenting that must be for all these girls! I also wondered if every single girl who is in this kind of a situation would ever have the courage of conviction, the financial muscle and the emotional stamina to do what Priya does in this novel. The simple answer to my question was a probable no.
The last chapter of the novel was extremely boring. I mean when I finished the book, it seemed like it was written for people to read it during their daily commute to work. It did not offer anything new, anything insightful at all. It was just the same old ordinary story attempted to be told in a humorous fashion. I am repeating myself when I say that the book is probably meant for much younger an audience or a reader than for older people. It is something that younger folks would enjoy reading and exploring.
In conclusion, I feel that ‘Bala Takes the Plunge” offers a glimpse into the arranged marriage concept in Indian society in a melodramatic fashion. It subtly tries to highlight the anxieties, trauma and in the face attitude people might have about finding alliances and then deciding to marry. I think Melvin also tries to portray the thoughts of a well-educated youngster in India through Bala’s character. While, I may not consider the book a best seller, I am sure, for all those young boys and girls, this would be an entertaining, light read.
At the outset, the cover did not impress me at all. I mean, it looked terribly cluttered and non-impressive for sure. While a closer, detailed look gave out the theme of the book, somehow it did not catch my eye outright. People had written some nice things about the book and of course, there were some which were not so nice as well. I have just finished reading the book. I have decided to pen down my thoughts. In a conventional sense, this may not be a book review in totality. A reader might find my own thoughts on a similar topic in there but here it is.
Simply put, this is a story of an Indian bachelor boy, Bala who is of a marriageable age living in America. He dreams of making a film with some top stars from south. He tries his hand at wooing girls in America but in vain. He lands up in Chennai to visit with his parents and also with an intention of meeting some prospective brides. Essentially, he tries to find a woman, an alliance in America but does not succeed. His parents line up several girls. Melvin narrates Bala’s witty encounters with some prospective brides. He also talks about their demeanor, their styles; he describes their thinking patterns in a humorous way. He also talks about Bala’s parents and their way of thinking.
Bala then meets this school/college friend by the name Priya who comes from a different community and rekindles his love for her. He then decides to marry her, informs his parents. They, in turn, ask those parental questions, fume. Bala finally decides to take the plunge into the institution of marriage with Priya. He also chooses to relocate to India, so that Priya can continue her flourishing career as a cartoonist and can also continue to take care of her father. Simply put that is all that happens in this humorous novel.
Now, here are my thoughts about the novel. As I started reading the book, the first thought that came to my mind was related to the humor in the book. For the first 14 chapters, I felt that the humor was really dragging the pace of the book. I mean, it came across as if it was embedded into the story line by force. It did not jive with the flow of the book. I, for one, did not find it humorous to begin with. The second thing that came to my mind when I kept reading the chapters was to do with the way the story was projected. It came across to me as if Melvin was making a mockery of all these Indian eligible bachelors by narrating the story the way he did. However, soon I got over these thoughts because I realized that his intent was not to belittle these practices or traditions. I have personally known many families from different parts of India who have practiced such or similar traditions while searching for an alliance for their child. I must also say here that while I do not subscribe to any of these thoughts, there is a long way ahead of us before we see any drastic change in Indian society.
I also think that the era in which these things, these ethos were practiced was quite different. There was no technology at one’s disposal then, the world was a much different place and practicing some of these things then probably would have made a difference to people. That’s why these practices have probably continued for generations. However, that does not mean those ethos would continue to benefit people today as well. One needs a fresh perspective on all of these practices.
I found Melvin’s style of writing constrained at places. For example, his expression was inhibited when it came to describing some encounters explicitly. He used suggestive language to describe some situations and incidents. I personally felt that the entire prose sounded quite artificial. He talks about Bala’s friend, Mike (I might have got the name wrong) making some sexual references. The entire conversation between Bala and Mike (assuming they were good friends) would not turn out to be so suggestive. Two good friends would talk openly, I presume.
I also felt that those chapters that describe him meeting several girls after his arrival in Chennai sounded extremely clichéd. I mean, I was bored reading those chapters. They were neither funny nor did they provide any insights. The only thought that I had at the back of my mind while reading those chapters was “what would parents of such girls be feeling as they prepare to receive a prospective groom at their home?” It must be a stressful time for them for sure.
I also feel (I hope I am right) that behind these funny stories and incidents lay a deep thought about these practices and traditions that Melvin wants to reach to the reader. I also feel that Melvin wanted to highlight the darker side of such incidents and encounters through this funny narrative. Melvin probably wants the readers to ponder over such thoughts. This book from its title and the narrative seems like a book for the younger generation. I am sure all those in their early and mid-twenties would enjoy reading this book much more than an oldie like me.
The book picks up some momentum after Priya enters the scene. However, the underlying romance and love portrayed in those last few chapters between Priya and Bala is quite filmy. It almost seems like one is reading a masala Hindi film script. We have seen such stuff on celluloid for decades together. It is quite melodramatic to say the least and also extremely predictable. One knew every other scene and situation that was to unfold as soon as Priya enters this messy bride hunting ritual.
I liked the portrayal of pain and the thought that Priya presents to others about her father and her concern for taking care of him. I wondered about all those young girls who face a similar situation even today all over the world. It must be quite difficult for those girls to choose between their lives and their parents. How tormenting that must be for all these girls! I also wondered if every single girl who is in this kind of a situation would ever have the courage of conviction, the financial muscle and the emotional stamina to do what Priya does in this novel. The simple answer to my question was a probable no.
The last chapter of the novel was extremely boring. I mean when I finished the book, it seemed like it was written for people to read it during their daily commute to work. It did not offer anything new, anything insightful at all. It was just the same old ordinary story attempted to be told in a humorous fashion. I am repeating myself when I say that the book is probably meant for much younger an audience or a reader than for older people. It is something that younger folks would enjoy reading and exploring.
In conclusion, I feel that ‘Bala Takes the Plunge” offers a glimpse into the arranged marriage concept in Indian society in a melodramatic fashion. It subtly tries to highlight the anxieties, trauma and in the face attitude people might have about finding alliances and then deciding to marry. I think Melvin also tries to portray the thoughts of a well-educated youngster in India through Bala’s character. While, I may not consider the book a best seller, I am sure, for all those young boys and girls, this would be an entertaining, light read.
December 7, 2010
If there was a genre called guy-lit, Melvin Durai’s debut novel Bala Takes the Plunge would easily qualify as one. A few pages into the book and I was guffawing at Melvin’s play of words and funny observations. Rajinikant-lovers will be thrilled to encounter some of his famous dialogues in this clever and extremely witty book.
Balasubramaniam Balasubramaniam aka Bala is a big fan of Rajinikant.His ambition is to become a director and make a movie starring the Superstar. Alas, practical aspects push him to pursue an engineering degree at Thiru Harichandran University of Technology (THIT) in Chennai and get “exported” to the US.THIT!! ha ha ha!.In the US, he becomes Bill Balasubramaniam and the director of a company that produces exercise machines. Well settled in a cushy job in a company that excels in deceiving people with infomercials on their exercise machines, Bala realizes that he needs to move on to the next step in life and … gets a dog, which he names America .I know what you are thinking.Cheeky, right?. Hilarious and crazy is what I thought.
Bala wants to get married as he approaches his big 3-0 and takes the help of “How to find the perfect mate in 30 days or less with no help from your parents in India.” He fancies a white girl who works at a store nearby and is secretly thrilled when she makes polite,but random comments. But before he can take things to the next level, disaster strikes and Bala is left stranded on the highway of love.The rest of the story is about how Bala joins activity groups, matrimonial sites and seeks parental intervention to find his“perfect mate”. Funny stuff ,really!
Melvin takes digs at things as diverse as exercise machine commercials,the staggering amounts of waste that America (not the dog;-))generates,role of American dogs,attitude of Chinese suppliers,people who buy Salman Rushdie books just to appear erudite,functional purpose of butts,matrimonial ads ,the SMS lingo and many more random things. Infact, for the first 60 odd pages,there was barely any dialogue and movement in the story ,with the pages filled with wry,witty observations.The book mentions that part of Melvin’s humour columns have been incorporated into the book. Maybe, a huge chunk of the material drawn from the columns went into the first 70 pages. However, after the 70 pages, the narrative gets fast-paced and breezy.
The book’s strength is its unpretentious-ness and Melvin has done a good job at fleshing out Bala’s character-Bala is as believable as it can get.Melvin’s wit shines through the pages and he peppers the book generously with mini-jokes and one-liners. Some of the situations are thoroughly funny like the one in which Bala stands in the queue outside the Chennai American Embassy to get his H1 stamping done and contemplates the prospect of buying a two rupee Bonda. He imagines the Bonda traveling from hand to hand down the queue finally to him, coated in sweat and other “suspect” fluids. I almost fell out of the chair laughing.
Sample some more goodies from the book..
“Your appa and I walk 6 kilometers a day.He walks five kilometers in the morning and I walk one kilometer in the evening.”
American flags arrive at Walmart from a manufacturer in China bearing 53 stars .When demanded an explanation,the Chinese manufacturer says “We give you a good deal-53 stars for the price of 50.” LOL,seriously !.
Overall, a funny book that loved reading.I’ll rate it 3.5/5 and will recommend it to anyone who loves a good no-holds barred laugh. The book is really slim and can be finished in a few hours.I loved the illustration on the cover.So witty,like the rest of the book !
A big thanks to Melvin for sending me the book to review.Looking forward to his next novel.
Balasubramaniam Balasubramaniam aka Bala is a big fan of Rajinikant.His ambition is to become a director and make a movie starring the Superstar. Alas, practical aspects push him to pursue an engineering degree at Thiru Harichandran University of Technology (THIT) in Chennai and get “exported” to the US.THIT!! ha ha ha!.In the US, he becomes Bill Balasubramaniam and the director of a company that produces exercise machines. Well settled in a cushy job in a company that excels in deceiving people with infomercials on their exercise machines, Bala realizes that he needs to move on to the next step in life and … gets a dog, which he names America .I know what you are thinking.Cheeky, right?. Hilarious and crazy is what I thought.
Bala wants to get married as he approaches his big 3-0 and takes the help of “How to find the perfect mate in 30 days or less with no help from your parents in India.” He fancies a white girl who works at a store nearby and is secretly thrilled when she makes polite,but random comments. But before he can take things to the next level, disaster strikes and Bala is left stranded on the highway of love.The rest of the story is about how Bala joins activity groups, matrimonial sites and seeks parental intervention to find his“perfect mate”. Funny stuff ,really!
Melvin takes digs at things as diverse as exercise machine commercials,the staggering amounts of waste that America (not the dog;-))generates,role of American dogs,attitude of Chinese suppliers,people who buy Salman Rushdie books just to appear erudite,functional purpose of butts,matrimonial ads ,the SMS lingo and many more random things. Infact, for the first 60 odd pages,there was barely any dialogue and movement in the story ,with the pages filled with wry,witty observations.The book mentions that part of Melvin’s humour columns have been incorporated into the book. Maybe, a huge chunk of the material drawn from the columns went into the first 70 pages. However, after the 70 pages, the narrative gets fast-paced and breezy.
The book’s strength is its unpretentious-ness and Melvin has done a good job at fleshing out Bala’s character-Bala is as believable as it can get.Melvin’s wit shines through the pages and he peppers the book generously with mini-jokes and one-liners. Some of the situations are thoroughly funny like the one in which Bala stands in the queue outside the Chennai American Embassy to get his H1 stamping done and contemplates the prospect of buying a two rupee Bonda. He imagines the Bonda traveling from hand to hand down the queue finally to him, coated in sweat and other “suspect” fluids. I almost fell out of the chair laughing.
Sample some more goodies from the book..
“Your appa and I walk 6 kilometers a day.He walks five kilometers in the morning and I walk one kilometer in the evening.”
American flags arrive at Walmart from a manufacturer in China bearing 53 stars .When demanded an explanation,the Chinese manufacturer says “We give you a good deal-53 stars for the price of 50.” LOL,seriously !.
Overall, a funny book that loved reading.I’ll rate it 3.5/5 and will recommend it to anyone who loves a good no-holds barred laugh. The book is really slim and can be finished in a few hours.I loved the illustration on the cover.So witty,like the rest of the book !
A big thanks to Melvin for sending me the book to review.Looking forward to his next novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2010
Let me be honest. I had never heard of this book when the author contacted me for a review. After a few recent disappointments in books, I knew better to keep my expectations low, so when the book arrived I was neither too excited nor too eager. And this worked out well because I was pleasantly surprised with the book.
Bala takes the plunge is about Bala and the plunge here refers to his attempt at entering the matrimonial world. Bala is a single man living in the United States and earning a handsome salary. He wants to find a bride for himself before his parents find one and force him to marry her. The main thread of the book is how Bala tries to find a woman, but we do get glimpses of Bala’s childhood and his life back in India.
The book is generously peppered with humor. Humor is a difficult genre (didn’t I say the same thing in my last review) and Durai scores well here. He is witty and humorous. His play with words leaves you laughing your heart out. There are some places where the humor looks too stretched. It looks as if Durai was trying too hard to come up with something witty. The jokes involving the gay character are examples.
Durai builds memorable characters. Bala evokes your emotions – you sympathize with him when a girl rejects him and rejoice when he finds a new candidate. Bala’s mom and dad add the right amount of humor required. Bala’s colleagues and his numerous potential candidates add variety and keep your interest perked. Even here the gay character was an eye sore. Also, I felt Bala’s colleagues could have used some more depth.
Our guy, Bala, is a big Rajinikant fan and I am guessing, so is the author. You will see dialogues from Rajini’s movies come up here and there. For someone like me who is not familiar with Tamil and Rajini’s dialogues, it’s interesting to read them in English. Every time I read a dialogue, I imagined Rajini delivering those lines with one of his well-known style.
I felt the ending was too rushed. It was obvious what was coming, but the way things culminated – it was a bit less dramatic and less romantic. Durai could have given more justification to Bala’s decision and made it more realistic.
A book’s cover makes the first impression on a reader’s mind. Durai’s book fails in this category. The book cover (at least the edition that I read), designed by Kedarnath Gupta, is tasteless. It does not depict the humor that the book is full of. The colors are drab and uninteresting. At the first glance, it was hard for me to even read the title and the author’s name.
Melvin Durai was born in India and is settled in North America. He writes humor columns and has won many accolades. For someone who was not brought up in India, Durai paints a realistic picture of India and the Indian culture. Melvin’s debut book comes as a breeze of fresh air when many Indian writers are attempting at writing books and failing. The book is short and sweet – it tickles your funny bones. For the small price, the book is value for money. I hope Durai takes this forward and writes a sequel. It will be interesting to read Bala’s take on the matrimonial world.
Bala takes the plunge is about Bala and the plunge here refers to his attempt at entering the matrimonial world. Bala is a single man living in the United States and earning a handsome salary. He wants to find a bride for himself before his parents find one and force him to marry her. The main thread of the book is how Bala tries to find a woman, but we do get glimpses of Bala’s childhood and his life back in India.
The book is generously peppered with humor. Humor is a difficult genre (didn’t I say the same thing in my last review) and Durai scores well here. He is witty and humorous. His play with words leaves you laughing your heart out. There are some places where the humor looks too stretched. It looks as if Durai was trying too hard to come up with something witty. The jokes involving the gay character are examples.
Durai builds memorable characters. Bala evokes your emotions – you sympathize with him when a girl rejects him and rejoice when he finds a new candidate. Bala’s mom and dad add the right amount of humor required. Bala’s colleagues and his numerous potential candidates add variety and keep your interest perked. Even here the gay character was an eye sore. Also, I felt Bala’s colleagues could have used some more depth.
Our guy, Bala, is a big Rajinikant fan and I am guessing, so is the author. You will see dialogues from Rajini’s movies come up here and there. For someone like me who is not familiar with Tamil and Rajini’s dialogues, it’s interesting to read them in English. Every time I read a dialogue, I imagined Rajini delivering those lines with one of his well-known style.
I felt the ending was too rushed. It was obvious what was coming, but the way things culminated – it was a bit less dramatic and less romantic. Durai could have given more justification to Bala’s decision and made it more realistic.
A book’s cover makes the first impression on a reader’s mind. Durai’s book fails in this category. The book cover (at least the edition that I read), designed by Kedarnath Gupta, is tasteless. It does not depict the humor that the book is full of. The colors are drab and uninteresting. At the first glance, it was hard for me to even read the title and the author’s name.
Melvin Durai was born in India and is settled in North America. He writes humor columns and has won many accolades. For someone who was not brought up in India, Durai paints a realistic picture of India and the Indian culture. Melvin’s debut book comes as a breeze of fresh air when many Indian writers are attempting at writing books and failing. The book is short and sweet – it tickles your funny bones. For the small price, the book is value for money. I hope Durai takes this forward and writes a sequel. It will be interesting to read Bala’s take on the matrimonial world.
June 16, 2015
Bala dreams of making Tamil films and directing his favourite actor, Rajnikanth – a dream that leads him, naturally, to study engineering in college. This earns him his dad’s approval and the opportunity to export himself to America. Well, as Director of Design at FlexIt Inc., thinking up new ways to help Americans shed the extra weight around their middles and in their wallets, he is at least some kind of director. Bala loves America, and America, it seems, loves him even more.
He has everything he needs to be happy: a green card, a satellite dish to watch cricket, and a companion to share his home – albeit one with a very limited vocabulary. But he is now less than a year away from the big 3–0 (even closer in India with the time difference) and if he doesn't act fast, he might have to settle for whichever bride his Amma chooses. So begins Bala’s quest for romance as he meets both American and Indian women, some who are too old, others too young, and yet others just too stuck up. Will he ever find someone just right for him – and good enough to inherit his mother’s Corelle dishes?
Melvin has been a humourist blogger and columnist for a long time and if you have been aware of his writing style, you will not be surprised at the jokes by twisting the english language, making fun of the rituals and traditions of South Indian families and all the more, the crude in-your-face repartees about body parts. Does that made me laugh? Most of the times, yes. At other times, humour fall flat.
The writer takes inspiration from his own work and even though some of the lines/paragraphs are straight away lifted from his own columns, it still almost is seamlessly incorporated in the narrative. Melvin takes the universal theme of arrange marriage and set it in the context of a socially inept and sexually frustrated South Indian male. There is very little structure or a concrete story here, what keeps the book going despite of these flaws is the witty and almost, amusing dialogues.
There are cheesy lines and PJ kind of jokes butted in, but then the book is not for the purists in any case. It makes fun of homosexuality and feminists; It tickles ribs at politicians, cricketers, administrators and journalists. What brings the book down is the last 30 odd pages where it acquires strangely serious tone as Bala decides to take marriage vows. It comes out of the blue and looks unconvincing and a tad, contrived.
I am going with 3.5/5 for Melvin Durai's 'Bala takes the Plunge'. Save out for that cop-out climax, the book is a laugh riot waiting to be explored. Don't judge it by purity standards, just for the humour quotient and an intention to have hearty laughs on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
He has everything he needs to be happy: a green card, a satellite dish to watch cricket, and a companion to share his home – albeit one with a very limited vocabulary. But he is now less than a year away from the big 3–0 (even closer in India with the time difference) and if he doesn't act fast, he might have to settle for whichever bride his Amma chooses. So begins Bala’s quest for romance as he meets both American and Indian women, some who are too old, others too young, and yet others just too stuck up. Will he ever find someone just right for him – and good enough to inherit his mother’s Corelle dishes?
Melvin has been a humourist blogger and columnist for a long time and if you have been aware of his writing style, you will not be surprised at the jokes by twisting the english language, making fun of the rituals and traditions of South Indian families and all the more, the crude in-your-face repartees about body parts. Does that made me laugh? Most of the times, yes. At other times, humour fall flat.
The writer takes inspiration from his own work and even though some of the lines/paragraphs are straight away lifted from his own columns, it still almost is seamlessly incorporated in the narrative. Melvin takes the universal theme of arrange marriage and set it in the context of a socially inept and sexually frustrated South Indian male. There is very little structure or a concrete story here, what keeps the book going despite of these flaws is the witty and almost, amusing dialogues.
There are cheesy lines and PJ kind of jokes butted in, but then the book is not for the purists in any case. It makes fun of homosexuality and feminists; It tickles ribs at politicians, cricketers, administrators and journalists. What brings the book down is the last 30 odd pages where it acquires strangely serious tone as Bala decides to take marriage vows. It comes out of the blue and looks unconvincing and a tad, contrived.
I am going with 3.5/5 for Melvin Durai's 'Bala takes the Plunge'. Save out for that cop-out climax, the book is a laugh riot waiting to be explored. Don't judge it by purity standards, just for the humour quotient and an intention to have hearty laughs on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
February 4, 2011
The most important phrasal question posed in the book for any Bollywood and Cricket lover is ... Lagaan 2, 3, 4, 5? - the rest of the book being zoned out by peeping yardsticks. (22, to be precise).
One of the mechanistic pluses of this book is that it has a gag a page and previews sufficiently intended puns. I guess it is family safe, except for having Flex-Appeal where you pray that you exercise the flab out of your innuendo before it trickles down to your kids.
I'm not going to spill the plot except that the girl gets the boy, while he is janitorially busy mopping up the floor (who wouldn't...? I mean, ...spill this part of the plot...). And when the ground beneath her feet is figuratively swept away, literally Rushdie is involved for a measure of back-up, greased and fizzed with junk food.
If you don't feel the spark of matrimonial humour while reading this book, then blame your coming of age rituals.
An archetype engineer who doctors machines to scream perfect figure, gets really fat with age at thorty (thirty going on forty). While building up a fortune in a name-wronged country, where Nivea could marry Colgate, our hero is obsessed with reinventing the spare-tyres of lore.
His directorial debut of companionship, adopting America from the shelter, isn't blockbuster lifestyle enough and the director of long job titles seeks to direct advertorial matchmakers.
When America gets to sniff Serenity without much dogged persuasion, astronomical balding is put aside and makes for a couple who in spite of their long-drive marital aspirations remain friends with spark-plugs (or rather sparks plugged).
Bumbling cousin-idols stop playing coy and become musicals with benefits, and our boy who is still the center of the pin-up plot erects a monument in honor of parental skirt-chasing and flags the motherland plane.
Amidst slender one-word repliers and girls as little spoilt as those who would have had let them eat cake, a lax woman cartoonist who is a press-ing interlude enters dramatically.
Priya, the girl, doesn't shake on this theater, as the finally unfolding classroom romance lightens up in the end as the boy gets hen-sponsored towards mustering realistic film-craft.
The in-laws guess that they get to be happy with the portending dowry of free newspaper subscriptions.
I won't be too harsh to say that this is humor writing with genius, but you could thumb up the dictionary to H for happy-endings.
One of the mechanistic pluses of this book is that it has a gag a page and previews sufficiently intended puns. I guess it is family safe, except for having Flex-Appeal where you pray that you exercise the flab out of your innuendo before it trickles down to your kids.
I'm not going to spill the plot except that the girl gets the boy, while he is janitorially busy mopping up the floor (who wouldn't...? I mean, ...spill this part of the plot...). And when the ground beneath her feet is figuratively swept away, literally Rushdie is involved for a measure of back-up, greased and fizzed with junk food.
If you don't feel the spark of matrimonial humour while reading this book, then blame your coming of age rituals.
An archetype engineer who doctors machines to scream perfect figure, gets really fat with age at thorty (thirty going on forty). While building up a fortune in a name-wronged country, where Nivea could marry Colgate, our hero is obsessed with reinventing the spare-tyres of lore.
His directorial debut of companionship, adopting America from the shelter, isn't blockbuster lifestyle enough and the director of long job titles seeks to direct advertorial matchmakers.
When America gets to sniff Serenity without much dogged persuasion, astronomical balding is put aside and makes for a couple who in spite of their long-drive marital aspirations remain friends with spark-plugs (or rather sparks plugged).
Bumbling cousin-idols stop playing coy and become musicals with benefits, and our boy who is still the center of the pin-up plot erects a monument in honor of parental skirt-chasing and flags the motherland plane.
Amidst slender one-word repliers and girls as little spoilt as those who would have had let them eat cake, a lax woman cartoonist who is a press-ing interlude enters dramatically.
Priya, the girl, doesn't shake on this theater, as the finally unfolding classroom romance lightens up in the end as the boy gets hen-sponsored towards mustering realistic film-craft.
The in-laws guess that they get to be happy with the portending dowry of free newspaper subscriptions.
I won't be too harsh to say that this is humor writing with genius, but you could thumb up the dictionary to H for happy-endings.
November 10, 2011
The simple story is a vehicle to carry the heavy load of brilliant wit and humor. Bala is about to crash into the big 3-0 and feels it's time to take a bride. At first he is overwhelmed; with his good looks so many girls will want to be his bride. They will fight for his attention, affection, and arousal. How can he ever pick just one! Bala decides not to move to Utah, Salt Lake City, since he already has too much salt in his diet. His awful dilemma is lessened when he sees a bald spot (on his head, where else?)
Bala has to decide whether his bride will be an American or an Indian. He grows up in India and then immigrates to the United States where he has success in designing exercise equipment. Part of this success is that with his exercise equipment it's easy to sweat without much exercise, so people can pig-out without guilt. His mother in India is eager to find him a nice girl.
Bala flies to India to meet three girls hand-picked by Mommy, but these girls are not for him. Will Bala ever get his bride and find happiness? This light-hearted comedy guarantees it--the "get his bride" part.
When we read Melvin Durai, whether his humor website or this novel, we are privileged to meet with genius. And with genius the material is original! He doesn't "borrow" funny remarks that others just happened to say first. I reread Bala Takes The Plunge and underlined all the funny lines. I had underlining on almost all pages and some pages were mostly underlined. His wordplay is wonderful! This is not an exaggeration. (As a humorist he could go far, the farther away the better for other humorists. Dave Barry could be jealous if he didn't have that Pulitzer Prize medal glittering in his eye. I don't know which eye.)
This fiction should delight all intelligent readers, and the rest of us too. Bala takes the plunge, and readers should plunge into this story and then surface to much laughter. Since the 1980s this is one of the three best novels of humor!
Robert Clyde Moore, Oddball Squadron
Bala has to decide whether his bride will be an American or an Indian. He grows up in India and then immigrates to the United States where he has success in designing exercise equipment. Part of this success is that with his exercise equipment it's easy to sweat without much exercise, so people can pig-out without guilt. His mother in India is eager to find him a nice girl.
Bala flies to India to meet three girls hand-picked by Mommy, but these girls are not for him. Will Bala ever get his bride and find happiness? This light-hearted comedy guarantees it--the "get his bride" part.
When we read Melvin Durai, whether his humor website or this novel, we are privileged to meet with genius. And with genius the material is original! He doesn't "borrow" funny remarks that others just happened to say first. I reread Bala Takes The Plunge and underlined all the funny lines. I had underlining on almost all pages and some pages were mostly underlined. His wordplay is wonderful! This is not an exaggeration. (As a humorist he could go far, the farther away the better for other humorists. Dave Barry could be jealous if he didn't have that Pulitzer Prize medal glittering in his eye. I don't know which eye.)
This fiction should delight all intelligent readers, and the rest of us too. Bala takes the plunge, and readers should plunge into this story and then surface to much laughter. Since the 1980s this is one of the three best novels of humor!
Robert Clyde Moore, Oddball Squadron
January 19, 2011
I would have called Melvin Durai's "Bala takes the plunge" (Hachette India)
a gentle story, only it is a virtual minefield with puns and double meanings
exploding unexpectedly right and left.
The story is about Balasubramanium Balasubramanium, called Bala, in short,
or even, occasionally, Bill. Bala wants to be a movie director, but thanks
to Indian parental pressure he lands up as a health gadget company director
in the US. He has passed his BE from Shri Harichandran Institute of
Technology, which has later changed its name to Thiru Harichandran Institute
of Technology because THIT is a better acronym.
The book deals with the journey of Bala from the land of Rajnikanth to the
US of A. Incidentally, Bala's mother Amma declares that she is the biggest
fan of Rajnikanth, only to be told by Appa to start dieting so that she can
reduce.
Bala is caught between familiar pressures of parental wishes and receding
hairlines to marry quickly. Can Bala decide to marry an American, who fits
his criteria of fair and slim, or at least half of them, or will Bala be
forced to decide between the three beauties that his parents have lined up,
which includes a Dubai based not-so-slim lady with an equally large dowry?
As the book romps along rollickingly from one situation to another, Melvin
shows how knotty situations can have naughty solutions. Meanwhile you are
treated to a variety of puns and humour with a Desi tadka.
The Tamil Nadu born and Canada based writer Melvin Durai has probably
interspersed a large part of his own life into the story. So one can
definitely say that he has lead a very funny life. At the end you are almost
sorry that the book at a short 192 pages gets over a little too soon. Here's
waiting for your next venture, Melvin.
Kishore Shah
a gentle story, only it is a virtual minefield with puns and double meanings
exploding unexpectedly right and left.
The story is about Balasubramanium Balasubramanium, called Bala, in short,
or even, occasionally, Bill. Bala wants to be a movie director, but thanks
to Indian parental pressure he lands up as a health gadget company director
in the US. He has passed his BE from Shri Harichandran Institute of
Technology, which has later changed its name to Thiru Harichandran Institute
of Technology because THIT is a better acronym.
The book deals with the journey of Bala from the land of Rajnikanth to the
US of A. Incidentally, Bala's mother Amma declares that she is the biggest
fan of Rajnikanth, only to be told by Appa to start dieting so that she can
reduce.
Bala is caught between familiar pressures of parental wishes and receding
hairlines to marry quickly. Can Bala decide to marry an American, who fits
his criteria of fair and slim, or at least half of them, or will Bala be
forced to decide between the three beauties that his parents have lined up,
which includes a Dubai based not-so-slim lady with an equally large dowry?
As the book romps along rollickingly from one situation to another, Melvin
shows how knotty situations can have naughty solutions. Meanwhile you are
treated to a variety of puns and humour with a Desi tadka.
The Tamil Nadu born and Canada based writer Melvin Durai has probably
interspersed a large part of his own life into the story. So one can
definitely say that he has lead a very funny life. At the end you are almost
sorry that the book at a short 192 pages gets over a little too soon. Here's
waiting for your next venture, Melvin.
Kishore Shah
March 20, 2011
Bala Takes the Plunge, written by Melvin Durai, is a very funny and sweet book! This really will make a great romantic comedy movie as well! Love it!Bala Takes the Plunge
October 19, 2010
2.5......... a quick breezy timepass read
October 19, 2010
Absolutely hilarious! Loved it.
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