In a short period of time, Grey Oak Publishers have created quite a name for themselves in encouraging young authors, bloggers and giving a chance to debutante writers. Multi – story anthologies with works from a variety of authors maybe the best thing for first time writers. And this is where the anthologies like ‘Urban Shots: Bright Lights’ come in. This one has 29 stories from 21 writers across varied backgrounds.

The blurb goes like this -

Edited by bestselling author, Paritosh Uttam, this anthology offers snapshots of interesting characters in Urban India. The ten – year – old mathematics loving girl, haunted by memories of her dead mother. The man who buys expensive gifts for married women; an India who can name every American state in alphabetical order; a boy who knows more about the extra – marital affairs of his parents; a baby with secrets of his own; the pesky Maami in the neighbourhood, with a cure for every ailment.

Racy, compelling and heart rending stories of urban lives and characters by popular writers such as Paritosh Uttam, R. Chandrasekar, Malathi Jaikumar, Ahmed Faiyaz and a number of popular bloggers and debutante writers.

If we consider the number of stories alone, there are bound to be some good and some bad ones. The best thing about an anthology is the fact that one can read the stories depending on the interest and time. It doesn’t demand reading all of them in one single sitting.

And so I have made a list of my top 10 stories (Not in any order) of this ‘Urban Shots’ collection. They have heart and soul. Some make you nostalgic while others make you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. Most of them make you go through them again and again.

1. Amul by Arvind Chandrashekhar

2. Across the Seas by Ahmed Faiyaz

3. Maami Menace by Pradeep D. Raj

4. Father of my Son by Roshan Radhakrishnan

5. The Bengal Tigress by Malathi Jaikumar

6. PK Koshy’s Daily Routine by John Mathew

7. Paisley Printed Memories by Sneh Thakur

8. You Eternal Beauty by Naman Saraiya

9. Hot Masala by Jhangir Kerawala

10. The Raincoat by Rashmi Sahi

If short stories are your thing, ‘Urban Shots: Bright Lights’ would be an interesting addition to your reading library.

Rating – 3/5

http://crispingcanary.blogspot.in/2012/03/urban-shots-book-review.html “I enjoyed Kailash Srinivasan’s ‘High Time’ because of the dialogues primarily. Natural, funny and effortless…”

http://aspoonfullofworld.blogspot.in/2012/03/urban-shots-book-review.html – “Kailash Srinivasan’s a little off beat ‘High Time‘ humored me especially because of its South Indian stereotypes…”

http://flashnewstoday.com/index.php/urban-shots-the-love-collection/ – “High Time – hilarious play of words and expressions that turn the tables…”

http://prats.co.in/urban-shots-the-love-collection/ – “High Time (Kailash Srinivasan) – A beautiful story which will leave you in the fits of laughter”

http://dfuse.in/reviews-all/book-reviews/review-urban-shots-love-collection/ “High Time, Kailash Srinivasan, for its use of humour and sarcasm”

http://momofrs.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/book-review-urban-shots-the-love-collection/ “High Time brings its giggles and smiles.

http://twinklingtinawrites.blogspot.in/2012/03/book-review-urban-shots-love-collection.html   “Some other stories worth commenting are ‘High Time’ by Kailash Srinivasan”

http://www.bookchums.com/book/urban-shots-the-love-collection/9789381626474/MzE0MjA=.html# – “Kailash Srinivasan’s ‘High Time’ is a pleasant humorous take on the prelude to arranged marriage.”

http://apublicdiary.blogspot.in/2012/03/book-review-urban-shots.html

http://bhaskarranjan.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/urban-shots-the-love-collection/

“URBAN SHOTS – BRIGHT LIGHTS”

Edited By : Paritosh Uttam,

Published By : Greyoak/Westland

Pages : 204 (Rs. 199/-)

“URBAN SHOTS – BRIGHT LIGHTS” is a compilation of 28 short-stories. Twenty-two  talented writers have come together to lift your mood, to tickle your funny bones and to rekindle some kind of bitter sweet memories. Paritosh Uttam is the editor of this anthology that gives you a glimpse of a wide array of talents the Indian Literary Scene has come to possess. Sample this in editor’s own words in the preamble of this book, “The resounding success of Urban Shots only reinforced our belief that the readers are out there: we just need to reach them with well-told, heartfelt stories of people and places they are familiar with.”

Going through this preamble gives the confidence to the reader that he/she is in for a real treat. Mr. Paritosh Uttam has carefully chosen these 28 stories to entertain reader. The best thing about this anthology is one finds all sorts of stories here, especially the comic ones to tickle your funny bones. For example, “Alabama To Wyoming” by the editor himself amuses the reader. He cleverly exploits our craze for all things American and how sometimes we end up making a fool of ourselves in the bargain. “Father Of My Son” by Roshan Radhakrishnan is surely going to make you go crazy with laughter especially if you happen to be a parent of children aged below ten ears. Every time I look at my sons, I cannot help thinking about the hilarious “Father Of My Son”. Mr. Roshan Radhakrishnan has indeed shown a lot of promise as a story-teller in this short-story.

“Amul” by Arvind Chandrashekar takes you on an emotional roller-coaster ride and at the end you notice yourself wiping a few tears from the corner of your eyes. Naman Saraiya’s “Eternal Beauty” takes you on a Calcutta tour. The description of this city is so vivid that you can picture the entire landscape vividly in your mind’s eye. The end to “Eternal Beauty” makes you want to go back to the story from the first word to understand the story fully in case you have missed out on something interesting. “Hot Masala” by Jhangir Kerawala is a dark comedy whose central character is both a tragic hero and someone you will feel like sympathizing with. I cannot stop smiling after reading Kunal Dhabalia’s “Weeping Girl” and Arefa Tehsin’s “Hot Pants”. Both these stories are laced with a liberal dose of humour and not to mention the suspenseful ends to jolt the reader.

Mr. Ahmed Faiyaz’s “Across The Seas” leaves you dewy eyed. It’s very important to acknowledge the sacrifices of our dear ones and near ones made with a view to providing us a good future. He has done so in style. “Good Morning Nikhil” captures the pride of a father of a new born son who tends to invoke childhood memories. “It’s All Good” and “Ready, Jet Set Go!” are a commentary on contemporary India. How everybody wants to chase success sans inner peace. The style is simple and the lucidity of his prose leaves you spellbound.

Since I am into sales and marketing, I loved Sneh Thakur’s “Jo Dikhta Hai, Woh Bikta Hai’. The manner in which a trainee sales executive fresh from MBA college goes about achieving his monthly target to hold on to his first job brought back the memories of my first job as a Medical Rep. From the first word to the last word, this story is replete with funny anecdotes and you have a hearty laugh at the expense of Sales Manager Devmoy and hapless trainee Vikram. Sneh Thakur has done everything to make the readers laugh out loud.

Salil Chaturvedi’s “Silk” and “The Window Seat” impress you with smart word play. Mydhil Varma’s “The Ping In A Poke” is a funny take on these emails arriving in your inbox with a promise to make you rich overnight. All the stories are contemporary and read like a part of your day to day routine. “Maami Menace” by Pradeep D Raj is a funny story of a pesky old lady. We all can claim to have encountered such a character once in our life time.

In conclusion, I can say with all sincerity that “URBAN SHOTS – BRIGHT LIGHTS” will evoke laughter, mirth, humour, awe and inspiration in equal measure. There are no dull moments here. Keep turning the pages and get ready to feel genuinely bemused or pleasantly shocked till you reach the last words of any story. Please keep a handkerchief too by your side in case some stories provide that safety valve to your pent up emotions. This book is worth cherishing and a must-read.

“URBAN SHOTS – LOVE COLLECTION” 

GreyOak/Westland,

226 Pages (199/-)

“URBAN SHOTS – LOVE COLLECTION” as the title suggests is all about love and its various celebrations. Show me one person who has never fallen in love. At some or other point in our lives, we all have fallen in love. Whether we have succeeded in getting that love or not is an altogether different issue. However, the fact remains that we all have the stories of our first crushes and our love-at-first-sights to tell. Perhaps this is precisely why the mushy love stories make for an interesting read. Most of the times, they end up striking the right chords in every reader irrespective of his/her age.

“URBAN SHOTS – LOVE COLLECTION” is a collection of 31 love stories. The editor, Sneh Thakur has seamlessly merged these stories that keep the reader engrossed till the very last page. 29 writers have contributed stories to make this collection enjoyable and memorable. All the stories are reflective of the changes that are sweeping across the modern India. When one thinks of a love-story of earlier times, what comes to the mind is a boy meeting the girl and falling for her. After a little bit of persuasion, the girl relents, and when the romance is about to blossom, the parents come to know of this. They start throwing all kinds of spanners in the way of the lovers forcing them to either flee or commit suicides. Nothing could beat a love-story with a tragic end. Readers’ sympathies are always with the doomed lovers.

But now the times have changed and along with these changing times, the idea of  love too has undergone a sea change. In this modern tales of love collection,  love is the central character. People fall in love and they face different types of challenges and dilemmas. It is not at all necessary that a boy falls in love with a girl and vice versa. A boy can fall in love even with a boy. No eyebrows raised. No questions asked. This is what Lipi Mehta cleverly captures in “Twisted”. Sneh Thakur’s “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” tells the tale of betrayal and subsequent mistrust that nearly ruins the relationship. Sneh Thakur tells the story in such a way that reader keeps thinking about the protagonists Mala and Dev.

“Rishta”, “Strangers” and “Coffee?” by the master story-teller Ahmed Faiyaz explore the themes of love, loneliness, deception and frustration in a refreshing way. “Coffee?” reads like a chapter from a novel. The reader wants to know more about the key characters but the sudden ends of these stories leave a lot to the reader’s imagination. “A Simple Question” by Naman Saraiya is vibrating with youthful energy and its unexpected end leaves the reader with a lot of simple questions. “For Convenience’s Sake” by Paritosh Uttam is about an opportunity missed or not utilized and the remorse thereafter. You never stop chuckling to yourself as Prashant struggles to come to terms with what he has lost through a monologue.

The Love Collection is overflowing with the poetry. Love tends to turn its subject into a poet. No love story is complete without poetry and exchanges of love-letters between the two soul-mates. One has plenty of these two in this collection. Rohini Kejriwal’s “My Familiar” drops subtle hints at the love that tends to run its course after some time and the loyalty of either partner seems questionable. “The Jhalmuri Seller” by Bhabani Shankar Kar leaves the reader praying for Aslam and Rehaana’s future. Who would have thought that a Jhalmuri Seller will play such an important role? “Invisible Touch” by Jairaj Padmanabhan makes the reader feel sorry for Smitha. The similar pangs of sympathy reader feels for Radhika of “Reality Bytes” by Anitha Murhty. Richa S Chatterjee’s “A Good Day” keeps increasing the heart beats till the final words.

All the stories deal with the question of what next after love. Do all the lovers succeed? Are they able to keep the flames of love burning till eternity? The contemporary touch and feel in each story keeps tugging at your heart strings. In a nutshell, ”URBAN SHOTS – LOVE COLLECTION” is Beyond Reasonable Doubt gives High Time to the readers who know Love Is Blind and they can ask A Simple Question over a cup of Coffee at The Coffee Shop so that they can have  A Good Day and establish a life-long Rishta For Convenience’s Sake and seek Closure too.

If you’re in love, go for ”URBAN SHOTS – LOVE COLLECTION”. Even if you are not in love but want to fall in love, then also go for it. You are bound to enjoy those emotions reverberating through each page of this book.

URBAN SHOTS CROSSROADS (30 Urban Stories by 26 Authors)

Edited By Ahmed Faiyaz

Published By Grey Oak/Westland

Pages : 217 (Rs. 199/-)

There are books that we tend to read slowly by allowing the meaning of each word to sink in before moving on to the next. Then, there are books that as soon as we start reading and are past a few pages, we want to finish them.  The reason the books in question have captured our imagination instantly. We are able to relate to the stories, plots, dialogue and characters effortlessly. We end up striking quick rapport with them and we don’t feel like leaving them until we have known them thoroughly. In other words, we end up reading those books till the last pages without even stopping to breathe. Finishing the readings of those books becomes the only goal worth devoting time in life. I am sure this has happened with every book lover some or other time.

“Crossroads” is one such book. It is a compelling read. The editor of “Crossroads”, Mr. Ahmed Faiyaz who is a best-selling authors of Love, Life and all that Jazz and Another Chance seems to have put in a lot of hard-work in choosing the stories featured here with utmost care. He deserves a lot of credit for accomplishing the objective of this anthology in such a flawless manner.  The tile of this anthology “Crossroads” is a short-story written by Mr. Faiyaz himself – a story that is full of so many twists and turns and ends with a shocking suspense that it takes a while for the reader to get over that shock. Almost all the stories featured in this collection have stings in their tales. They are fresh and brimming with enthusiasm. The commonest thing amongst all these stories is that the reader is in for a big shock when he or she reaches the last words of the stories.

The two short-stories “Pity” and “Baba Premanand’s Yoga Class” by Paritosh Uttam leave the readers with a contented smile. His style is so eloquent and vivid that we can easily visualize his characters and their dilemmas as they unfold. The best thing about these two stories are they keep readers smiling for a long time. “The Power Cut” by Maryann Taylor depicts the trauma that a child goes through when the fights between his parents break out. She has given a new feel to this now very common urban phenomenon. Rohini Kejriwal’s “Categories” takes the readers by a real surprise. Her devil-may-care style reads as smoothly as a boat sailing on the calm waters. Vrinda Baliga’s “Virtual Reality” comes like a storm awakening the reader from a rude shock by leaving all his senses numb.

Shailaditya Chakraborty’s “Gautam Gargoyle” is a grim reminder of what goes on in the modern work places like call centers. The tragic end of this short-story brings tears to the eyes and the reader feels like reading the story again and again. The heart goes out to this very likeable protagonist Gautam. That perhaps explains why this short-story is the editor’s pick. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I ought to say almost all the stories in this anthology have come as a breath of fresh air and their reading evokes some or other memories from reader’s past the way Chandrima Pal’s “Hako” brought back the memories of a long lost childhood friend whom I remembered the moment I finished reading “Hako”.  Since they are short-stories, the reader can go back to them whenever the mood permits to re-experience those memories.

“Wrong Strokes”, for Deepalya, “The Last Week” by Venkatraghavan Srinivasan, “The Pink Slip” by Malcolm Carvalho make us realize how selfish we have become. They make us pause for a while to ponder over what we are doing is right or wrong. However hard I tried, I couldn’t understand what “Childlish Love” by Reeti Gadekar was all about. Similarly, Gayatri Hingorani’s “Everyone Has A Story” failed to produce that aha effect.

“Mervin” is one short-story I’ve been waiting to lay my hands on ever since Mr. Faiyaz had tweeted to say he had figured out how to bring the story “Mervin”( that he was writing for the next anthology from Grey Oak Publishers) to an end. “Mervin” left me absolutely delighted. Mr. Ahmed Faiyaz knows the pulse of his readers. He has given the cracker of an ending to “Mervin” to shock his readers out of their chairs.

That said, of all the 30 stories “Plummet” by Avnee Rajesh & Pranav Mukul is the one I liked the most. It leaves the readers with an important question as to why we realize the value of a person after he/she is no more. “Jump, Didi” by Sharath Komarraju also tries to explore the question of existence if a person is not happy in life. Does he have the right to take his own life?

I certainly want to stick my neck out for Urban Shots Crossroads. It never fails to amaze, amuse and entertain the readers. It’s a convenient read as the reader can start reading this collection from any short-story he takes fancy to. The stories keep coming to haunt the readers just like the tune of a good number that we tend to hum under our breath unconsciously.  In a nutshell, Crossroads is worth going for.

Edited by Ahmed Faiyaz and Rohini Kejriwal

Urban Shots set the ball rolling for Grey Oak Publishers I feel – in the shot story segment – especially in and for the Indian society.

Urban Shots was a major success and rightly so. And Down The Road is a good follow up.

Focusing on the main theme of campus fiction, the book has 28 short stories, contributed by 16 authors, edited by Ahmed Faiyaz and Rohini Kejriwal. All 28 short stories revolve around growing up years in schools, colleges, universities and also forays into adulthood.

Ahmed Faiyaz has contributed 9 stories, Rohini wrote 2, just like Ira Trivedi, Sneh Thakur, Paritosh Uttam and Malathi Jaikumar. The rest 10 authors have one story each. And they span the entire canvas of growing up years –from being in school, getting suspended for making trouble, harassing the teacher/professor, falling in love, falling in love with the teacher/professor, arranging illegal parties in hostel rooms, bunking college, getting ragged, falling in love, getting your heart broken, procuring a good placement, hanging out with friends, politics in college life, friendship, growing up, saying good-bye…oh the moments are unique and countless!

It’s a wonder how all the stories bring back a certain part of life we’ve lived carelessly. Looking back, those moments seem more loved than present life- thanks to Down The Road.

Quite a few contributing authors are first timers while most have shared and basked in the glory of Urban Shots.

Yes this one indeed is an exciting and eclectic collection of short stories that brings out all those memories – unforgettable, warm, thrilling, and at times embarrassing – of life in school and college campuses. High on emotions and sensitivity, all the authors have portrayed different styles, ideas and narration techniques.

My personal favorites include:

*The Music Room by Ira Trivedi – the emotions portrayed touch your heart.

*Welcome to St. Gibbs by Ahmed Faiyaz – a very relatable story, for most guys I’m sure!

*That’s It? by Sahil Khan – the thing about his stories is that they might not be as unique overall – but the endings – boy! Does he nail it or what! It’s usually the last para or the last line of his story that makes it shine. And leaves behind a smile.

*Call me biased but I do like Paritosh Uttam’s stories. Sororicide and Between Friends both of them are well crafted.

*An Accidental Start by Kunal Dhabalia has a wonderful concept and it instills the idea of reading and writing in us.

*Just A Moment by Nikhil Rajagopalan is very realistic.

*Remember Me? by Ahmed Faiyaz again is a good one.

*Bellow Yellow by Chinmayi Bali is very touching.

Then of course are the articles and essays that paint features of campus life in our lives.

Wait…am I almost jotting down all of them?!

Sorry. Can’t help it – they all are fantastic and readable.

This definitely goes up in my bookshelf along with Urban Shots – which can be read over and over again without losing any bit of their luster.

So for kids in schools / colleges and even us – workaholics who sometimes are unable to spare a moment from our busy lives to reminisce the ‘good old days’, Down The Road urges you to take a while off and bring back memories to cherish forever.

Enjoy it and treasure it.

I got talking and digging for more about this beautiful, chirpy and multi-talented lady.

In a nut shell, tell us about Sneh Thakur.

I would best describe myself in 6 words as: Pint Sized Rapunzel. On a Cloud.

I’m 29 years old, born to a Rajput father and a Malyali mom – so dinner conversations were never dull! With 6 years of a career in FMCG under the belt in various leading FMCG companies in roles ranging from Sales, Business Intelligence, Innovation and Brand Management, I’ve travelled and explored India in a ‘real’ way which is one of the reasons why I love my job. My life-long loves have been of music that moves- U2, the lyrical quality of Jim Morrison and reading – A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry being my all time favorite.
Is it true that you made your way to India travelling across refugee camps? Looking back, is there an experience you’d like to share with us?

I was born in Kuwait and spent the first decade of my life there. When the Kuwait war broke out, the NRI community had to leave the country under difficult circumstances. It was at that point that my parents, who had every luxury in the world, had to bring me (then 11 years old) and my younger sister back to India. The journey involved travelling from Kuwait to Jordan on a long bus journey and camping as refugees in the deserts of Amman, Jordan till we got to safety and were flown into India. I believe in seeing the brighter side of life and remember an incident – it was midnight and the light from an innovatively created lamp (cottons wicks dipped in the remaining sardine oil from canned foods) lit the tent we were in and my sister and I spotted for the first time in our lives a Scorpion in the sand and almost picked it up. Thank god mom was close by! We all have a good laugh about “Deepti (my sister) and Sneh’s adventures in the desert” now.
We also read about you selling candy on the streets of Howrah. Could you elaborate that account?

My first assignment in the corporate world was as a Management Trainee for a major FMCG Confectionery company. I was based in Kolkata and as a trainee was expected to go through the learning ropes in Sales (due to which I am a better professional today). The first step involved starting from the scratch and seeing how “field sales” was done – so we could in time become better managers and leaders. This involved going to the market with boxes of candy and making sales calls – almost 55 to 60 shops a day. It was an amazing, tough experience but I must say that the shopkeepers in Howrah were very kind and generous and a smile was often enough to convince them!
Would you like to share, with your readers, your tryst with writing?

My tryst with writing started as a teenager when I’d keep a journal and play out with great drama my life, my friends and my angst at times! But in recent years I found myself turning to it very naturally as a form of self expression in blogging, notes, short stories, flash fiction and poems. In the corporate world you draft out oodles of memos and presentations every week, and I guess all the quick typing practice had to find a more creative outlet!
Tell us about your stories in “Down The Road”. What brought about the ideation?

I have written 2 stories in “Down the Road”. The first one is called “The Café with No Name” and is set in a Parsi café in Mumbai. When Ahmed Faiyaz of Grey Oak offered the opportunity for me to contribute, he mentioned that the tales had to have a campus connect. “The Café with no Name” is an off beat campus story revolving around the protagonist Dinshaw, a Parsi Café owner and the unlikely friendship that develops between him and a student who visits the café. As a student at SIBM, Pune I often used to travel in Pune and Mumbai for unique culinary experiences. This story is inspired by many a gastronomic delight!

The 2nd story “Fresher” is set in Indore and is about a spunky girl from Delhi who lands up there and her experiences in settling in to her new life from school to college, a different city, being a fresher and dealing with the challenges presented in a brave, resilient way. For me, this was an important story to tell as I know of many young kids from cities who end up going to smaller towns very different from their cocooned city life and getting bogged down by ‘seniors’ and ‘introduction sessions’. For me the ideation on this was to inspire young college goers to be who they are and not worry about the rest.
An exciting weekend for you would comprise…?

Since this is an fantasy question, I’m gonna have fun with it, so let me pick my favourites from all the cities I have lived, worked in:

A play with Naseeruddin Shah  at Prithvi Theatre, Lunch at one of Bandra’s world class restaurants; Endless conversations with friends; the rain in Delhi, the smell of the scented earth after and an evening walk at Lodhi Gardens, and perhaps a boat ride and barbeque in Muscat, Oman!
Read her stories in Down The Road and see the talent of this real Pint Sized Rapunzel. On a Cloud.