Those Were the
Days by N.S. Ravi is a promising read. Written in a letter form, this work of
non-fiction is anytime more riveting than a fictional copy. What’s so special?
Well, the book is about India – the author has beautifully captured the first
50 years of a country after its independence. Today’s young people may not have
seen what all India went through and achieved in last 50 to 70 years, but N.S.
Ravi was there. He was enjoying and experiencing, and of course noting it all
down to pass on to his next generation i.e. his daughter and son (Vinthu and
Vinayak). It’s mere not a book but a sort of unspoken legacy that he has
managed to pass on successfully.
As one delves
deep into the book, one chapter after another, you will be enthralled to know
that the author himself is a well-qualified person to write this book, because
throughout the book he mentioned about his sojourns in Africa, Europe, and other countries. With time, probably he saw India growing as a nation from
just-got independence to developing nation, like a father who watches his
children growing from nascent to adulthood.
The more you
read, the more you feel like living into the good old days. That time
everything was fun and had its own peculiar charm, thus, he titled it ‘Those
Were the Days’ and this term has been repeated throughout the book. In total,
there are thirty short good chapters in the book – in fact these are the
letters written to his son and daughter. He wanted them to know what India was
when they were not born or growing up. More or less, the book holds the voice
of a common man which collectively and ultimately shaped the future of our
nation. You will be delighted that the author had put no political or
objectionable content – it was as pure as nature’s sunlight – holistic and
bright. That’s something good about N.S. Ravi.
The dazzling
points in the book are personal experiences and memories spiraling out from his
and others lives. Be it any chapter, whether on train, flight, music, boss,
property – the insights are valuable and worth noting down. How did Maruti cars
appeared in the Indian markets, why did calculator operators held good jobs
then, did you know how Hamaara Bajaj became Maara Baja, Tamil schools in Delhi,
beer offerings in the Indian flights, when was Rajdhani trains introduced and
much more, probably if you Google all this, you may not get proper or serialized
answers, but this book has all for you. Simply, it is a powerful book,
especially who think that India has achieved nothing in last 50 to 70 years or
people doing research on India as a country.
Since the book
is epistolary in nature, a touch of personal aspirations and aspects has been
delivered perfectly. This is N.S. Ravi’s first non-fiction work, but it looks
as he has been into literary arena since ages. His wisdom and choice of lucid
language usage is evident from the comfort levels of readers, indeed a much
appreciated book for all sorts of readers.
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