Book Review: Jamba - The Joint Family
- In Book Reviews
- 09:32 PM, Aug 24, 2016
- Saiswaroopa Iyer
One institution that represents the average Indian society, swinging between bitter sweet descriptions and emotions and sadly is the most mis-represented in popular media culture is the Joint family. Between the unrealistically sanskaar preaching families shown in a Rajshri film and the horrifying and scheming families with nauseatingly portrayed psychotic characters as depicted in the TV soaps, the real Indian family never got its due. The debutante author Sriram Balasubramanian exactly addresses this problem with his realistic portrayal of today’s cosmopolitan joint family in JAMBA.
Narrated in first person from the eyes of a fictional protagonist Karthik, the story deals with the dramatic run up to the much awaited wedding of Lalitha (affectionately called Lalu), his cousin whom his family dotes upon. JAMBA’s joint family is very much the typical South Indian family we all connect to. Drooling over the US returned nephews and nieces, considering any profession other than engineering as a blasphemy, an uncle who is cynical about anything related to India, a nephew who, against all conservative expectations is a member of a rock band, the wise grandmother ahead of her times, there is no character or aspect that seems out of the world. Perspectives is another aspect handled well by Sriram. Though narrated in first person, the story gives ample space to the perspectives of other key characters that provides a welcome sense of balance into the narrative.
The plot complicates with the arrival of Neha, the US returned cousin that Karthik hates for reasons we can understand. Neha’s romantic affair threatens to throw Lalu’s wedding into a jeopardy and Karthik will not stop at anything to ensure a smooth wedding of this adorable cousin of his. His scorn for the members of this joint family, given their eccentricities only grows as he battles with the otherwise needless complications in the run up to Lalu’s wedding. The climax has elements of heightened suspense including a mid-night chase and an unexpected financial crisis just the very night before the big day. How the combination of crises brings the otherwise ‘annoying’ family together is something to be read and appreciated.
I really liked the character constructs that the author had constructed. Each of these natural personalities added a new flavour to the narrative and no character was inconsistent with his or her unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps this is what makes this family seem its realistic best. Another thing that I could not help admiring is that the author seemed to have consciously avoided using the formula chic-lit elements of sex and betrayal just for the sake of it. If Sriram wanted to prove that a light entertainer that the average Indian reader enjoys need not have those elements, he has done it with ease.
I could not help noticing the note on the author’s five year struggle in getting the manuscript published in the closing comments. I can only guess that this narrative might have gone against the typical trade fiction clichés (thankfully so) and appreciate the author’s indie approach. On the flipside, the book would have done with some more care on the part of the editors. An occasional jarring sentence or a redundant description tends to put the otherwise pleasing read, off the track. The content though tellingly, stands out, winning the applause of many eminent people including Journalist-cum-authors like Hindol Sengupta.
I completed the book in an enjoyable single sitting and hope that we get to read many more light reads that give their due to the institution of Indian family as endearingly as JAMBA does.
Interested readers can buy the book from: http://www.amazon.in/Jamba-Joint-Family-Sriram-Balasubramanian/dp/8193136063
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