Vichhoda: Book Review



Title: Vichchoda
Author: Harinder Sikka
Genre: Fiction

The author of 'Calling Sehmat' returns with a book that has another powerful woman protagonist.

In 1947 the barbaric riots wreck humanity. Amidst this is a Sikh woman who has been rescued from the jaws of death. After losing her family, Bibi Amrit Kaur begins a new chapter in her life in a new country where she gets married and has 2 sons. An unforeseen horrific incident breaks her life apart and she is transported across the border-far from her family.

Bibi thrives in pain but clings on to the hope that she might reunite with her sons again.Will she eventually do so?

Vichhoda is apparently based on a true story that describes some heart wrenching incidents. The book captures the horrors of post partition era where homes were burnt down, woman were preyed upon to quench the lustful desire of certain men and heinous crimes committed due to intolerance. The author takes us through the 1965 Indo-Pak war and showcases the resilient stance of Bibi during grave times.

The theme of spirituality is largely touched upon here. Vichhoda is emotional and melodramatic which makes it ideal to be adapted into a motion picture. While I'd have liked to see a little more depth in some characters, Vichhoda manages to leave an impact on the readers.

Comments

Unknown said…
Vichhoda its very true and heart touched story.
8:05 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

The Call of the Wild : Movie review

Image
I had recently re read The Call of the Wild by Jack London.  Its a journey of a dog named Buck which gets kidnapped and ultimately finds its true calling amidst the wild.  Buck leads a cozy life in sunny California until that day when he is kidnapped. To his dismay, Buck finds himself as a part of a pack of sled dogs. The story traces his change, survival and how he ultimately finds his place as a leader of the pack. Buck is also subjected to harsh treatment-the aspect that makes several readers hate the book especially dog/animal lovers.  The movie is a kinder version of the book. It focuses largely on the rapport between John Thorthon and Buck. John Thorthon played by Harrison Ford posts letters to his dead son and manages to rescue Buck from being beaten to death. He adopts Buck as his own son and ultimately ventures into the Alaskan Wilderness where Buck finds his home.  While some of the critics may have been disappointed with the movie, I personally found it en
Read more