DANCING WITH DEMONS
by
Nidhie Sharma
Blurb
Karan Pratap Singh is on the brink of winning the Amateur Boxing Championship, when in a moment, he loses it all. His fall from glory seems fuelled by ruthless arrogance and an out-of-control anger management problem. That, however is just symptomatic of a deeper issue. Buried under layers of his fractured subconscious lies a childhood secret he cannot come to terms with.
Sonia Kapoor is a beautiful, volatile young woman with a secret that torments her at night but a secret that she feels no guilt for.
When fate throws Karan and Sonia together in Mumbai, their personal demons and pasts collide and stir up trouble in their fragile and uncertain present. But, is redemption possible without forgiveness?
Dancing with Demons is a fast-paced action drama of love, loss and resurrection.
MY REVIEW
‘Is redemption possible, without
forgiveness?’ This question in the synopsis on the back of the cover, could
well be called the crux of the story.
‘Dancing with demons’, is the
story of two strong-willed individuals who come from completely different walks
of life. Both of them, while running away from their past lives that only offered
them rejections and pain, bump into each other in the most unusual of
circumstances.
Karan Pratap Singh, a
professional boxer manages to reach the finals of the Amateur boxing championship
with is hard work and determination to rise above his past. Just when he is
about to win the match and reach the Olympics- his ultimate goal- the demons of
the very past show up their ugly face once again, bringing with it all the memories
he had been running away from all his life. Unable to deal with it all, Karan
loses his focus and beats his opponent almost to pulp, ending up with a ban for
four years. He loses everything that he had earned over the years, including
the money, the name, and most importantly, his goal of playing in Olympics.
Enter, Sonia, a fiery young
woman. Apparently, she also has a past she is running away from. As luck would
have it, the two meet each other, when she ends up at his door after looking up
his advertisement in the newspaper for a tenant.
The author has gone slow in
revealing Sonia’s background, and that why is she the way she is. The story,
more or less, revolves around Karan Pratap Singh and his fight against all odds
to win the championship once again after the ban is lifted.
I LIKED:
The author, Nidhie Sharma, has
managed to keep the readers spellbound with little sparks of romance, cleverly
weaved around boxing. Owing to her interest in combat sports and her proximity
to the famous boxing coach, Joe Clough, Nidhie has managed to do complete
justice on that front. The language and the pace is crisp and well-paced.
I DISLIKED:
My only complaint, if any, is
that the romance angle could have been covered in a little more detail.
Over all, ‘Dancing with demons’
is an interesting, entertaining read. I give the book, a score of 4.5 out of 5.
Disclaimer: I had received a
paperback version of the book from the author, via The Book Club, in return of
my honest and unbiased review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Book Club introduces Nidhie Sharma to you
1. Tell us a little bit about your background. When did you start writing?
My journey into the world of storytelling began way before I graduated with honours in English literature and was offered scholarship by the university. The early formative years took me into the world of the Panchatantra and classic English literature while I also watched my mother paint. At the same time, I got introduced to the joys of adventure sports too since my father was in the Armed forces. On hindsight, I think these early influences shaped my storytelling ability, albeit in a visual way.
I read voraciously through my teenage years and graduated to Booker prize winning novels quickly. I think reading good literature is hugely instrumental in widening mental horizons and giving the reader an ability to comprehend complex characters, their emotional and physical graphs, along with a unique insight into the geo-political landscape of the times the novel is set in. All of this is a fantastic bedrock and training ground for good writing.
I started experimenting with poetry and short stories initially, and a lot of the early writing during my childhood happened under the open sky in my garden, lying on the grass, dreaming about heroes, action and adventure.
At the age of twelve, I had written what might now be called a Novella. It was about the daily exploits of a girl and her group of friends and how they explored a new part of the nearby jungle every day, in search of wild animals, thrills, and adventure. It was autobiographical of course and my delighted parents had it printed and bound into a small book. They treasure it to this day.
Studying English literature in college helped me enormously in comprehending and interpreting works of literature and soon after, I started to write book reviews for national newspapers. I also wrote short stories every single day during those college years and I think that has helped me hone my craft.
I realize now that writing a drama set in the world of combat sports, which most critics have called visual and action packed, is no accident. Dancing with Demons is a sum total of all my early influences and experiences.
2. How would you describe your book Dancing with Demons? What prompted you to write a book on boxing?
‘Dancing with Demons’ is a gripping romance drama set against the backdrop of combat sports in India. It is the story of two fallen souls who must vanquish their inner demons to become the people they were destined to be. When the story begins, Karan Pratap Singh, an angst-ridden boxer and the mysterious and volatile Sonia Kapoor are angry and emotionally damaged by their pasts and when fate throws them together in Mumbai, their personal demons and pasts collide and stir trouble in their fragile and uncertain present. "It was some night. Thunder and lightning playing, chasing one another like two furtive, carefree lovers, oblivious to the havoc they were wrecking. Sonia put her hand out of the window as the bus started to hurtle down the highway, to Mumbai. A sliver of lightning fell on the trees just ahead of them, setting a large bush on fire. Then thunder roared again... Perhaps this was an appropriate setting for what was to follow...two tumultuous lives on a head-on collision course.”
This book explores if redemption is possible without forgiveness and also delves into the depth and unsaid connection that Karan and Sonia have with each other. In fact, Sonia’s poems in the novel throw light not only on self-love and forgiveness but also on the passionate and intense relationship that these two anti-heroes share.
“I know I’m not easy to love
On somedays there’s no God above
And maybe it’s a messed up world
Into which we have been hurled
And maybe I remind you of you
So Love yourself darling, to love me too”
Overcoming one's limitations or demons is essential in order to fulfill one's true potential. That is the real core of this story. The good thing is, millions of people find a way to battle and overcome their inner demons. So there is hope for everyone and 'Dancing with Demons' is about that hope. It's about the light at the end of the tunnel.
This novel is a fast-paced story of love, loss and resurrection for both Karan and Sonia.
3. What prompted you to write a book on boxing?
I was brought up in an army background that exposes you to adventure and the outdoors very early on. Having studied in various army schools across India, I trained in karate, horse-riding and attended adventure camps. Camping, trekking, hiking along with all the unforgettable misadventures shaped my love for the outdoors.
As a teenager, I watched live boxing matches as well. They fascinated me no end. Two men beating the hell out of each other while spectators egged them on. I noticed that every time a boxer bled in the ring, the audience cheered even louder. Human reaction to violence only shows how deep and primal that instinct is and this totally fascinated me back then. I started to watch boxing championships on the internet. Soon I was following the sport like a fan and started going for the big fights to Madison square garden while I was studying filmmaking in New York. I met boxers and coaches out of curiosity and interest. I spent time inside boxing gyms and also started to train and spar.
Personally, I love the raw athleticism in this sport and the fact that it is a skillful craft, needing strategy and forethought . Also, when the boxers fight, it is almost like a dance in the ring, lyrical and rhythmic, and that has drawn me to it visually as well. Given my exposure and interests, I think the stage to write Dancing with Demons, was set long ago.
4. What inspires you to write?
A lot of things actually but my mother’s abstract paintings have been my greatest inspiration. Almost nothing inspires me more than a work of art, even a great piece of music for that matter. The outdoors and the sight of a rising sun sometimes triggers the need to put pen to paper. Since I enjoy observing life and am particularly fascinated by human duality and contradictions, I spend a lot of time creating complex and flawed characters and then throwing them into a world I am familiar with. The writing that follows is automatically organic and un-manipulated. Ultimately for me, it’s almost always about exploring and learning something new through the process of creation.
5. And do you ever have a writer's block? What do you do to get rid of it?
I am very passionate about the stories I want to tell and on most days I don’t feel the block but when I do, I think discipline helps. I’ve realized through personal experience that showing up in front of that laptop every single day is the only way to beat it.
6. Who are your favourite writers and poets and have they in anyway motivated you to be better at your craft? If so, how?
My favorite writers are Rohinton Mistry, Ian Mcewan, Maya Angelou, Kiran Desai, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Samuel Beckett, John Donne and T.S Eliot, to name a few. The unparalleled quality of their writing is a huge motivation for any young storyteller and I’m no exception. Like I mentioned earlier, my journey into the world of writing began with reading good literature and I strive every single day to better my craft.
7. Apart from writing what are your other interests?
I enjoy the outdoors, adventure sports, photography, watching plays and music of all genres.
8. You are also a filmmaker, how do you juggle between both the crafts?
The first step for a Writer-Director like me is to put an interesting story in place and once that is accomplished, then it’s all about visually interpreting and executing it.
As a filmmaker, I think I am lucky to have a unique advantage by virtue of being a novelist too. It has given me a deeper understanding of story, characterization, plot, subplots, genres, mood and tone, all of which are an essential part of building an engaging narrative, be it for a movie or a novel. I also have greater understanding of the source material (the novel) and the training to adapt it for the screen. Infact, I have already finished adapting ‘Dancing with Demons’ into a screenplay and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Although Cinema and literature are principally two different mediums, both aim at telling an interesting story well and despite their own unique challenges and audiences, I think it is possible to straddle them equally well if one has the talent, passion and training for storytelling.
Personally, I fell blessed that I am able to juggle between these two crafts and I’m having a lot of fun doing so.
9. Finally, what is your next novel going to be about and where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I write every single day and am sure the next story will find me soon enough.
The journey for ‘Dancing with Demons’ is still on and my full focus and energies at the moment are on directing the film.
I am a filmmaker-novelist and that’s all I know, so that’s where you’ll find me even five years down the line.
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