Anuja Chauhan’s latest book hit stores a few days ago and I thought that it was only apt to do a throwback review on one of her older books and that’s how I ended up with Battle of Bittora.
The story starts with Sarojini alias Jinni Pandey, an animator working in Mumbai. But she is not some random animator. She makes award-winning kitaanus, the kitaanus that you find in your dirty toilet bowl. Her gay friend, Gaiman Tagore Rumi is quite a character as he keeps creating homosexual spin-offs of all the superheroes that Jinni likes and completely grosses her out. Enter Pushpa Pande of Pragati Party, of Pavit Pradesh and Pushpa Pande fame or simply Pushpa Jiji as everyone fondly calls her. Turns out Pushpa Jiji is not only the ex-MLA of Pavit Pradesh but also Jinni’s grandmother and is here to drag her back with herself to Pavit Pradesh to help her get the ticket to stand for Pragati Party during the elecsun.
Jinni is in for a rude shock when Amma ji reveals that this time its Jinni who is going to stand on the Pragati Party ticket and that her opponent is none other than her childhood crush and friend, Zain Altaf Khan. Pretty soon Jinni’s life changes from a hip career woman in Mumbai to a cotton sari clad wannabe MP campaigning as the candidate for Pragati party in Bittora. Not very happy with the situation, Jinni soon finds herself battling cotton sarees, frumpy blouses, petticoat rashes, prickly heat, accusations of being a nymphomaniac and corruption. A complete rookie, Jinni realizes that politics is more complicated than it seems from outside as friends turn their backs, liquid oxygen (it’s the codename for money) trades hands in return for special favours and how campaigns are funded.
The major problem is her frenemy-childhood crush-and-friend, Zain Altaf Khan, who is also her main rival in the election as he stands on the ticket for IJP. Harbouring a love-hate relationship, they are pitted against each other. It doesn’t help that Jinni keeps thinking about Zain’s honey-coloured chest and his smirk and describing him as hot and completely biteable.
But the best character in the entire book is definitely Pushpa Jiji with her gap-toothed grin and quick wit. There’s one instance in the book in which she insists Jinni wear a thick-stemmed earring and tells her, “Maybe at first the stick seems too big for the hole. But don’t worry, in time the hole will expand and you will get ujed to it.” Jinni is revolted as you can imagine.
Battle for Bittora establishes its position in the chick-lit genre and will have you in splits, thanks to Pushpa Jiji. Arrey bhai, life is sort! Grab your copy quickly.
My Verdict
4
An entertaining read, Battle for Bittora is a must read!
