Book: 60 minutes
Author: Upendra
Namburi
Publisher:
Westland Ltd.
Pages: 361
Price: Rs.350/-
The very first thing
that struck my mind on having 60 minutes delivered to my place was ’Will I
really enjoy a corporate drama?’ The bold yellow cover screaming 60 minutes in
your face against a backdrop of racy city lights and streets does capture your attention
and if you thought that corporate dramas are not your thing, you might be in
for a surprise! For Upendra Namburi leaves you in no doubt of his narration
skills and keeps you hooked with the promise of 60 racy, intense minutes!
The
story begins with Maithili- a beautiful, strong headed woman- immensely
successful in the ruthless, cutting-edge corporate planet, lacking the
emotional security of a relationship. Suffering from immense depression
Maithili dangles amidst the fine lines of life and death. Suddenly we find
ourselves in the presence of the enigmatic, brash and fiercely ambitious
Agastya, CMO of BCL, planning the biggest product launch of his career. In the
blink of an eye, the corporation is plunged into a nightmare with its arch
rival Stark out to destroy BCL's major campaign as corporate rivals Agastya and
Sailesh gamble against the odds and fuel the fire for a drama that threatens to
bring both corporate giants to their knees. And therein begins an extremely
exhilarating exhibition of vengeance, addiction and rivalry that thrills you
and keeps you guessing at every stage. Caught in this web are characters who
are deceitful, ruthless and power-hungry, seeking security in the highs and
lows of corporate uncertainties and politics. Maithili’s need for vengeance,
Agastya’s need for rush and Sailesh’s need for retribution combine to make 60
minutes a highly fascinating read.
The plot, of course,
could have been crisper and sharp and few unnecessary details could have been
ignored to cut the book short by a few pages. Yet the characters operate so
much along blurred, undefined lines of grey that the thrills they provide
override the flaws of the book. With high profile jobs, reputations, careers
and relationships at stake the reader might just sit up and get vividly
engrossed, forgetting to pin-point and criticize Namburi’s writing imperfections
in the process. Or the reader may tire of the immense complicacy packed within
the pages and despair trying to understand the high profile policies and negotiations
that make up a major portion of the plot. 60 minutes is either a winner or a
loser and unlike its characters, does not operate amidst shades of grey.
So is 60 minutes
worth your time? I would say you should definitely take the plunge and try your
hand at something different for once. For 60 minutes might just end up
surprising you. Raw, brilliant and intense, 60 minutes is a product of passion
that is clearly reflected in the writing. And beyond the veil of a corporate
drama lies the conflicts of characters whom you cannot help but love and
despise with equal intensity. As the book claims-‘The battle for supremacy
continues, who will falter, who will persist and who will come out on top?’ Who
indeed...
Verdict:
Definitely worth a shot!
Rating- 3/5
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ReplyDeleteReally? :p
I did not like it at all :/
As I said its either a winner or a loser. ;) I liked it though...
DeleteHaven't read it...but sounds interesting.... :-)
ReplyDelete