Ravan and Eddie are the unlikeliest of companions. For one thing, Ravan is Hindu, while Eddie is Catholic. For another, when Ravan was a baby and fell from a balcony, that fall had a dramatic, and very literal, impact on Eddie's family. But Ravan and Eddie both live in Central Works Department Chawl No. 17--and if you grow up in the crowded Mumbai chawls, you get to participate in your neighbors' lives, whether you like it or not. As we watch the two unlikely heroes of Kiran Nagarkar's acclaimed novel rocket out of the starting blocks of their lives, leaving earth-mothers and absentee fathers, cataclysms and rock 'n' roll in their wake, we're compelled to sit up and take notice.
Ravan & EddieSeries
This series plunges readers into the vibrant, chaotic landscape of post-colonial urban India, following the outrageous escapades of two unforgettable protagonists. Their bawdy, Rabelaisian adventures unfold against a backdrop where the city itself becomes a living character. The author's experimental style and fearless use of language, combined with a masterful storytelling instinct, create a truly unique literary experience. Expect a wild, irreverent romp filled with dark humor and profound observations.


Recommended Reading Order
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Ravan and Eddie are back! And they're bigger, better and guaranteed to have you laughing out loud. Having grown up in the city of movie stars who drip glamour, the two mortal enemies, Ravan and Eddie dream of strutting down the road to super-stardom. But can Ravan, a lowly taxi driver, and Eddie, a bouncer-cum-bartender at an illegal bar, rise from their dusty CWD chawl to the glittering heights of international fame? To complicate matters further, their love lives hang by a thread. Eddie, secure in having got Belle, the Anglo-Indian girl of his dreams, must now figure out how to overcome prejudice from both their families and his own apathy, in order to keep her. And Eddie's sister Pieta, the object of Ravan's adoration, is completely oblivious to his existence - until he saves her life. Complete with a cast of soul-searching drunks, a nemesis called Three Point One, and nymph-like damsels in distress, The Extras is much more than a book about Bollywood or Bombay. It is the engrossing tale of a near-epic struggle against obscurity and towards self-realization; and is outrageously exuberant in the telling, and touching in its depiction of the large and small tragedies that shape our lives.