Ajay Kaul

Mumbai Matinee Ajay Kaul

Winner: Feathered Quill Book Award
A unique and unforgettable cast of characters shines through eight interconnected stories, influenced by true incidents from the 1990s to 2000s Mumbai.

As the Indian economy opens up in 1991, Bombay (now Mumbai) - India's financial hub, witnesses a dramatic increase in economic activity. Around this time, Ajay - the protagonist, arrives in the city for the first time. He's enthralled by the dynamism and business mindset in the city - a far cry from the politically centric North India, where he hails from.

But the economic hub becomes a target of serial bomb blasts and Ajay himself has a close brush with death during this tragedy. He is fazed and has second thoughts about the city. But the way Mumbai bounces back to normalcy, leaves an indelible mark on Ajay's psyche and he makes up his mind to make the city his home. What follows is a rainbow of colorful characters and incidents drawing Ajay into their stories, blending him into the city's culture and creating this collection of interconnected short stories.

There's the beautiful actress with whom he has a chance encounter on a local train - cupid is just about to smile, when an unexpected incident steers the story in a different direction.

The thieves and con artists of Mumbai don their colors and cause a severe jolt to Ajay's career plans just when he's getting ready to move to the US for higher studies. His desperate attempts to regain what he lost, lead to a fascinating perspective into the con-world after a dramatic turn of events.

Milind, a simple boy from the suburbs dreams of making it to the Indian Cricket team but his chances are bleak due to the extremely tough competition for fifteen spots. But as the Indian economy opens up, the wave of commercialization engulfs cricket and suddenly a different path opens up a new possibility into the Indian Cricket team.

From a nosy paanwala to a super cop in the thick of action during the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, Mumbai Matinee unravels the soul of the city of Mumbai - the level of energy which keeps it on the move irrespective of the drama, the comedy or the tragedy that it witnesses through the course of its journey. It's a biographical fiction that transports the reader into 1990s through 2000s Mumbai and keeps them engaged through the journey, that's Mumbai Matinee.