Yandamoori Virendranath
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It would have been a big loss to the literary field if Endemoori Virendranath hadn't decided to resign his bank job to become a full fledged writer. This was exactly what I felt when I read his thriller "Thookku Thandanai" which is a translated version of Telugu "Abhilasha". He is one of the few writers who is able to carve a niche for himself in the minds of readers of other language. Speciality of EV is his versatility. He can write thrillers, family dramas and romance at ease. He writes in Telugu and his most of the works are translated by Susila Kanagadurga and Gowri Kribanandhan. Gowri Kribhanandhan had done a neat job in translating it into Tamil and juxtaposing it with the Tamil milieu. If you had travelled in the hairpin bends of a hill station, then you can feel the same thrilling experience throughout the 376 pages of this novel.

The story line goes like this... Chiranjeevi, whose father was given life sentence for a crime he hadn't committed, decides to spend his life for a cause - a movement against life sentence. He manages to get into the good books of a leading lawer Bhushanam and his niece Archana, who also involved in creating an awareness against life sentence. The trio hatch a plan to frame Chiranjeevi in a rape & murder case and get him a life sentence. According to the plan Bhushan should meet the president on the eve of the punishment day and show how life sentence can take lives of innocent, in this case Chiranjeevi. All goes according to the plan and Chiranjeevi is in jail humming and whistling, greatly impressing the cop Sharma by his attitude towards death. On the eve, Bhushan starts to meet the president and meets an accident before the mission is over, leaving Chiranjeevi in the hands of death....... Whatever small incident that happens after this, I don't want to divulge as it is like giving away the whole story.

{mosimage}Endemoori is blessed with the skills of building up the momentum without wasting even a single word. He is one of the few writers I had seen in this literary world with such tremendous skills. Coming to "Thookku thandanai", the novel has a slow start something to the extent even that it can put you off. But after the meeting with Bhushan the novel changes tracks from run way to a sonic take off that keeps up its tempo thereafter. The incidents that take place at the night of the sentence day increases the heartneat considerably. If you survive that you are presented with a twist and turn in almost every page. Since I couldn't give out instances and incidents I can't write more about the novel except that it had got an extremely racy narrative structure.
 
The ending is something predictable and infact I have noticed in most of the Endemoori's novels a similiar pattern of bad men. Ha! Ha! Ha! The twist of incest relationship element comes as a shock while there are certain elements that stand out without gelling with the story flow. Like why the servant Marimuthu behaves in certain restless fashion towards the end was left in a mid way. may be Endemoori wanted to divert the attention of the readers from the main antagonist.

As said before, the translation was really wonderful retaining the essense of the original. The milieu was wonderfully set and you are automatically transported to the ambience at a remarkable ease. Those rainy nights and dark corners are bound to chill your spines. Infact while reading I used to visualise the whole thing like a movie, thats how I enjoy every reading experience. Chiranjeevi's role needs a vulnerable face and according to me Anil kapoor fitted the bill perfectly.

It is such a wonderful reading experience I enjoyed after a long time. It is no doubt that whomever reads it will find it irresistable to finish at a go. I can vouch for that.

Publishers: Alliance Company, Mayilapore, Chennai 044-2494 1314
Pages: 376
Price: Rs. 90/-