10 Sep / Shining Hero by Sara Banerji [in AsianWeek]
Oooh, this one would make a sweeping epic film for sure – Bollywood’s even got a starring role already! An innocent underage girl is seduced by a smooth-talking Bollywood star and gives birth to a baby boy without even knowing she had been pregnant. Shocked and desperate, she sets him afloat on a river, a lá Moses. The baby, Karna, is saved by the devoted, angelic Dolly, who regretfully dies a painful death leaving Karna all alone. Meanwhile, the seduced girl has another son, Arjuna, with a wealthy husband, but she is never able to get over the loss of Karna. The two brothers live a life of superbly orchestrated rivalry, and in the end, in a fight to the death, the winner takes all.
Review: “New and Notable Books,” AsianWeek, September 10, 2004
Readers: Adult
Published: 2004 (United States)