DANCING WITH DEMONS
by
Nidhie Sharma
Blurb
Karan Pratap Singh is on the brink of winning the Amateur Boxing Championship, when in a moment, he loses it all. His fall from glory seems fuelled by ruthless arrogance and an out-of-control anger management problem. That, however is just symptomatic of a deeper issue. Buried under layers of his fractured subconscious lies a childhood secret he cannot come to terms with.
Sonia Kapoor is a beautiful, volatile young woman with a secret that torments her at night but a secret that she feels no guilt for.
When fate throws Karan and Sonia together in Mumbai, their personal demons and pasts collide and stir up trouble in their fragile and uncertain present. But, is redemption possible without forgiveness?
Dancing with Demons is a fast-paced action drama of love, loss and resurrection.
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My Musings :
Sports romances have always been a favourite of mine and boxing in itself is a lure. I have always been fascinated by that sport and it has played a big role in me picking up this book. The author has delivered a really great read with this book.
The blurb is fascinating enough to reel in a reader and the book name is in itself another bait because it is so aptly named. I was instantly wondering about the protagonists and their stories.
The story starts off with the end of Karan's boxing journey and promptly leads us further into the life Karan has carved out for himself with the help of Madan. And then enters Sonia into the storm that is Karan's life. How they fall for other and how they work out their future are what kept me interested till the end.
The protagonists, Karan and Sonia, both of them, are very strong characters. They both have had bad luck and they are right now dealing with their personal demons. They are both determined and passionate and angry. There's so much passion and anger that both of them ignite when they interact. This does lead to some misleading scenes which help in breaking them apart and then finally making them come together.
The author has treated the story with the right amount of expertise. Her knowledge and passion for boxing are seen in the technical details. The story itself is finely crafted especially Sonia's backstory. Karan's story is out there for us right from the start. Sonia is the mystery there and each layer is expertly peeled to show the entire face of Sonia near the end. The plot is fast paced and had me turning the pages eagerly awaiting the next scene. There is an air of anticipation while reading the book.
The book not only satisfies my appetite for action but also for emotion and romance. The romantic aspect was a bit lacking in the sense that there could have been a bit more personal connection between them. The chemistry is hot enough to ignite the pages. The reader's emotions are easily engaged by the characters.
Another positive point for the story was the visualization aspect. The scenes are very easy to imagine and that's because of the author's writing style. She shows rather than tell and it shows! I for one can easily imagine this book being made into a movie.
A very interesting face paced sports romance drama inspite of the ending being a tad abrupt.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review via The Book Club*
My Rating : 4.5/5
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Book Club introduces Nidhie Sharma to you
1. Tell us a little bit about your background. When did you start writing?
My journey into the world of storytelling began way before I graduated with honours in English literature and was offered scholarship by the university. The early formative years took me into the world of the Panchatantra and classic English literature while I also watched my mother paint. At the same time, I got introduced to the joys of adventure sports too since my father was in the Armed forces. On hindsight, I think these early influences shaped my storytelling ability, albeit in a visual way.
I read voraciously through my teenage years and graduated to Booker prize winning novels quickly. I think reading good literature is hugely instrumental in widening mental horizons and giving the reader an ability to comprehend complex characters, their emotional and physical graphs, along with a unique insight into the geo-political landscape of the times the novel is set in. All of this is a fantastic bedrock and training ground for good writing.
I started experimenting with poetry and short stories initially, and a lot of the early writing during my childhood happened under the open sky in my garden, lying on the grass, dreaming about heroes, action and adventure.
At the age of twelve, I had written what might now be called a Novella. It was about the daily exploits of a girl and her group of friends and how they explored a new part of the nearby jungle every day, in search of wild animals, thrills, and adventure. It was autobiographical of course and my delighted parents had it printed and bound into a small book. They treasure it to this day.
Studying English literature in college helped me enormously in comprehending and interpreting works of literature and soon after, I started to write book reviews for national newspapers. I also wrote short stories every single day during those college years and I think that has helped me hone my craft.
I realize now that writing a drama set in the world of combat sports, which most critics have called visual and action packed, is no accident. Dancing with Demons is a sum total of all my early influences and experiences.
2. How would you describe your book Dancing with Demons? What prompted you to write a book on boxing?
‘Dancing with Demons’ is a gripping romance drama set against the backdrop of combat sports in India. It is the story of two fallen souls who must vanquish their inner demons to become the people they were destined to be. When the story begins, Karan Pratap Singh, an angst-ridden boxer and the mysterious and volatile Sonia Kapoor are angry and emotionally damaged by their pasts and when fate throws them together in Mumbai, their personal demons and pasts collide and stir trouble in their fragile and uncertain present. "It was some night. Thunder and lightning playing, chasing one another like two furtive, carefree lovers, oblivious to the havoc they were wrecking. Sonia put her hand out of the window as the bus started to hurtle down the highway, to Mumbai. A sliver of lightning fell on the trees just ahead of them, setting a large bush on fire. Then thunder roared again... Perhaps this was an appropriate setting for what was to follow...two tumultuous lives on a head-on collision course.”
This book explores if redemption is possible without forgiveness and also delves into the depth and unsaid connection that Karan and Sonia have with each other. In fact, Sonia’s poems in the novel throw light not only on self-love and forgiveness but also on the passionate and intense relationship that these two anti-heroes share.
“I know I’m not easy to love
On somedays there’s no God above
And maybe it’s a messed up world
Into which we have been hurled
And maybe I remind you of you
So Love yourself darling, to love me too”
Overcoming one's limitations or demons is essential in order to fulfill one's true potential. That is the real core of this story. The good thing is, millions of people find a way to battle and overcome their inner demons. So there is hope for everyone and 'Dancing with Demons' is about that hope. It's about the light at the end of the tunnel.
This novel is a fast-paced story of love, loss and resurrection for both Karan and Sonia.
3. What prompted you to write a book on boxing?
I was brought up in an army background that exposes you to adventure and the outdoors very early on. Having studied in various army schools across India, I trained in karate, horse-riding and attended adventure camps. Camping, trekking, hiking along with all the unforgettable misadventures shaped my love for the outdoors.
As a teenager, I watched live boxing matches as well. They fascinated me no end. Two men beating the hell out of each other while spectators egged them on. I noticed that every time a boxer bled in the ring, the audience cheered even louder. Human reaction to violence only shows how deep and primal that instinct is and this totally fascinated me back then. I started to watch boxing championships on the internet. Soon I was following the sport like a fan and started going for the big fights to Madison square garden while I was studying filmmaking in New York. I met boxers and coaches out of curiosity and interest. I spent time inside boxing gyms and also started to train and spar.
Personally, I love the raw athleticism in this sport and the fact that it is a skillful craft, needing strategy and forethought . Also, when the boxers fight, it is almost like a dance in the ring, lyrical and rhythmic, and that has drawn me to it visually as well. Given my exposure and interests, I think the stage to write Dancing with Demons, was set long ago.
4. What inspires you to write?
A lot of things actually but my mother’s abstract paintings have been my greatest inspiration. Almost nothing inspires me more than a work of art, even a great piece of music for that matter. The outdoors and the sight of a rising sun sometimes triggers the need to put pen to paper. Since I enjoy observing life and am particularly fascinated by human duality and contradictions, I spend a lot of time creating complex and flawed characters and then throwing them into a world I am familiar with. The writing that follows is automatically organic and un-manipulated. Ultimately for me, it’s almost always about exploring and learning something new through the process of creation.
5. And do you ever have a writer's block? What do you do to get rid of it?
I am very passionate about the stories I want to tell and on most days I don’t feel the block but when I do, I think discipline helps. I’ve realized through personal experience that showing up in front of that laptop every single day is the only way to beat it.
6. Who are your favourite writers and poets and have they in anyway motivated you to be better at your craft? If so, how?
My favorite writers are Rohinton Mistry, Ian Mcewan, Maya Angelou, Kiran Desai, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Samuel Beckett, John Donne and T.S Eliot, to name a few. The unparalleled quality of their writing is a huge motivation for any young storyteller and I’m no exception. Like I mentioned earlier, my journey into the world of writing began with reading good literature and I strive every single day to better my craft.
7. Apart from writing what are your other interests?
I enjoy the outdoors, adventure sports, photography, watching plays and music of all genres.
8. You are also a filmmaker, how do you juggle between both the crafts?
The first step for a Writer-Director like me is to put an interesting story in place and once that is accomplished, then it’s all about visually interpreting and executing it.
As a filmmaker, I think I am lucky to have a unique advantage by virtue of being a novelist too. It has given me a deeper understanding of story, characterization, plot, subplots, genres, mood and tone, all of which are an essential part of building an engaging narrative, be it for a movie or a novel. I also have greater understanding of the source material (the novel) and the training to adapt it for the screen. Infact, I have already finished adapting ‘Dancing with Demons’ into a screenplay and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Although Cinema and literature are principally two different mediums, both aim at telling an interesting story well and despite their own unique challenges and audiences, I think it is possible to straddle them equally well if one has the talent, passion and training for storytelling.
Personally, I fell blessed that I am able to juggle between these two crafts and I’m having a lot of fun doing so.
9. Finally, what is your next novel going to be about and where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I write every single day and am sure the next story will find me soon enough.
The journey for ‘Dancing with Demons’ is still on and my full focus and energies at the moment are on directing the film.
I am a filmmaker-novelist and that’s all I know, so that’s where you’ll find me even five years down the line.
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