Delhi Drama

India,Singh’s book looks closely at the functioning of high offices and decisions influenced by considerations of personal gain.

Jasjit Singh Sidhu,the protagonist of Delhi Durbar,is a banker turned power broker,who gets embroiled in a power tussle between Prime Minister Yadav and the President,the latter a former Army chief who defies his rubber-stamp status in an attempt to grab power. The plot thickens around the internal politics of Lutyens’ Delhi as Sidhu must resolve whether he will respond to his conscience or whether he will remain a typical product of Delhi’s elite.

Delhi Durbar is the second book in the Raisina Series,with work on the third underway. “These political novels offer a peep into the world of politicians. The first book Young Turks,to be relaunched soon,is an account of two young politicians,Azim Khan and Karan Nehru. They start off as friends but soon become rivals in the quest for political power,playing vital roles,only to return as protagonists in the third book,The War Ministry which I am currently working on,” he adds. Delhi Durbar,however,can be read independently and is not a sequel to Young Turks.

Singh has a Chandigarh connection with his family living in the city and he spending a year at

YPS Mohali. “I keep visiting the city often,though I recall it being much better earlier,” he says.

Singh pins his hope on India’s democratic set-up,and regards it as the best system available to deal with issues. “I was born in the period of Emergency. What bothered me while writing the book was that my generation is so apolitical,’’ he says. He would love to see his book made into a movie,but politics is a tricky subject.

But given a choice,he would like Shekhar Kapur to be the director of Delhi Durbar.

Money Back

In a unique move,Hachette India is offering readers a money-back on Delhi Durbar. In case the reader is not fully satisfied with the book,he or she can take it back to the store where it was purchased,along with the receipt and get a full refund. “Apart from a marketing strategy to gain attention,I believe it’s a sign of the self-confidence that is becoming more evident in India’s publishing industry. This promotion empowers the reader and makes a critic out of each one of them,’’ says Singh,the author.