Review of “Deep Singh
Blue” - Ranbir Singh Sidhu
Deep Singh Blue is a story of a family of
Indian origin who migrated to the west after independence. Set during the days
preceding the Operation Blue Star in India it is a story of a group of
dysfunctional people where the Dad is ignorant of the happenings around the
house, doesn’t give a damn about it and every bit the dominant Indian male that
he is. The mother is of a calmer temperament, though sometimes a clatter of
dishes coveys her feelings better. She lives in delusion, both literal as well
as figurative, about the life of her older son who is so engrossed in his
twisted life that the only moments of absolute sanity are wasted in
self-loathing. Deep, the protagonist is your average young man who is in love
with Lily, a Chinese American who is already going through an abusive marriage.
It is a slow paced relation that creeps in on
you and you don’t even notice. The confabulating tendencies of the entire
family are disturbing and the dysfunctional nature of the characters is
reflecting the reality of those whose stories don’t get narrated. It leaves you
with a realization that there must have been something in the past that has
left the deeply scarred.
The writing is good and flow is leveling. Some
incidents in the story-line leaves you lost while others are immensely
revealing. The helplessness with which Deep wants to have a life with Lily is
disarming, however, his actions border on the uncanniness that runs in the
family.
Book Courtesy: The Tales Penseive
