Amit Chaudhiri's third novel confirms him as one of the most talented and original writers of the decade. 'Freedom Song', set in Calcutta in 1993, is about the character of the city and two families who live there.
The first consists of a couple, Khuku and her husband, Shib, who works part-time in the public sector; their son has been living for a few years in America. Khuku's old friend Mini is visiting them while she recuperates from arthritis. Khuku and Mini spend their time talking about family, friends, houses, health and, occasionally, Muslims and the Babri Masjid. Not far away, in Ishwar Chandrea Vidyasager Road, lives the second family; Khuku's brother, Bhola, his wife, their son Bhaskar and daughter Piyu, a second son, Manik, has gone to live in Germany. Bhaskar, much to the consternation of the family, has recently joined the Indian Communist Party, disappears each morning to sell the party newspaper and has become active in street theatre. Now and then photographs of young women arrive at the house, which his mother treasures in her handbag. Bhaskar, meanwhile, is busy preparing a street play about tolerance, while Mini, reading old Bengali novels, waits to get better.
Amit Chaudhuri captures the essential nature of both the known and the unexpected and paints an unforgettable picture of a city in decline in a time of transition. A marvellous novel, enthralling, atmospheric and memorable.
