American Khichdi

By Sunil Lala

Eloquent and sharp-witted, nothing escapes the attention of new and gifted author Sunil Lala. In American Khichdi, he addresses and discusses contemporary Indian communities - in India and outside. In a series of succinct and eloquent essays, the author covers a vast array of topics ranging from Bollywood to Baseball, and from giving birth in America to dying there. This first generation immigrant opens an interesting and timely dialogue for Indians everywhere, and conveys an extraordinary sense of their life and their love for the land they left behind.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1419664077
• ISBN13: 9781419664076
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.4" x 4.8"

Customer Reviews

Delightful

I chanced upon this book when I was searching for "The Inscrutable Americans" by Anurag Mathur to add to my order of "Show Business" by Shashi Tharoor -- to save on shipping. The title looked interesting and the reviews were positive so I ordered "American Khichdi" instead. The Tharoor arrived early and I dove into it with expectations as great as "The Great Indian Novel". But frankly, I was disappointed. I had never thought that Mr Tharoor would write a masala book on masala Hindi films and since I have no interest in the personal life of Amitabh Bachchan, it was a huge letdown. Then "Khichdi" arrived and I started it with some skepticism. I am an NRI myself, and was not looking forward to another jaundiced take on the hollowness of my existence or a glorification of my contribution to India's economy and prestige. However, by the end of the first essay my skepticism had faded considerably. And by the time I finished the "Sholay" piece, I was a diehard fan. It was like reading someone presenting a refreshing viewpoint with complete conviction in a style uniquely, deliciously his own. I read it in one sitting. The book is a programmer's delight -- which most of us NRIs are [programmers, not their delight]. The arguments are so clearly expressed that they don't leave much room for debate. I found myself agreeing with the author so much that fresh from Mr. Tharoor's Bollywood farce I started wondering if he is not my long-lost twin. If you read this review, please check your right shoulder, Mr. Lala, if you don't have a mole there, then we must be twins. I searched the internet for more works by the author but it appears this is his maiden effort. I hope he will write some more and continue to delight us with his humor and opinions on subjects as diverse as Indian politics and the new fashions in cholis displayed at NRI Diwali parties.

A great Book

American Khichdi makes great reading. Its hard to put down once you start reading the book. It very truly depicts the lifestyles of Indians living in America, the so called NRI's. In my opinion its a must buy and must read !!!!

A Worthwhile Read

I must admit I bought the book because the title piqued my curiosity. I am an "NRI" myself (read the book if you don't know what that means!) and "khichdi" holds some special significance to my ethnic background. Needless to say (if you have already seen the 5 stars I have allotted for this book) the contents of the book far exceeded my expectations. It resonated with me in several ways. Mr. Lala takes his experiences of migrating from India and assimilating into the life here in the United States to a new level. He articulates feelings and sentiments that many of my generation yearn to express but lack the talent to do so. Having lived in the US for over two decades, I share his nostalgia for the country of our origin and, at the same time, feel a reaffirmation of the choice we've made for the country we live in. I am charmed by Mr. Lala's linguistic panache (despite his verbosity) and his oft-beguiling oratory on ex-pat Indians leaves me chuckling in agreement. His essays on life in America are filled with incisive observations about how we "NRIs" live our lives in the USA. Look past the occasionally cynical rhetoric and you will see what makes a Non-Resident Indian tick. Anyone attempting to understand the modern Indian mind ought to pick up their own copy of this book and find out the meaning of "khichdi" for themselves.