Timir Bidar by Bani Basu [Hardcover]

"Timir Bidar" portrays the life of underprivileged, average, or even lower-class youth, where hope, trust, ambition, ideals, and camaraderie are absent. These young lives are all about survival, either by flattering politicians, joining antisocial groups, or somehow avoiding these two extremes. The story is told not in the author's language but in the vivid, sometimes crude language of these young people.

The area's character is much like India or old Kolkata, where the extremely rich and extremely poor live close to each other. There are people from East and West Bengal, Hindus and Muslims, right-wing and left-wing. Behind the industrialist's mansion is the congested design of an old colony, and within walking distance is a mixed-character slum. This complex coexistence represents the true reality of an old city like Kolkata. The diverse environment of private cars, taxis, autos, cycle rickshaws, and bustling markets can't be labeled as entirely 'polluted'.

Here lives Pagla Dipu, whose hawker father committed suicide, ending his pursuit of an M.Sc in Mathematics. There's Runu, a third-generation East Bengali squatter, indistinguishable from countless other Kolkata youths with a moderate B.Com degree constantly searching for a means of earning. There are also Mukta, Manimala, and Hasina, all determined to see the light of day.

Beneath their apparent triviality, there exists a type of quest, a deeper layer, a drive to surpass themselves that identifies them as human. This challenging subconscious journey forms the contemporary narrative of "Timir Bidar."

The novel poignantly captures the struggles, resilience, and aspirations of these individuals, making it a powerful read.