Front Seat

by Aditya Kripalani

Set in Mumbai 9 years after the 'BACK SEAT', 'FRONT SEAT' is a completely new tale. Nikita, a one-time bar dancer, after a near fatal encounter in Sonagachi, re-enters the orbit of the Mumbai city she hates but ironically feels the safest in. She meets Siddharth, a novelist, whose goal is to fritter away the remnants of his consciousness and existence, distracting himself from a deep pain of loss by spending time in alcohol, drugs and paid sex.
...another deal is struck. But this time Nikita thinks she has less to lose. She couldn't have been more wrong.

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Avid reader.
Film student from FTII, Pune.
Novelist.
Screenwriter.
Copywriter.
Musican.
Lyricist.
Writing is the answer to my life.
After being enthralled since childhood by the written word at the age of 22 I ended up deciding to write for life. It's been 12 years since and I still feel as strongly for the process and journey of writing long fiction.

Reviews

[Rishi Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is very rare that the sequel of the book turns out to be better than the original one. In “Front Seat”, it is not just better but better by a mile  The author has clearly grown into confidence and has gone to a different level all together. The way this story has been presented is absolutely brilliant and shows a maturity which is amazing for a second book writer.

The different moods of Mumbai has been depicted/captured before too by many authors but Aditya brings a freshness to it which really catches your attention right from the start and doesn’t leave us even after the book finishes.

The main protagonist obviously drives this story but it is the new character who is the real creation by the author. He has handled him so well that it is hard to explain here. You just have to read the book to know!

Aditya is here to stay and I won’t be surprised at all to see a movie on one of his book real soon.

[Aditi Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pride myself in being a fast reader but even by my own standards, this was the fastest read I've ever done. The story just grips you until you get totally consumed by it and then you cannot put it down. Visual, bold, compelling and fierce, it hits you when you least expect it. In the end, leaves you hungry for more. It uncovers an unseen part of Bombay and the human psyche. Don't miss it!

[Priyanka Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
I read Front Seat by Aditya Kripalani in 2015, and it was one of those books that stayed with me. It tells the story of Ramesh, a rickshaw driver whose life becomes a window into Mumbai’s harshest realities.

The novel explores poverty, inequality, and survival with unflinching honesty. The writing is raw and gritty, which perfectly matches the story being told. What I appreciated most was how Kripalani portrayed the city without romanticizing it, yet still captured the humanity of its people.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 — Highly recommended if you’re interested in stories that explore the underbelly of Mumbai with empathy and truth.

[Ananya Kakoti Sarmah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling story, technique of story-telling is gripping and I am definetely going to look for BackSeat now! Only question is how a life of utter debauchery helps the male protagonist to divert his mind from the sweet memories of his uttermost love? I am thinking a person with his characteristic traits of jealously and not the sharing type should feel even more guilty spending all his nights with sex workers!

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some how this book seems to me nice, a bollywood theme may be. Easy and quick read. Nice storyline as well.