In An Ideal World

by Kunal Basu

Altaf Hussein, a young Muslim student, has been abducted from his college hostel. The authorities have washed their hands off the matter and the police are accused of a cover up. Rumours claim he has gone to fight the jihad in Iraq. More sinister rumours have him tortured and murdered for opposing the Nationalist students who are on a rampage to create a Hindu homeland in India, driving out Liberal supporters like Altaf and their decadent ideals.

The divide between Liberals and Nationalists invades the Sengupta household in Kolkata when Joy, a bank manager, and Rohini, his schoolteacher wife-both compassionate humanists-learn the shocking news that their only son Bobby has become a leader of the Nationalist students and is implicated in Altaf's disappearance. Disbelief turns to anguish when they encounter his belligerent ideology and his not-too-convincing denial of his role in the Altaf affair.

Out to solve the mystery of Altaf, Joy and Rohini discover conspiracy and hate, forbidden love and exceptional courage, come face to face with a world caught between the real and the ideal. But will they succeed in absolving their son of the heinous crime? Will Altaf be found after all? Or will they, and this fractured nation, pay the ultimate price for harbouring a fractured heart?

Genres: India, Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2022

About the author

Kunal basu was born in Calcutta. Raised by unorthodox parents, both litterateurs and political activists, he developed an early love for the arts: painting, acting and writing.

Since 2001, he has published four novels, a collection of short stories, written a few screen plays and (mostly unpublished) poetry.

Reviews

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars.

Moves at the pace of a thriller throughout & only appears to be a work of literary fiction by the manner it concludes. Even so, found the ending a bit rushed given the amount of tension simmering by the time we're in the final act.

Recommend this coz the theme's all too familiar - you just need to see what's happening all around you in India. Timely & engaging.

[Disha Naik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn’t matter if you’re a leftist, rightist or centrist. Everyone should read this book!

[Sudeshna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking book that brings alive the fissures of our age. This is a world where everyone is a pawn in someone else's agenda, and the young pay the highest price.

[Sadiq Kazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fictional account loosely based on real incidents like the case of the disappearance of JNU Student Najeeb Ahmed. A gripping story about what communalism and the vices of nationalism can do to the social fabric of this nation. Thank you Kunal Basu for putting out this daring work in times like these. A must-read for all those whatabouters and the majority who believes that whatever is happening would ultimately be good for them.

[Shourya Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In An Ideal World" (IAIW) was my second book by Kunal Basu after “Kalkatta”. To be honest, I didn't like Kalkatta a lot but I still picked this up after reading the excerpt based on a recommendation from Goodreads. Overall, I liked IAIW more though I wished it did not appear to be finished in a rush. My true rating is somewhere between three and a half and four which in Goodreads’ scale gets mapped to four.

IAIW is about parents (Joy and Rohini) in the mission of bringing their college-going son (Vivek) back from extreme nationalist political influence. Vivek, who is living and studying in a college in a small town Manhar a few hours away from Kolkata, is being suspected on the account of the disappearance of a fellow Muslim student (Altaf). Joy, a manager of a Bharat Bank branch in South Calcutta after being told by the college director, Mimi who happened to be an old friend of both him and Rohini, went to Manhar. The rebellious communist leader during his college days saw firsthand how Vivek’s political guru, by the name of Dadhichi, is steering his actions towards the abolition of the other religion and every one belonging to it. Rohini after discovering about Joy’s trip to Manhar feigns illness to call Vivek to Calcutta. Vivek’s visit gave Joy and Rohini more conviction that their son has indeed gone quite deep into extreme nationalism and might have a role behind Altaf’s disappearance. After Vivek evades from their house, Joy and Rohini went to Manhar to find the truth about Altaf and save Vivek from further. They decided to bring him back to be the son they knew.

The story is relevant, timely, and well-weaved. The writing is appropriate for an easy read. The last part of the book seemed a bit hurriedly done but overall a good one!

[Seema Devgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the overall theme and concept of the book - this topic needs to be addressed from different aspects by literary world. It is a current theme and burning issue not only in India but also other regions of the world - the society being divided on the basis of religion, ideology, thoughts. It is a difficult topic also but very well travelled through by the author in this book. For me the most scary part of the book was that by doing it again and again, politicians or leaders are now experts in knowing what kind of people to target (both for brainwashing and to stop the voice from opposing ideology). However, what I did not like about the book is the way parents go about their investigation - I find it bit dramatic and not close to reality.

[Samriddha Bhattacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a lot of promise but it seemed like it needed more depth in terms of character development. A few more pages would have perhaps done more justice to the story which is quite solid in itself. More details were needed. It felt like a job finished in a hurry. But to talk about the plot, it is very relevant for the current times.

[r ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just think this was so interesting and portrayed the idea of how little actions/influences can lead to grave consequences. It also shed light on how the modern India is being transformed and what role the media has in it. Really really loved it.

[Biswajit Patnaik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kunal Basu, once again spins a timeless tale describing the current scenarios perfectly and subtly. With every page you read, you get to connect it with the situation going around. A must read for all who are concerned about what is going around around.

[Rishi Madhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing; conversations galore; moves like a light thriller but the ending was a tad rushed. And a bit predictable too. Overall a good read and very relevant in these times.

[Sneha Baskaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A political drama which narrates the story of today's youth paying the price for someone else's political agendas. I love the idea behind the book and the way he describes the sentiments of each character but the book is definitely a drag. Wish the narrative had been more riveting.

[Neeladri Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kunal Basu’s latest book once again highlights the state of India at the moment. Filled with hate, and a society divided on political and religious grounds, we seem to be going deeper into the abyss.

While it has nowhere been stated by the author, but “In an Ideal World” could very well be the story of Najeeb. Unfortunately we still don’t know where he is, however in this book, there is some closure with regards to what happens to Altaf.

The book is extremely well written. It starts out slow but picks up pace eventually. The third and last part of the book is quite gripping. Overall, this is a good read, and more importantly, another reminder(because we don’t seem to learn) of the India we are building.