Majeed
Syed is one writer with that uncanny ability to derive humor from innocuous situations.
Like his previous work, ‘Chembilammini Kolacase,’ Akhila Loka Adu Company is a
humorous take on the state and the society we are living in. Part social
satire, part allegory, and social commentary, ‘Akhila Loka..’ is a novel that
sees the world we live in through the eyes of Pokkar, a twice ‘converted’ male goat.
The
novel almost reads like the life story of the Rajasthan-born, Kerala-raised
“Pokkar Aadu,” but I must say that this one is indeed a well-written social
satire. The world that Majeed creates is so vivid and lively that once you
start reading it, you can’t put this down until you finish reading it. The
author has no qualms in making fun of most present-day quandaries.
The
characters are a good mix of humans and animals, but often the line gets
blurred, and one feels that the animals are far more civilized than their human
counterparts. The novel has a wide array of characters: Baby, Balkis,
Chekkutty, Lilly, and Pratap Singh. The writer has also poked fun at the Malayalee
Psyche of ‘treating anything as holy’ at the slightest instigation of half-truths
and part-boiled facts. The ‘Lilly-Holy Goat’ episodes are a hoot. At just about
70 pages, this one is a fast-paced read! For Majeed, the goat and the setting
are just a prop to drive home some pertinent statements. There are no holy cows
in the world that he creates. To the writer’s credit, he has successfully weaved
in the themes of Casteism, regionalism, and communal undercurrents in the
narrative in a very subtle but effective manner.
Through
the mind of the Pokkar, the author also reminds us of some essential life lessons.
So when he laments that “we are far better than humans who get rid of their parents
when they fall ill” or when he quips that “it is better to end up at the dinner
table rather than continuing living in the world dominated by humans,” one can’t
agree more!
On
the whole, this one is a thought-provoking read! If satire is your cup of tea,
go grab a copy now!
-nikhimenon
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