Pages

Friday, October 16, 2015

Yes, My Accent is Real by Kumal Nayyar : A Review



BOOK TITLE: Yes, My Accent is Real
ISBN: 978-1471152795
AUTHOR: Kunal Nayyar
GENRE: Non Fiction / Autobiographical essays
NUMBER OF PAGES: 256
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: The publishers sent me a review copy and I thank them for it.
SUMMARY:
          In the spirit of Mindy Kaling’s bestseller Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, a collection of humorous, autobiographical essays from Kunal Nayyar, best known as Raj on CBS’s #1 hit comedy The Big Bang Theory.
          Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory—the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist—ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.
          Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)

          Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role of a lifetime.
REVIEW:
Disclaimer: (This describes my relation with the TV show that catapulted this writer to fame. In one sentence – I have not seen it. Skip this part totally if you are interested in only the book review).
          I have not seen the Big Bang Theory. Yes, I know it is a very popular show. Of course I have heard it is a hugely successful series. And I have not seen it. Not because I did not know there was such a ‘great’ TV show. I was well aware of it. Most of my friends in college (and many people I met later on) are big fans of this TV show. I have heard incessant talks about this show. I have known people who binge watched it.
          My best friend is a huge fan and this remains the only topic on which I am clueless when I talk to her. But like some series that never catch your fancy, this show never compelled me to watch it. That does not mean I hate it or won’t ever watch it. As of today, I have never had a very compelling urge to watch it. So it automatically follows I had no idea who Raj Kootharapalli was supposed to be. Nor do I know who Kunal Nayyar is. But that did NOT influence the way I read this book.
          I would like to say I jumped at the chance after having heard friends talk about it in extreme detail, or after seeing the thousands of memes all over the internet made from the scenes of this show, but no. I took it up because I have heard about this show and I was curious that one of its actors has penned a memoir of sorts. And I genuinely thank the publishers for giving me a copy. I enjoyed the book.
          When the publishers contacted me with this review copy, I had just finished reading another humorous non fiction account by a celebrity (and consequently loved the style) so I took this up with a ‘why not?’ attitude. But only after many friends exclaimed about the author and ‘ooh’ed and ‘ah’ed about it (and consequently made me appear clueless), and requested me to let them thumb through the book did I realise just how huge this was supposed to be.
For those of you who skipped the above rambling – the real review starts  here.
First Impression:
          I received a paperback copy of this book. I loved the cover image and the totally unassuming pose of Kunal Nayyar. I liked the embossed letters on the cover. The book is comfortable to read, with a clear font and clean printing. The chapters were written in no particular chronological order but I found this appealing in a way.
Now for the review of the actual contents:
          The book is not a memoir. The author himself admits it. And nor is it a glorifying ‘rags to riches’ account. But it is a collection of autobiographical essays. Ghost writing rumours apart, I really enjoyed the words and the style of writing in this book.
          Kunal does not start the narration at the first memory he had of his life, or even at his first failure or success on his way to stardom. The book starts on a simple day in the life of a boy called Kunal, and only when you read the end of the chapter do you realise the importance of that particular event detailed at the beginning. Yes. The writing style is so simple.
          The language is clear, the humor self deprecating, the events naturally life like. The author has not really glossed over the parts that show him in a duller light, nor has he glorified his stardom. I would not call it a down to earth sort of book, but surely, I think this is a treat to read.
          For fans of BBT who expect some behind the scenes moment in this memoir, prepare to be disappointed. This book is not ONLY about that. Yes, that part is there. The auditions, and how David became Raj, and a lot of other things about the show and its cast. But that is not the major part of this book. I heard a few disappointed sighs from people who expected this to be more of a behind the scenes memoir from BBT. But folks, this is the life of Kunal Nayyar, not Raj.
          Kunal has penned a humorous account of some events in his life. He ends the book with a detailed account of his marriage. In this book, we see a young man with dreams who made it big. The writing style is simple and lucid. While this is not a must read, it is worth buying and reading. The entire book is not light hearted and funny. There are emotions ranging from tears, frustration, embarrassment, anger and happiness, elation and of course, love (many times over). Because that is what life is all about.
WHAT I LIKED:
·        The writing style and the self deprecating humour
·        The funny life events that seem like they could happen to anyone
·        Not portraying (thankfully) the writer as some sort of divine human who made it through at the first attempt.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
·        While I knew nothing about the famous TV series, and Kunal’s role in it, I have heard many people say they would love it if there had been some more details about his experiences with BBT. Maybe this calls for a special exclusive memoir that gives a blow by blow account of the same.
·        Though this was a nice read, there are not any memorable dialogues that you take back with you as a reader. You enjoy it while it lasts. But even if you remember this book as a cluster of events, nothing really stands out and touches your mind like it was supposed to.
VERDICT: You will not regret buying this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly even when I hadn’t heard about who the author was – in fact, it somehow made my overall reading experience better.
RATING: 4/5 (Not rating the events in the book – rather rating the style and words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
          Kunal Nayyar needs almost no introduction other than saying he is Raj Kootharapalli from the Big Bang Theory, apparently.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Hardcover, Paperback, Digital, Audio
PRICE: $14.59 for Hardcover, $12.51 for Paperback, $3.64 for Kindle and $20.26 for Audio

No comments:

Post a Comment

Not a SPAM comment! :)