A Useful Death-Sriram Chellapilla

Book: A Useful Death

Author: Sriram Chellapilla

Publisher: Westland India

How many times have you heard the news of a suicide on the TV and changed the channel?

Have you ever paid heed to a person who had asked you for help and support?

A Useful Death is a story of a suicide of an upcoming actress in Hyderabad and Anil, the son of a prominent former Telugu Superstar and upcoming politician, Mohan Krishna is accused of driving her to it. To manage the fallout and the crisis, Partha and his firm are hired by the family. Having his own doubts on the superstar, he refuses to help them manage the PR but agrees to get Anil out of the situation if he was innocent. As the story progresses, it moves through the murky lanes of the city of Hyderabad, student politics and the underbelly of the film industry. Partha and his team push their own boundaries in their quest for the truth and what comes out in the end is truly something no one would have imagined. In the end, it boiled down to just one question, to whom her death was useful?

The plot of the book is very well written. The opening scene sets the stage in a wonderful manner. The unfolding of the crime as the plot progresses like peeling of the layers of an onion is something that gives a distinct flavor to the plot. The author has crafted the crime in a detailed manner and that keeps the reader engaged. The role of media in changing the narrative and how grapevine changes the news cycles has been brought up really wonderfully and that how different stakeholders were trying to benefit from the death brings out the dirty side of politics and media. Another angle that the plot covers is that of student politics and how the student community is sometimes used by people with vested interests. The climax of the book is unexpected and does manage to give the reader some chills. The concept that your past always catches up with the present is a good touch to the story as well.

Talking about the characters, Sriram has taken pain to detail each of the characters of the book so that they stand out. Be it the mighty Mohan Krishna, or the clever researcher Partha or for that matter, Malvika, each of them have been given enough time so that the reader gets to identify with each of the characters for a while. The character of Priya could have been given some more time for the backstory which would have helped readers connect with her as well. For the purposes of the current plot, she’s treated as a prop for the story to move forward.

Overall, a decent read. It manages to create a feeling of thrill and mystery for me.

A Useful Death manages to dazzle me a little and take away 3.5 stars.