My Name is Not Devdas-Aayush Gupta

Book: My Name is Not Devdas
Author: Aayush Gupta
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What if Devdas, Paro, and Chandramukhi lived in contemporary times?

A slick and contemporary reimagining of an enduring classic, My Name Is Not Devdas brings together the participants of a skewed love triangle. But Devdas is not the tragic, misunderstood lover of yore; Paro is not the spurned woman who’d shut herself in; and Chandramukhi is not your next-door hooker with a heart of gold. As each narrates their own version of events, a tale of half-truths emerges that swiftly boils to a crescendo with bruised egos, deadly obsessions, and electrifying revelations. Turning a page is all the time you will get to catch your breath.

Reimagining classics and setting them in current times is a wonderful way to go for any book. The essence of the original story with the present setting usually makes for an interesting read. My Name is not Devdas attempts to do just this. The concept of the book is good, and Aayush manages to bring the idea of the original into the book, however the context he sets the story in does not completely work for me. The story starts on an interesting note, and the form of storytelling he uses to give each character their own voice is quite gripping. Aayush has presented societal issues through his characters and subtly comments on them. The thing that did not work for me was the fact that his message couldn’t get across completely. Another aspect that could have been improved was the detailing in the story because I felt that the author moved too quickly and did not do complete justice to the story.

The characters have been inspired from the original, and Aayush has retained the basic nature of Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi, but given them a modern twist. From a girl with modest background to a student of Delhi University, both the female characters are interestingly crafted and they are painted as powerful women in their own rights. Devdas as a character is crafted nicely, however I felt that as the titular character he could have had a better role in the narrative.

Overall, a good book, but could have been better. The book scores a 3.75/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book at your nearest bookstore or Amazon India.

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