Eri Natchatiram (Meteor), rags-to-riches story — that of an actress — gives mixed feeling. Before going into the why of it, a bit about the plot. A beautiful poor girl is discovered by a film producer and she rises to stardom. But she doesn’t fall as the title would suggest. Instead she simply fades out, choosing to do so. The fairytale ends on a poignant note, although the drift is quite predictable. The present and the future hinge on the past, which again is a story not unfamiliar.
Along the way, the story holds a mirror to the seamy side of cinema and the idols with all their warts. It is interesting how the author weaves in the life of real celluloid icons. So the ‘heroine’ — incidentally none of the characters, except one, have names. But as the writer promises in the preface, the reader does not miss it, the fluent narrative engaging his attention. It is the author’s attempt to be different, which remains the only take-away, and that accounts for the mixed feeling.
Eri Nathcatiram
Author R. Krishnamurthi
Publisher Vasantha Publishers
Price Rs. 125
