A Meeting on the Andheri Overbridge

Sorry stories.

This is an English translation of a Tamil book involving a lady detective - Sudha Gupta. It actually contains 3 stories or 3 cases that Sudha investigates. Loved the first 2 cases. Stories are simple but really fast paced and very engaging. This one is a light read you'd want to check out between heavy stuff. Really liked references of old Hindi songs and Tamil literature in the book.

It was an ok ok book. Though it comes under the mystery/thriller genre it was quite dissapointing to finish the book knowing that nothing mysterious or thrilling happened.It was all kind of a simple story where the protagonist helped an old lady adress her concerns regarding her family. It was nothing extraordinary it was a simple read. I actually chose this book for its beautiful cover but it turned out to be nothing mysterious or thrilling inside the book.

துப்பறியும் கதைகள் மனிதத்தைப் பற்றி பேசி இப்போது தான் பார்க்கிறேன். இத்தொகுப்பில் மூன்று கதைகள் உள்ளன. என்னை மிகவும் கவர்ந்தன.

It read like a disconnected essay. The concept is good and there are lessons to learn, but somehow didn't feel excited to read on.

Insightful. Two stars for that. Story touches upon a social aspect. Story itself wasn't entertaining.

As a mystery novel, it falls short. But as a literary work which explores relationships, the gender equation, and the city of Mumbai, it’s an good easy read.

An easy to read book, that showcases the banality of evil through simple stories in familiar settings of Mumbai. Inconsistencies in usage of non-Tamil terms makes it a bit difficult to read in the beginning but one soon gets used to it. A good starting point to the writings of Ambai.

A compilation of three uncomplicated detective stories. The first one was a bit hard to digest because of the story-line. A brutal story made to look so simple. The next one was good, and the last one does not even qualify under detective stories. Overall an easy to read book. Finished it in a day.

A women playing a detective role is quite inspirational thing for me.This book contains three short stories each has different paradigm or perception of plot. I was totally surprised with plots and how author has managed to articulate in a simple and lucid style. Inspite analytical intelligence, authors portray of the detective's emotional intelligence made this work a intriguing and gripping one. Highly Recommending for all.

This book contains three novellas— all featuring Private Investigator Sudha Gupta. Although the blurb claims her as Indian equivalent of legendary spinster detectives, the reality was not that dramatic. However, one must admit that lucid translation had made the tales enjoyable indeed. In one story, Sudha's methodical investigations lead to the blossoming of love rather unexpectedly. Another sees her patience and persistence help an old woman regain her possessions and dignity. But it’s the first novella (As the Day Darkens) that elevates the book to an altogether different and dark level. The book is worth reading primarily for that tale.

"Sudha Gupta was rushing to catch the 10.17 Bhayandar fast train. That train would not be very crowded. All the other alternatives were Virar fast trains, and they would be choking with crowds." This is how the book begins. This is how I got introduced to Sudha Gupta, the detective. There was no way I was going to stop reading. How could I? Here was a middle class housewife, a sleuth, on her way to catch the culprit in a train that even I prefered over the Virar fast locals for the same reason as hers. Of course, I was all ears to her the moment I started. And, as I had guessed, her story wasn't boring.

Deeply stirring Who cannot love Ambai? I had heard a lot about her skill and when I chanced upon this translation, I was very happy. The story revolves around Andheri station in suburban Mumbai. I have met some of the characters she enumerates. The blind flute player on Platform 4 of Andheri station, for instance. The beggars on the overbridge. All described as it really was at some point in time. To come to the story, the author has managed so many characters really well. The two main players, Sudha and Sandhyatai and their meeting and interaction are handled sensitively. The path chosen by Sandhyatai for her life is unusual but is what her conscience chooses. I highly recommend this short treat. 6/5

I found it hard to assign a rating to this book because I couldn't decide whether to consider this a book in the mystery/detective novel genre or simply as a literary work. As a detective novel, it falls short. There are no very complex cases, a little bit of legwork and knowing the right people to go to seems to solve the cases for detective Sudha Gupta, the lead character of these stories. What works well as with Ambai's other fiction is the portrayal of women's lives and especially of a strong sense of sisterhood between women from very different backgrounds and circumstances. This collection of three long stories is an enjoyable read if you don't go in expecting a murder mystery or even a police procedural kind of novel.

எழுத்தாளர் அம்பை அவர்களது துப்பறிவாளர் சுதா குப்தா சிறுகதை வரிசையில் அமைந்த மூன்று கதைகளை க��ண்ட நூல் இது. வாசகர்களை கட்டிப்போட்டுவிடும் எழுத்து நடையோடு, துப்புத் துலக்கும் பயணமும், அதோடு மும்பையின் மனிதர்களும் சேரும் அருமையான கதைகள்! Must read!!

I always feel that good Detective fiction is one of the most enjoyable ways to discover a place and its people. Nothing reveals the psyche of a people as Crimes rampant in the society. Ambai , in her first departure from literary fiction, creates an unforgettable protagonist Sudha Gupta. In this slim volume, "A Meeting On the Andheri Overbridge " which whets your appetite for more , we meet the wise , funny , smart Sudha Gupta who tames monsters without guns and jeeps. Sudha with a college going daughter and a husband she married for love is an unconventional sleuth. The headlines we gloss over everyday ; abuse ,incest, abandonment of senior citizens ,matrimonial quests littered with doubt and anxieties, and pretend that they happen to other people , constitute the tangled knots that land at the doors of Sudha Gupta's Mumbai apartment . Here, aided by regular cups of cinnamon tea; her woman Friday , the super-efficient Stella and the cook Chellamma ,a magical conjurer of payassams ; Sudha listens , sees and understands not just the problems , but the tragedy behind lives of women. Even well off , educated , urban women. Sudha is a kindly, common-sensical angel to distressed women.A provider of something basic that our society fails to provide to a woman in dire straits . A support system and a shoulder to lean on. Many problems come to her via Govind Shelke , her moonh-bola brother and a bonafide cop who sets great faith in her wisdom. Sudha teases Govind on the *efficiency* of the police and Govind , who believes in forensic evidence , but is riddled by ministerial visits , both protests and laughs at it. He knows that what Sudha can achieve with her compassion , empathy and sharp nose can never be accomplished in a traditional Thana interrogation. Mumbai , the city , with its crowded railway stations , blaring announcements ,teeming beggars , flute players and vendors , song ridden ringtones, overflowing local trains and drains are all characters in this charming collection. Waiting for more Sudha .

Wow experience.! Loved it !😀💚

The first short story is hard hitting. Rest are possible to digest.

Fictions usually are not-mine. But, this one just blew a breeze over my mind. I couldn't believe myself having read the whole book in just two sittings! The author C.S. Lakshmi ji aka Ambai's language was a balm to the heart. I felt everything happening before my eyes; Such lucid was the flow. I really loved the equal importance she had given to Hindi, Marathi as well as Tamil while penning the whole prose in English. Exotic lines from Kabir's poetry at places were the icing on the cake! The real inner beauty of feminism is portrayed in the love, the 60-year-old woman shows for her husband who tries to sheath her with a 'mentally-unstable' certificate, for taking over the property in her name. When your intention is genuine, even God arrives in disguise to transpire it into reality. Running away from home is never the solution — That's something every reader along with Sandhyabai gets to know while closing the book. This lovely cover is actually a deception. Passing through the first few paragraphs, it makes us think that the story's about a blind-beggar-flautist who lives on the alms in the Andheri overbridge. It certainly is in that a cliche beginning, I personally relate to the plot, because my parents too have a similar wish; The way they want to pass their retirement. I, now, have a better idea, on how to be supportive. Thanks ji, for shaping a beautiful piece of maturity in my heart.

நான் ஐந்தாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும்போது சன் தொலைக்காட்சியில் ஒளிபரப்பாகிய தடயம் மிகவும் பிரபலமான ஒரு தொடர். எழுத்தாளர் அம்பை அவர்களின் 'அந்தேரி மேம்பாலத்தில் ஒரு சந்திப்பு (சுதா குப்தாவின் துப்பறியும் அனுபவங்கள்) என்ற தலைப்பு கொண்ட இப்புத்தகத்தை நான் வாசிக்கும்முன் தடயம் தொடர் பார்த்தது போல் ஒரு அனுபவம் கிடைக்கும் என்று நினைத்தேன். இந்தியக் கதைகளில், தமிழ்நாட்டுக் கதைக்களத்தைத் தாண்டிப் போகாத எனக்கு, இப்புத்தகம் ஒரு புது அனுபவமாக அமைந்தது. மும்பை வாழ் மக்கள் வாழ்வியலை இந்த கதைகள் மூலமாக மிகவும் இயல்பாகப் படம்பிடித்துக் காட்டியுள்ளார் எழுத்தாளர் அம்பை. மும்பையில் வாழும் மதராஸி பெண்ணான சுதா குப்தா ஒரு துப்பறிவாளர். அவள் துப்பறியும் வழக்குகளே இப்புத்தகத்தில் மூன்று கதைகளாகக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. மைமல் பொழுது: இக்கதையில் ஒரு கணவன் மனைவியின் மூன்று பெண் குழந்தைகளும் ஒரே நேரத்தில் காணாமல் போய்விடுகின்றனர். அம்மூன்று பெண் குழந்தைகள் என்ன ஆனார்கள் என்பதைத் துப்பறியும் பணி சுதாவிற்கு. இக்கதையில் மட்டும் தான் துப்பறியும் கதைக்களத்திற்கு முக்கியத்துவம் அதிகம் கொடுக்கப் பட்டிருக்கும். அந்த பெண் குழந்தைகளின் அந்த கொடூர நிலைக்கு வேலியாக இருக்க வேண்டிய ஒரு உறவே பாசக்கயிறாக மாறியதை வாசிக்கும்போதே மனம் பதைபதைக்கும். கணவனை இழந்த ஒரு பெண் வேறு துணையை நாடும்போது அவள் நல்ல உள்ளம் படைத்தவளாக இருந்தாலும், அவளையும் அவள் பிள்ளைகளையும் இந்த சமூகம் எப்படிப் பார்க்கும் என்பதனை 'காகித கப்பல் செய்பவன்' கதையில் நாம் அறிய முடிகிறது. " பையன் நல்ல பையன் தான், ஆனா அம்மா சரி இல்லையே" என்று நிராகரிக்கப்படும் சிங்காரம் என்னும் இளைஞன் மீது, சுதா குப்தாவின் உதவியாளர் ஸ்டெல்லா காதல் கொள்கிறாள் சிங்காரத்தின் குணத்தை மட்டும் கொண்டு. ஸ்டெல்லா- சிங்காரத்தின் அழகான உரையாடல்கள் இன்னும் நீண்டிருக்கலாம் என்று தோன்றியது இந்த கதையின் முடிவில். வாழ்வின் தனக்கான எல்லா கடமைகளையும் திருப்திகரமா முடித்து, முதுமையின் மீதியைத் தான் பிறந்த ஊரில் தன் தங்கையோடு சின்னதாக இயற்கை தோட்டம் அமைத்துக் கொண்டு வாழ வேண்டும் என்ற ஆசை கொண்ட ஒரு வயதான பெண்மணியின் கதை "அந்தேரி மேம்பாலத்தில் ஒரு சந்திப்பு". சந்தியபாயின் அந்த ஆசை அவர் வீட்டாருக்கே பொருளற்றதாக தோன்றியதால் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறுகிறார் சந்தியாபாய் . அந்தேரி மேம்பாலத்தில் அவரை சந்தித்த சுதா குப்தா எப்படி சந்தியாபாயின் ஆசை நிறைவேற உதவிபுரிகிறார் என்பதே மீதி கதை. வயதாகி விட்டால் மனிதர்கள் பொம்மை இல்லை, அவர்களுக்கும் மனம் உண்டு, அந்த மனதிற்குள்ளும் தீராத ஆசைகள் நிறைய உண்டு என்பதற்கு இந்த கதையே நல்ல ஒரு எடுத்துக்காட்டு. தடயம் தொடரைப் பார்த்தது போல் அனுபவம் எதுவும் கிடைக்கவில்லை என்ற ஏமாற்றம் ஒரு புறம் இருந்தாலும் இந்த புத்தகத்தில் உள்ள மூன்று கதைகளும் சமூகத்தில் நடக்கும் கொடூர அவலங்கள், உறவுகளின் சிக்கல்கள், மனிதர்களின் சுயமரியாதை போன்றவற்றை மையமாகக் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டிருப்பதால் இந்த புத்தக வாசிப்பு ஓரளவிற்குத் திருப்திகரமாக இருந்தது.

This is a feel good book for sure, but not much of detective fiction. While the main story is interesting, there are too many characters on the sidelines and they do not add to the story at all. The subtle tribute to the age old music is good too. But, the title is very misleading. There was absolutely no need for the said meeting and the main characters could have met anywhere.

This year's Sahitya Academy award for fiction in Tamil was won by writer Ambai. So while searching on Amazon for that title, came across this title and the blurb said it was a detective novel. Pleasantly surprised by the fact, bought the Kindle edition. In movies, they package some dramas as police procedurals just so that the audience is hooked. This is something like that. Three different stories which talk about domestic issues have been packaged each as a detective story. The last story was really good but the resolution to the core issue seemed very easy and convenient. And it was even worse is the first story. Liked the second story; had a bit of rom-com angle to it. Overall, not really bad but expected better from such an accomplished writer. Rating: 3.5 stars