The Magic of Maya

Quoted in the Hindu 'Business Line'

2007-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

(Extract from Business Line article) Monday, Apr 23, 2007
Great to have a day dedicated to `celebrating reading'

To mark the occasion of World Book Day, Business Line sought to obtain the views of a few authors on what the day means to them.

Come electronic communication come Internet, books will go on forever. They are the lifeblood of a country's culture.
M. V. Kamath

To me, books are the next closest to living beings.
They speak to you, commiserate, understand... and so long as you respect them, they will stick by you.
They almost have a mind of their own!
Derek Bose

The day means one must finish reading all those books one always meant to read like classics by Leo Tolstoy and the third Harry Potter or throw them out of the house and admit once and for all that you will never get around to reading them EVER. The day also means quoting from Pierre Bayard's bestseller How to Talk About Books That You Haven't Read.
Shinie Antony

It's great to have a day dedicated to `celebrating reading'. When we are living in the times of 300-plus TV Channels, DVDs, gaming and endless distractions, this can especially play a role in bringing back to children the importance of the written word. I can recall how the wonderful world of fantasy definitely enriched my own childhood!"
Nandita da Cunha

Review by Usha K R in SAWNET

2007-04-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Extract from SAWNET (The South Asian Women's NETwork Forum) review by Usha KR. Usha is the author of Sojourn (Manas, 1998) and The Chosen (Penguin India, 2003). Her next novel, A Girl and a River (Penguin India) is to be released in May.

"by page 35 of this 260 page book, we have a good idea of Da Cunha’s inventiveness, her eye for description, her musical ear and her playful turn of phrase. Here, for instance is her description of the Flatte Chief --
‘He had thin and wispy bright yellow hair that fell to his knees, which colour seemed to leak all over him, right down to his yellow veined flat feet. Strangest of all, he had piercing yellow double-rimmed eyes, with which he looked her up and down. What with that and his doleful expression, he reminded her of a slice of lemon gone sour!’

Each place that Tara journeys through is attractively described. Flatte land is a beautiful sunshine filled land, full of the chimes of golden bells, where the inhabitants live on gold leaf trees, on which golden apples grow. Sharpes live on the stems of Moneytrees and their streets are paved with diamonds. Maya is ruled by Illusory Laws – everyone hears what they want to hear, so Melan Kohli always hears the blues and Tara, happy melodies.

Or take the names of her characters, which would charm children and adults alike – the musical clutch of Queen Rana Aria, Herr Moan Niem, the seer, Seetar and Geetar, the wise sisters, the rejuvenating tonic, Harmonica, Prince Ta-din-ak-din; we have the sad Chief Melan Kohli, Caliph Sojah, Khem Mystry, adept at black magic, Maneck Tarantella, the crazy old Flying Spider, Biswacks the candlemaker, and even Jatack-in-the-box.

Da Cunha uses her talents to make good (and original) use of all that the literary and cinematic palette has to offer, the staples that engross children – fantasy, both of the Lewis Carollian and the newer Rowlingian variety, the magic spells and mystery of Tolkein as well as Snow White, the dark forces that are for ever trying to take over the world and the array of supermen who have arisen from time to time to fight them; she also understands the unshakeable appeal of the clash between Good and Evil, of pitting brother against brother, of turning the most trusted one into the betrayer"

Review in the Times of India, Westside Plus

2007-03-31T01:53:00.000-07:00

24th March, 2007
Westside Plus, Times of India
Magic of Maya by Nandita Da Cunha
Fantasy never ceases to amaze. Whether you are 8 or 80, the innate desire for escapist fantasies forms the crux of human emotions. Magic of Maya strikes that very chord in every individual, thus ensuring a diligent interest from every reader, old and young.
Magic of Maya is the story of 10 year old Tara, a spunky & unusually strong headed girl in a quiescent village. It illustrates the travails & adventures the young lady faces in a quest to save her world from falling prey to certain destruction. But what set this novel apart from so many other fantasy novels is its simplicity and its extremely simple narrative style which brings to life the various curious creatures in the land of Maya. The various tongue in cheek names & references elicit a chuckle as soon as you realize where the author is going. Mr. Kolorov Muzik (Color of Music) is who else but a great musician handed the job of bringing Tara to the musically enchanted land of Maya. Dholakia is a well rounded individual not so representative of his race in generic terms. The Flattes and Sharpes are a particularly funny take on the truly diverse nature of the two genders.
The author, Nandita Da Cunha, rarely shows signs of first time jitters. She manages dry humor as well as macabre characters with fluid grace and effortless ease. The novel has its fair share of tumultuous twists & astonishing turns. The chapter where the identity of Tara’s father is revealed leads to a whirlwind of activity which further draws the reader into a thrilling vortex of perfidy and the clichéd triumph of good over evil. Magic of Maya is one of those novels which seem disenchanted with the purblind leadership & shallow outlook of people in today’s world. A fantastic La-La Land where music permeates the air through pipes and houses change color depending on the mood of the occupant offers the reader a brilliant ethereal land where he identifies with his innermost concupiscence.
There are a few penumbral sections in the novel but these are few & far between. Comparisons with the Lewis Carroll novel ‘Alice in Wonderland’ are not unwarranted but to deem this novel as a rip off would be an unfair judgement. Overall, the novel is an honest and stimulating work of art. The novel might not be an epoch defining moment in literature but it is definitely an indication that honest first timers can churn out works which are original, entertaining & full of the chutzpah expected out of a good work of fiction.
By Robin Singhvi

http://www.westsideplus.com/fullStory.asp?articleID=WP11ART000324200771017

Interview-Feature in the Mid-Day Metro

2007-03-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

Feature in the Mid-Day Metro on March 02, 2007

An Excerpt:

"Nandita da Cunha, resident of St Andrews Road, has always thought of herself as a "Bombay girl" And she certainly encompasses all the qualities of a true-blue Mumbaikar - dynamic, creative and ambitious. No wonder then, that being an MBA graduate, an adept pianist, and a full time consultant at KPMG Consulting, she also had the time and drive to write her first full length novel at 24. ...

According to her publishers Rupa, the book has done exceptionally well in the metros, especially in Mumbai where the first lot sold out in the first month itself."

Review in the Deccan Herald

2007-02-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Extracts from the review in the Deccan Herald, (Sunday, Feb 25th, 2007)

Dream World
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/feb252007/books200522007224.asp

"It's as fantastic as fantasy can get. That is, The Magic of Maya by Nandita Da Cunha for you"
"And it is indeed this journey that fascinates, particularly the young reader. Here houses change colours according to moods, they move and open doors on their own. And the inhabitants, they are all the colour and stuff that strange dreams are made of. Da Cunha's imagination grows wings, as she describes the different states. There are golden apples, whispering woods, underground piping that produces music, flying spiders and dancing. So very full of sights and sounds."

Review in 'The Afternoon', Mumbai

2007-02-16T00:38:00.000-08:00

The Afternoon Despatch and Courier, 12th February, 2007

NDTV Website Feature

2007-01-22T02:24:00.000-08:00

Book summary and extract as featured on the NDTV website

http://www.ndtv.com/ent/booksmoreextracts.asp

Check it out

On the cover of Time Out

2006-12-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest cover of the Mumbai Time-Out - now that's one model with good taste in books!

Glimpses of the Launch

2006-12-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

Some pics from the launch - ACE productions skit based on excerpts of the book, Nandita with Gerson da Cunha, Raell Padamsee, on the dais with Anil Dharker, and the final book signing - books sold out within 15 minutes!

Interview in the DNA (After Hrs)

2006-12-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Interview in the DNA (Dec 08, 2006)

You can also see the interview online at http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1068155

Some further coverage in the Times of India, Delhi on the same day, article titled "What's Hot":-

Mumbai Launch Invitation

2006-11-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

From www.crosswordbookstores.com

Join us for the launch and reading of

“The Magic of Maya”

by author

Nandita da Cunha

Eminent writer and editor Anil Dharker
will launch the book.

Followed by a dramatic reading by ACE productions

Date: Friday, 8th December 2006
Time: 7.00 pm

Venue: Crossword Kemps Corner
09/11, Mohammedbhai Mansion, NS Patkar Marg
Below Kemps Corner Flyover
Kemps Corner, Mumbai - 400026

RSVP
Ms Bakhtawar Bamboat – 23842001 / 9820776765

Book Review in The Pioneer

2006-11-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

Tara in wonderland
Sunday, November 05, 2006

Nandini Sircar

The Magic of Maya, Nandita Da Cunha; Rupa & Co, Rs 295

A modern day Alice in Wonderland, the book, The Magic of Maya, is an adaptation. This inevitably indicates at a certain rhythm that sets the tone of the book at the very outset. The sound of music is resonant throughout its 260 pages. A captivating fantasy, the book is a magical journey with "Seven Leaps Across Seven Skies".

Tara, the protagonist, is no more than 10 years old. Events weave around this little girl, who is caught in a surreal nightmare-like situation. She is transported into a musical wonderland by a magical scarf. Thus, the idea of travel is a recurring theme in the book. Uncontrolled change of everything around, constant disappearances and a total inability to gain any foundation in this new world is rampant throughout the novel.

Magic is used as a tool to charm and intrigue readers, as Tara leads them through melodious Maya - the wonderland of imagination crossing the paths of a colourful cast of characters. The plot not only moves through various places, it also attempts to write the familiar into the strange. The Magic of Maya is a novel where the narrative operates through various time and space in the form of memory and phantasmagoria

Travelling across Maya is experienced as entertainment and the uncanny land teases the mind of its readers with its unending quest and strange characters. Tara's efforts to collect ingredients for a spell that will save the musical pipes of Maya and her loved ones in Govan is candid and pictorial. She travels through Rizenglow - the cheerful state inhabited by singing flattes and sharpes, the home of the dancing Ritmos and the watery state populated by the sea sirens. The curiosity is further heightened by mysterious symbols throughout the book - like the Lighthouse in Govan and the odyssey through unresearched territories like the caves and tunnels

In having made Tara the central character, Nandita Da Cunha dexterously vests the child with a certain amount of agency, thus making the book an interesting read, especially for children, and a trip down the memory lane for adults.

Concurrently, the author de-stabilises and juggles with the commonly accepted notions of what is considered to be the normal and the imaginary. Here, Tara's village Govan (which is on earth) is called the underworld by the Mayans.

Once Tara is among the Mayans the adventure begins. Each incident occurring in the land of the Mayans is again surrounded by a certain kind of fantastical absurdity. Tara's attention wanders along a trail of events - each event as perplexing as the other, each identity concealed behind an apparent mask. However, the revelation towards the end makes for an interesting twist in the tale. The novel sails smoothly engaging its readers till the time the issues are finally resolved.

The book, The Magic of Maya, finally presents the tussle between the creator and the scheming destroyer, the good and the evil, the conflict and the resolution. The book delves into a broader debate of the universal cycle where the positive and the negative forces are constantly at loggerheads with each other. Maya is synonymous to an endless, inevitable cycle where the author reinstates that the world which we inhabit is nothing but a mere illusion.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/displayit1.asp?pathit=/archives2/nov1106/books/book2.txt

Book Overview

2006-09-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

A debut fantasy novel by Nandita da Cunha, publishers, Rupa & Co

One girl's journey into the world of Maya...

The book can be bought online at www.oxfordbookstore.com, www.fabmall.com, http://www.prakashbooks.com and www.ndtvshopping.com and internationally at www.indiaclub.com and www.amazon.com

It is available across bookstores in India

From the back cover:

A captivating fantasy, that will plunge you headlong into one girl’s adventures in the enchanting world of Maya. Seven leaps across seven skies later, how will Tara cope with the hypnotic Caliph Sojah, the mysterious Cicis, the lazy Flatte, Dholakia, and of course the omnipresent wicked Destroyer, who is set on taking over the musical pipes of Maya….

“The Magic of Maya took me back to my childhood and transported me to a world of fantasy, illusion, even dark, sinister forebodings.
Lucidly written, with a fine sense of rhythm, Nandita's debut sparkles like a well -cut gem.”
-- Shobhaa Dé, novelist and columnist

“A modern day Alice in Wonderland, with action -- fast and frenetic -- swirling between parallel worlds.... There's enough magic here, and wordplay, to keep the young reader engrossed and entertained. With "The Magic of Maya" in hand, who needs television or computer games?”
--- Anil Dharker, senior editor, writer and columnist

"Once opened, “The Magic of Maya” is a magical journey that entices you into a world of melodies and lets you escape into a fantastical world.
A must read for all young readers."
--- Raell Padamsee, theatre personality