Bodies adrift: The Dead Fish explores trauma and decay

The Story in Brief

Millenniumpost.in reviews Rajkamal Choudhary's novel 'The Dead Fish', translated from Hindi by Mahua Sen. The story follows Nirmal, a boy thrown out of his home after his mother elopes. He rises from selling newspapers in Karachi to becoming a wealthy industrialist in Calcutta and New York.

But his success masks deep psychological wounds. The novel explores trauma, sexuality, and moral decay in post-Independence India. Nirmal is portrayed as cruel and obsessive, his relationships with Kalyani and Shirin driving the narrative. The review notes the fictional but realistic setting, including a reference to a real chief minister.