Too many cooks spoil the broth is a widely accepted adage.
But the general veracity of the statement was challenged by a few bloggers who
came together and churned out some really spicy stories. Blogadda put them on a
plate- 6 Degrees-Game of Blogs- for
the readers to devour.
Game of Blogs- The
Concept
Image Courtesy: Blogadda
With the power of CONNECT|
CREATE | COMPETE, Blogadda set out to bring bloggers from various parts of the
country together to create an unprecedented story-writing collaboration. The
contest was judged by some of the top writers such as Ashwin Sanghi, Natasha
Badhwar, Ravi Subramanian, Meghna Pant, Raksha Bharadia and Kiran Manral. The
game started in September 2014 with 30 teams of 10 members each. But as the
game progressed, the war of the words became tougher and only 3 teams emerged
as winners. The teams which stunned and amazed the jury were Team By Lines, Team Potliwale Baba and Team Tete-a-Ten.
About the Book
6 degrees is the outcome of a collaborative
blogging effort by Blogadda, the largest community
of bloggers in India, to capture the creativity of bloggers from across the
country and turn it into a book. This book has 3 stories from 3 different teams
that had won the coveted blogging challenge. 3 stories that found a place in
this book are- The Awakening, Entangled Lived and Missing- A Journey Within. The
teams were given the same set of characters and were asked to build a fictional
plot around them.
Characters :
1) Shekhar Dutta – Stay home Dad, freelance writer,
Hindu, Stays in Mumbai
Description – French beard, bald, average height, fair, thin specs,
lean, wears t-shirt & track pants generally, ever smiling. |
| Image Courtesy: Blogadda |
3) Roohi Dutta – 9 years girl, Shekhar and Tara’s daughter.Description – Fair, healthy, notorious, 2 ponytail, wear frill frocks.4) Jennifer Joseph – Photographer, Christian, Stays in Kochi (Kerala)Description – Dusky, average height, tattoo on right hand, wears casual shorts and tees, lots of accessories, always carries a camera.5) Cyrus Daruwala – A law student, Stays in DelhiDescription – Tall, extremely fair, big specs, curly hair, stern face, beard on the chin.
Book Review
There is an underlying apprehension whenever I decide to
pick up debut works. I am always scared of investing my time and passion that
might not result in something interesting. But there is also a thrill involved-
a thrill of discovering something new. And I had the same feelings when I
picked up 6 Degrees. When I showed my interest to review this book, I could not
force away the thoughts that I might be in for a letdown. But those feelings
were put to rest almost immediately when I started with the first story. And
then I was completely hooked to the book till the end (clichéd but true). Every
story was woven around the same set of characters (that being the rule of
contest). It was interesting to read how every team had treated the same
characters differently. In spite of being a debut effort by most of the team
members, no-where in the stories do you feel that the plot is mellowing and
slipping from the author’s hand. I guess, the collaboration made sure that such
novice errors were completely ruled out. Each story is power packed, thrilling
and intelligent.
The Awakening by Team By Lines
Shekhar and Tara own a mansion in a posh Mumbai locality
where they live with their 9-year old daughter Roohi. There picture-perfect
life is disrupted when Cyrus comes to stay with them temporarily and reveals a
totally unimaginable truth about Tara. Meanwhile, the Gray Aliens are planning
to attack Earth to capture the monoatomic element–Galladium. The Human race is
completely unaware of this invasion plan and goes on with its self-destructive
exploitation of resources. It is then that the fleet of PeaceKeeper aliens
harmoniously living with the Humans are recalled by the Master and reminded of
their special powers. Will they be able to save Earth in a matter of few days?
What did Cyrus tell Shekhar about Tara that makes him anxious and also
jeopardizes his life?
I am not a fan of sci-fi or alien stuff. But there was
something different about this one. There were not just aliens going around
killing humans left and right. There was a STORY. And a good one. I wanted to
read on and know what happens next. Every character is intelligently placed in
the fast-paced plot.
Entangled Lives by Team Potliwale Baba
Shekhar is a work from home Dad and freelance journalist
staying in Mumbai with her wife Tara, who has an important position as a media
head. They adore their daughter Roohi who is super active and adventurous, a
tad bit more than what both of them can handle. Cyrus comes into picture when
he helps a hurt Roohi and Jennifer enters Tara’s life when they meet accidently(?)
in café. However, all of their lives are hit by a Tsunami when Naina, the maid,
is murdered in the house with all of them present in the next room. Inspector
Jawa, a typical lusty, pot-bellied but intelligent officer, is about to solve
the mystery when something grave happens.
This is by-far my favorite of the lot. There is nothing more
thrilling than an intelligent murder mystery. My adrenaline was rocketing high
all throughout the story. Everyone is a suspect in a murder until proven
innocent. And nobody was innocent here. Jawa makes you cringe with disgust in
one moment and in the next moment; you are praising his intelligence and
analytical skills. The twist in the ends deserves brownie points.
Missing- A Journey Within by Team Tete-a-Ten
What happens when a 9-year old girl goes missing in a city
like Mumbai? While her parents Shekhar and Tara are devastated to think of what
might happen and doing all they can to look for her, they find a clue that she
is sighted with a man, Cyrus. Why is Cyrus on Mission Roohi? And why is Dr
Aryan Ahuja, Roohi’s pediatrician in touch with Cyrus. As Cyrus parents and
friends in Delhi are trying to find his whereabouts, Jennifer sets out to
reveal what Dr Ahuja has to do with Roohi’s disappearance and Cyrus’s Mumbai visit.
Now this is a story which will make your brains work hard.
At certain points, you stop and wonder what just happened here. Though the plot
largely has a smooth flow, it seems like there are certain scenes which were
added at the last moment. I was expecting a more interesting ending. Some
questions remained unanswered.
My rating-
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