The title is an attitude - our tendency to feel defeated by the scale and nature of certain problems, circumvent them rather than meet them head on and console ourselves with a “never mind”. Yaar, a common term used in India, simply means “friend”.
When longtime friends Binaifer and Louella meet Shalini Dayal at Gyan Shakti College, Gyan for knowledge and Shakti for strength, a true friendship that transcends cultural and religious backgrounds is born. Louella is a Christian, Binaifer, a Parsi and Shalini, a Hindu.
The novel’s main plotline surrounds Shalini who has fallen for an impetuous student activist, Bhagu. Where does his desire to help the less fortunate lead him? The challenges are many - Shalini’s tradition bound family, the couple’s youth and inexperience and the travails of life in Mumbai, a city the girls love but know, is fraught with communal tension.
To me the book is a mixture of history, cultural information and a lovely story rolled into one. Unique and compelling - Sarah, UK
I read, I related, I loved - Benifer, Mumbai.
On
the surface the story might look like just another college love story
but the writing & story telling makes it different - Smita, Books-Life-n-More, India
Excerpts:
 | |||
| Binaifer, Shalini and Louella sketched by Krish Sahoo |
Dr. Naakwaa of Gyan Shakti College couldn't help smiling to himself as he looked at the sea of eager, animated young faces. They all seemed to speak at once, or so it seemed to an old man like himself, their ceaseless chatter outdone only by sudden bursts of loud laughter. Even as they talked and laughed in their own groups, he saw their eyes covertly watching the others. An air of breathless expectancy hung about them, as if something momentous would sweep them up on a wing and fly them away to an unknown destination. Without exception, they all clamoured to go, even the ones standing at the periphery, hesitant and slightly lost though they appeared to be. MORE
2:
Jayaram disliked students, tolerating their very presence at the college with grim determination. He found their exuberance loud and brash, unless they were quiet, when he labelled them dumb. MORE
3:
Mumbai's Psyche:
Today, we know there is nothing unusual about living with
diverse cultures. It is a world wide phenomenon. But there is this other dimension
to Mumbai, which makes it so unique....borne
out of this has been a slight blending of faiths. MORE
Never Mind Yaar sold by
Amazon.
Book USD 17.95
Kindle USD 2.99
The Best Little Bookstore, NZ NZD 29.90
Shalini, the main protagonist, goes back to her childhood home and comes upon her Daadi telling a story to her younger cousins. The story is old Rajasthani folklore - Bhabuti Naaie, Bhabuti the Barber discovers the king has only one ear.
Reviews
http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/02/supernatural-phenomenonsikeston.html
(NMY reviewed by Barbara Watkins of All Books Review)
Smita of Books-Life-n-More http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-first-review-from-india.html
http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-of-never-mind-yaar.html
(Reviewed by Rita's Book Reviews)
Bhargavi of Hyphenated Semicolons. http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/08/another-review-from-india.html
An Interview with "The Hutt News"
Stories Affirming The Ordinary, Mainstream, Middle Class Indians.
More Comments by Readers:
The writing is like a breath of fresh air and flows beautifully - Bhargavi, Hyphenated Semicolons.
Never Mind Yaar is driven by a strong
narrative, a rich cast of characters and a strong sense of place which
is intriguing for both Indian and non-Indian readers. – Graeme Lay, award winning Editor and Reviewer, NZ
Incredibly well written; it’s got a nice feel of humour to it. Ms. Lowe, NZ
The storyline is unique and the character descriptions are great! - Ambika, USA.
A Message on Facebook:
Mrs. Mathur,
This is just so you know how much I liked "Never Mind Yaar". Your Bombay, is so very much the Bombay of my inner eye and not-so-distant youth....& it's heartening to read a piece of fiction that actually talks about the city, the times and the kinds of friendships and institutions I grew up with.
I read. I related. I loved.
Thank you so much,
Benifer (yeah:)
Her name is similar to one of the main protagonists in the book, Binaifer, hence the (yeah).
I
recall
something Somerset Maugham once wrote about Jane Austen. He was praising
her
for her readability – and wrote “You come to the bottom of the page and
eagerly
turn it over to learn what happens next.... And again you eagerly turn
the page.... The novelist who has the power to achieve this has the most
precious
gift a novelist can possess.”
I think he is right. I was eagerly turning the pages of "Never Mind Yaar." - John McCarthy, NZ author.
I think he is right. I was eagerly turning the pages of "Never Mind Yaar." - John McCarthy, NZ author.
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