Micro review: 'The Windfall' is a delightful comedy of errors

Actress Diksha Basu’s rip-roaring comedy of manners The Windfall is a surprising debut novel talking about Delhi’s subcategories of the wealthy and the middle-class. The breezy book, from the start to end, is a delightful read that satirises a metropolis’ affluent folk, their lifestyle, and their aspirations. Basu’s appealing storytelling skill finds an effortless expression in The Windfall and the tight and enjoyable plot further adds to its charm.
follows Anil Kumar Jha, who has recently acquired a surprising amount of wealth through hard work and has decided to live a good life henceforth. His simple wife, Bindu, accustomed to their unembellished lifestyle in East Delhi, is discomforted with their move to an upmarket, secluded locality in Gurgaon, away from her companion, the widowed Mrs Ray. While Mr Jha seems pleased with his son Rupak to pursue an MBA in New York, Mr Chopra, their new neighbour, however annoyed, seems to be comforted by the fact that his wife and unemployed son would forever remain his liability, two living proofs of his wealth being splurged around with no return. As Mr Chopra’s ego gets insatiable with the constant fear of getting one penny poorer than the Jhas, Mr Jha gets on a silent competition to claim himself better by announcing his son a failure and by actually letting Rupak pursue what he always wanted to do: film-making.
The Windfall is a hilarious account of the all the insecurities and superficial demands of the rich, the top one percent of the one percent in India. Basu’s novel speaks the truth and reveals the warning signs that come with affluence in a wildly witty and pleasurable manner.
How critics view the book:
Jennifer Senior in The New York Times writes, “that’s the stuff of Amartya Sen’s worst nightmares and Tom Wolfe’s sweetest dreams.”
writes in , “The most remarkable stories usually comprise an out-of-comfort-zone perspective, inviting readers to empathise and grow with the characters. Author Diksha Basu makes no exception to this philosophy”.
Publisher’s Weekly writes, “Shuttling between characters, the novel addresses a rapidly changing India from a plethora of perspectives, and the result leaves readers laughing and engrossed.”