CAPITAL by Dasgupta, Rana

Delhi, the capital of the nation. Delhi, the city that everyone has been deeming unsafe since about a decade or so. Delhi, the only city in the country which lives in dichotomy of the kind which is weird – on one hand it wants to propel the country towards development and on the other; it does not even give enough room for progress. However, Rana Dasgupta’s book, “Capital” not only looks at this Delhi but also at the other side of the city.

“Capital” is a stark account of Delhi as seen by Rana and also balancing it with people inhabiting the city. There are interviews, accounts, theories and speculations. Rana sees the city not in isolation. He makes it relevant to the country and to the world. The writing is raw and makes no bones about the city, nor does he try to defend it. He just says it the way it is and the reader will only cherish a book of this nature.

Globalization had brought about a sudden and rapid change in the world. In this book, Rana Dasgupta gives us his experience of this change that came about in the city of Delhi when India’s economy was exposed to the world.

Summary of the Book

When Rana Dasgupta first arrived at Delhi it was not his intention to stay for too long. Except, he fell in love with the city. Fourteen years later, he returned to Delhi for good and made it his home. During this time was when India’s economy was exposed for the world to see, and globalization brought about a change in the city. This change took place in very less time and Delhi was suddenly a city that came to be known across the world.

Wealth and power came in plenty and the whole city underwent a drastic change in accordance to this. Every soul in the city was affected by the change.

About the Author

Rana Dasgupta is a British- Indian writer. He studied at Balliol college, Oxford. His other novels include Tokyo Canceled and Solo. Today, he lives in Delhi with his partner Ms. Narula. He was called one of Britain’s best novelists in 2010 by The Daily Telegraph.