I have been reading Shobha De for over 25 years now, right from her days at Stardust. I have always admired her language and writing skills, though not always the content.
From a bitchy, irreverent, gossip mongering film journalist who introduced ’’Hinglish’’, she has indeed come a long way to become a socialite celebrity, most widely read columnist, and a best selling author of several books.
The image that I had of Shobha was one of a hi-fi, snobbish, snooty, ivory-tower, self proclaimed intellectual, hopping from one party to another, a fashion show to a filmi function, cocooned in a glitzy glamorous world of fashion, films, and the rich & famous, writing columns and books just to be in limelight. Her books have always been sensational, controversial and full of marketable masala mix.
After reading Speedpost, I was totally taken aback! This is a different Shobha altogether. The book reveals a lot about her. She comes out as a loving, caring, fussy mother, an understanding, responsible wife, a homemaker, and a career woman. The book gives us an insight about her growing years, her upbringing, the humble middle class Maharashtrian family background, strong cultural moorings, and a healthy respect for traditions, religion, and socio-cultural rituals.
The book is all about loving, caring, living and coping up with the world. Her views on a wide variety of issues; marriage, war, traditions, religion & Spirituality, sex-education, pressures of urban life, stresses and strains of career woman, bringing up children, etc. make an interesting reading.
Shobha has beautifully expressed a gamut of emotions and feelings that we all caring and loving parents go through in bringing up children:
Unintended hurt or neglect, wrong judgements, fear of separation, panic attacks, insecurity, sudden feeling of being outdated, irrelevant, and un-needed, bonds of trust, betrayal, anguish, posessiveness, jealousy, anger, unabounding joy of affection, etc, etc.
A sensitive book in a very innovative format, sure to touch the hearts of all parents, and she has managed to articulate beautifully, the feelings and emotions, and concerns of all the parents of to day.
Strongly recommended to all parents, especially the mothers and all children,