{"product_id":"bhagmati-why-hyderabad-s-lost-queen-is-the-soul-of-the-city","title":"FRAGMENTS AGAINST MY RUIN: A Life","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height:1.8; color:#333; max-width:900px; margin:auto;\"\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 style=\"background:#6A1B9A; color:#FFFFFF; padding:15px 20px; border-radius:8px; text-align:center; margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n    Farrukh Dhondy: A Life in Stories\n  \u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"background:#2E7D32; color:#FFFFFF; padding:12px 18px; border-radius:6px;\"\u003e\n    📖 About the Book\n  \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    \u003cstrong\u003eFarrukh Dhondy: A Life in Stories\u003c\/strong\u003e is a rib-tickling memoir by\n    \u003cstrong\u003eFarrukh Dhondy\u003c\/strong\u003e—a celebrated television personality, writer,\n    outspoken leftist and a proud Parsi boy. Filled with humour, nostalgia and\n    unforgettable encounters, this memoir offers a fascinating glimpse into the life,\n    friendships and experiences of one of India's pioneering English writers.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    Farrukh Dhondy’s extraordinary friendships and associations have always been a rich\n    source of stories. His interactions with personalities such as \u003cstrong\u003eCharles\n    Sobhraj\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eV.S. Naipaul\u003c\/strong\u003e, and his first wife\n    \u003cstrong\u003eMala Sen\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Bandit Queen\u003c\/em\u003e, became inspirations\n    for his fiction and creative work.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    Through celebrated works like \u003cstrong\u003eBombay Duck\u003c\/strong\u003e and\n    \u003cstrong\u003ePoona Company\u003c\/strong\u003e, Dhondy recreated the vibrant worlds of his early\n    years in Pune and Mumbai, establishing himself as one of the important voices in\n    Indian writing in English.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    Later, in London, he became a prominent cultural figure as the creative head of\n    \u003cstrong\u003eChannel 4\u003c\/strong\u003e, where he played a major role in bringing diverse and\n    groundbreaking South Asian content to English audiences.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    This memoir is a delightful journey through a vanished era, capturing people,\n    friendships and moments that may have disappeared from everyday life but continue\n    to live on through memory and storytelling.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"background:#1565C0; color:#FFFFFF; padding:12px 18px; border-radius:6px;\"\u003e\n    ✨ Key Highlights\n  \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n  \u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA humorous and candid memoir by a celebrated Indian writer and broadcaster.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eStories of remarkable friendships, relationships and cultural encounters.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA nostalgic look at Pune, Mumbai and London's creative worlds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eInsights into Indian writing in English and multicultural television.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA fascinating account of people and times that shaped modern cultural history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"background:#8E24AA; color:#FFFFFF; padding:12px 18px; border-radius:6px;\"\u003e\n    ✍️ About the Author\n  \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    \u003cstrong\u003eFarrukh Dhondy\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Pune in 1944 into a Parsi family. He\n    moved to England and worked as an education lecturer and schoolteacher from 1968\n    to 1978 before entering the world of television.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    As the \u003cstrong\u003eCommissioning Editor of Multicultural Programming\u003c\/strong\u003e at\n    \u003cstrong\u003eChannel 4 TV, UK\u003c\/strong\u003e, from 1984 to 1997, Dhondy was responsible for\n    hundreds of hours of television programming across multiple genres. He helped\n    introduce and develop landmark shows such as \u003cstrong\u003eDesmond’s\u003c\/strong\u003e and\n    \u003cstrong\u003eThe Bandung File\u003c\/strong\u003e.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    After his television career, he worked as a freelance journalist and writer,\n    contributing articles to publications including \u003cstrong\u003eThe Pioneer\u003c\/strong\u003e,\n    \u003cstrong\u003eAsian Age\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eIndia Today\u003c\/strong\u003e.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    In 2002, he joined the India-based film company \u003cstrong\u003eKaleidoscope\n    International\u003c\/strong\u003e. His literary works include the novel\n    \u003cstrong\u003eThe Prophet of Love\u003c\/strong\u003e (2013), the play \u003cstrong\u003eDevdas\u003c\/strong\u003e,\n    which premiered in London in 2013, and a collection of translations of\n    \u003cstrong\u003eRumi\u003c\/strong\u003e (2014).\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"background:#F57C00; color:#FFFFFF; padding:12px 18px; border-radius:6px;\"\u003e\n    📚 Why Read This Book?\n  \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\n    \u003cstrong\u003eFarrukh Dhondy: A Life in Stories\u003c\/strong\u003e is more than a memoir—it is a\n    celebration of friendship, creativity and cultural transformation. With wit,\n    honesty and warmth, Dhondy brings alive the personalities, places and experiences\n    that shaped his remarkable journey as a writer and storyteller.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Westland Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45498975617133,"sku":null,"price":599.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0702\/0445\/7069\/files\/81kx1IiNmnL._SL1500_5b8b9c6d-6bd6-4af2-8d7b-a7978feb9424.jpg?v=1784913314","url":"https:\/\/the99books.in\/products\/bhagmati-why-hyderabad-s-lost-queen-is-the-soul-of-the-city","provider":"The 99 Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}