The sunset club [hardcover]

The Sunset Club by Late Khushwant Singh is although a fictional novel, it is irreverent, malicious and at times obscene like almost all his memoirs. The man had no respect for himself and simultaneously for anything or anyone. This novel narrates a year, primarily the evening chit-chats, from the lives of three octogenarians, one of which Sardar Boota Singh is the author himself. Others are Pandit Preetam Sharma and Nawab Barkatullah Baig who seem to be his close friends.

The story starts on 26th January 2009 and by 26th January 2010, only the Sardar remains to tell the story. The discussions among the friends are like discussions of any other close peer group that leaves no topic on the planet untouched though sex and erotica dominated the discussions. Khushwant Singh was in the habit of going overboard every time he touched on the topic. He has mentioned in this book as somewhere else as well that when the physical prowess of a man decreases, all the desires enter his mind and even though he is mostly incapable physically, he fantasises frantically. I am not able to comment on this based on my personal experiences for evident reasons. The sexual encounters of the two protagonists Baig and Singh, discussed in great details seem to be their wildest unfulfilled fantasies of the old mind of the dirty man. The level of Sardar’s frustration has crossed the levels of Chhayawadi poets who imagined female figures everywhere and it is evident from his admission that the doom of the mosque appeared like a fully rounded bosom of a virgin.

The one year from the retired lives of important men of their times are depicted wonderfully and makes one desire to retire at the earliest. Though the protagonists are having geriatric complications, but that has only a passing reference. Emphasis is laid on Single malt, whisky, great food, chit-chats and memories of sexual encounters. Heated religious and political discussions bring it close to we Biharis. These two are the subjects that matter the most and should be discussed more often even if that brings some bitterness here and there.

Overall, the book is neither a must read for it has nothing new to offer not completely unreadable due to gripping narration.

I remember that while we were students in the Banaras Hindu University, there was a Cinema Hall which screened adult films. To keep the attendance high it screened small clips of Blue Film. Khushwant Singh used erotica to that effect.