Imtiaz Ali and Chandrima Pal
Imtiaz Ali and Chandrima Pal

Yesterday afternoon, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali joined Chandrima Pal at Crossword to launch her new book, A Song For I. Have a look at some more pix, and check out an excerpt from the book below!

Chandrima Pal
Chandrima Pal

A Song for I is about Ira, born to an ambitious and successful musician and a mother who would prefer for her to be dead rather than live under her father’s shadow. Ira grows up in an emotional hothouse, meant to make her feel loved and cherished in the absence of her parents  – her mother dies, and she is abandoned by her father at birth. Driven by the desire to move towards the greatness she believes is her destiny, Ira invites herself into her father’s life and is sucked into his world of searing aspiration, as he makes a desperate attempt to preserve his musical legacy through his daughter.

Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali

But Ira has also met Vishnu, an aspiring rocker, and has spontaneously embraced his dark universe.

Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali

With a veritable duel between Indian classical and rock music as the background, A Song for I is about love lost and found, spiritual music and sensual experiences, of epiphanies in the Himalayas, and relationships.

Chandrima Pal
Chandrima Pal

This is Ira’s journey to find her song.

Chandrima Pal and Imtiaz Ali
Chandrima Pal and Imtiaz Ali