Cobalt Blue  (English, Hardcover, Kundalkar Sachin)

Cobalt Blue is written by Marathi author Sachin Kundalkar and ably translated by Jerry Pinto. It is a heart-rending and poignant story of love and how people cope with heartbreak.

Summary of the Book

Cobalt Blue is the touching story of a brother and sister who fall deeply in love with a paying guest at their home. A paying guest seemed like the perfect solution for all problems of the members of the Joshi household. He always paid the rent on time, lent a helping hand whenever he could, and happily listened to Mrs. Joshi’s complaining and whining. But at the same time, he is a mysterious man with no last name. He does not have family or friends, no past and no plans for the future.

The paying guest, however, was able to strike a chord with the siblings Tanay and Anuja, who were more than smitten by him. He gives a new meaning to their otherwise lonely lives and when he walks out suddenly, he breaks their hearts. The book is divided into two parts, a monologue by Tanay, who directly addresses the man who left, and Anuja, who pens down her thoughts in a diary. Cobalt Blue is a unique book with a never-told-before story surrounding a Marathi family. The author explores different avenues like homosexuality and has been written in a beautiful and engaging manner. Cobalt Blue is a story of love and heartbreak, told with a lot of tenderness and unsparing clarity.

About the Authors

Sachin Kundalkar is an author, Marathi film director and a screenplay writer. He is best known for his directorial works of Nirop and Gandha. Kundalkar was honored with two National Film Awards, as a director for Nirop and as a screenwriter for Gandha. He started writing his first novel, Cobalt Blue, when he was 20 and finished it when he was 22.

Jerry Pinto is Indian author, poet and journalist. He completed his graduation in liberal arts from Elphinstone College, Mumbai and a law degree from Government Law College in Mumbai. He has written several books including Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb, Surviving Women and Asylum and Other Poems. Cobalt Blue was originally written in Marathi which was translated in English by Jerry Pinto.