Book Review | Riva Razdan With Her Bold and Emotionally Layered New Novel

Riva Razdan is fast emerging as one of the most captivating new voices in Indian fiction, known for her nuanced portrayals of ambition, love, and legacy. After the success of her debut novel Arzu and the heartfelt charm of The Naani Diaries, she returns with Death Of A Gentleman- a bold and emotionally layered story. Set in the opulent yet cutthroat world of post-pandemic Mumbai high society, the novel captures the emotional intricacies of its characters against a backdrop of the city’s iconic locales. Critics and readers alike are already praising its depth and insight.

We caught up with Riva to talk about how Mumbai became a character in its own right, what drives her storytelling, and why the modern Indian woman is always at the heart of her fiction.

The novel is vividly set in post-Covid Mumbai, capturing the city’s elite social scene at places like Neuma and Lakshmi Mansion. What inspired you to ground this story in Mumbai’s high society, and how does the city itself function as a character in the narrative?

Mumbai is the city of opportunity. It’s where people can become first generation millionaires. But that very fact, its immense potential, often burdens those of us who live here. If you’re in the city of dreams, it’s like you have a responsibility to ACHIEVE those dreams. We’re all raised with stars in our eyes, dreaming too hard and falling into abject disappointment if our reality doesn’t measure up to our ambition, on time. I wanted my characters to feel that pressure of having to succeed, for it to warp them, maybe even to the edge of losing their humanity and then they have to find a way to exist in Mumbai, without being crushed by its material expectations.

We loved the way you kept twisting Yuvraaj’s relationship with his father, so we never really know till the end how they feel about each other. What drew you to explore these tense familial relationships, and how do they reflect broader societal pressures?

Yuvraaj and his father’s relationship is really a microcosm of any ‘driven’ individual’s relationship with society. I think the most addictive drug that exists today isn’t alcohol or nicotine or cocaine, it’s other people’s validation. It’s why people keep posting, hoping to be seen as a success on Instagram and LinkedIn. There’s always someone, or a smattering of someones that they’re hoping to impress. This novel examines that need for validation through a boy who has worked his way into becoming a real success but still feels unseen because his father refuses to acknowledge him and his success. It drives Yuvraaj to do desperate things, actions that may even destroy him. What this book is trying to say is step back, reassess the situation and think about who’s validation you’re seeking and whether it’s really necessary for you to live an optimum life.

So you’re not saying Ambition is bad?

No, on the contrary, I think it’s good to be ambitious and to have goals. That is why Yuvraaj is healthiest when he’s at the company he’s built, working hard in his meritocracy. But when he starts coveting his father’s hotels, when his ambition becomes unchecked, because he wants to impress his father, that’s when his life starts to go off the rails.

Sanjanaa emerges as a pivotal figure, balancing her professional identity as a doctor with her personal loyalties. How did you develop her character to embody both strength and emotional depth?

I find that most girls these days are both strong and gentle. They’re a beautiful blend of feminine and powerful. I wanted Sanjanaa to reflect that ideal, I wanted her to be a young woman who is a nurturer and yet capable of being fierce when necessary.

What do you want readers to take away from this novel?

I’d like them to examine whose opinion matters most to them, whom they’re trying to impress and why. I’d hope that this novel helps them to find a way to get off the hedonistic treadmill that makes one feel like they have to keep up with whoever you last saw on Instagram ‘living their best lives’. The way to do it is to build a fortress of your own values and a circle of people you trust to protect you as you build a life you love.

Death Of A Gentleman is now available for purchase on Amazon.