Girl asserting dominance, boy purity embarking on Luna's sunset journey
The Malayalam book "Ram C/o Anandhi", penned by Akhil P. Dharmarajam, has witnessed a remarkable increase in sales after the author's appearance at the Kerala Literature Festival. This sudden surge can be attributed to a combination of factors, primarily social media virality that created an organic buzz around the book.
Campaigns such as Valentine’s Day promotions and user-generated content like Instagram reels played a significant role in amplifying this effect. The book's relatable content, particularly its appeal to young adult readers with contemporary themes like relationships, also contributed to its popularity.
The festival appearance seemed to act as a catalyst, boosting the book's visibility and prompting more sharing and discussion online. The author's increased public profile, as indicated by conversations and interviews highlighting his narrative craft, further cemented wider interest in the book.
Set in Aleppey, Kerala, the story introduces us to Ram, originally named Sriram, who comes from a technologically backward farming family. On his first day in college, Ram encounters Anandhi, the receptionist, who admonishes him for being late. Anandhi is later revealed to be one of the main characters in the book, living in a lodge with an old widow named Paatti.
Anandhi has knowledge of kalaripayattu, a Keralite martial art, and her younger brother is missing in Sri Lanka. In a twist, Anandhi is being pursued by the police, and she is seeking a large sum of money to travel to Australia to find her missing brother.
Ram moves to Chennai to write a novel and to do a diploma course on directing movies. Along his journey, he forms an accidental friendship with Malli, a transgender individual he meets on a commuter train. The book, priced at Rs 399, is published by HarperCollins and contains 303 pages. It is described as a sort of romantic comedy and was first published in Malayalam in 2020 under the title "Pakistan, to a woman's eyes". The book is translated by Haritha C.K.
The book's sales grew rapidly, reaching over 1.3 lakh copies sold in just two months following the Kerala Literature Festival. This surge in sales can be attributed to the combined factors of media exposure at the festival, enhanced social media activity, and relatable storytelling.
The book's relatable storytelling and the increased social media activity, such as Valentine’s Day promotions and user-generated content like Instagram reels, contributed to the rapid increase in sales of the book "Ram C/o Anandhi", priced at Rs 399. This entertainMENT and narrative, appealing to young adults with contemporary themes, helped make the book a popular choice among readers.
