Beauty Queens, Children and the Death of Sex

Book excerpt: Are beauty queens un-Indian? Is the sudden boom in sex in India, which seems to have woken up from centuries of erotic suppression, limited only to a few lucky urban dwellers? This collection of comic and serious essays by the author of the acclaimed novel The Revised Kama Sutra was originally published by HarperCollins, and comments on diverse subjects, from India's sexual confusion and schizophrenia to the colonization of the Indian mind. Making a passionate case for true freedom for Indians and writers of Indian origin, he also discusses his status as an Indian citizen living abroad and a writer's ultimate loyalty to the truth. The book also includes a comical, part-fantastic report of his meeting with Sushmita Sen, the future Bollywood actress and Miss Universe, and a real interview with the late Indian author and institution, Khushwant Singh. "Biting, cynical . . . zany sense of humour."-India Today. "Sparkling . . racy yet refined."--Indian Express. Search terms and keywords: literature, essays, political satire, social satire, humor, Indian writers, Indian writing, beauty contests, Miss Univese