The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay

Karan Seth, a photographer From Shimla, comes to Bombay with the hope of eternalizing the city, its various moods and emotions through his lens. Once there, he meets Samar Arora, the pianist, Zaira, the Bollywood actress and Rhea Dalal, a middle aged, married but childless woman in search of a better life. Through his new friends he is exposed to a hitherto unknown side of Bombay and together they delve into a world of sex, politics and deceit. The Lost Flamingoes Of Bombay is a scathing attack on the contemporary Indian society which is obsessed with sensation, obscenity and corruption.

Shanghvi creates an incredible portrait of the vibrant city of Bombay. He juxtaposes the lives of the rich with that of the poor and portrays India as a growing and fast changing country. The novel includes love, sex, homosexuality, betrayal, movies and murder and takes us through the lives of troubled individuals, their complex relationships and suffering.

The novel is extremely lyrical and full of linguistic excesses with the author making use of striking metaphors. There are also numerous sexual metaphors that the author has used to describe various situations.