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Review: The Comeback by Annie Zaidi
This book asks important questions about popularity, selfishness, leadership, social media, and about working in cinema, TV and OTT in contemporary India
Annie Zaidi’s The Comeback is about one man’s journey from self-absorption to consideration for others staged as an ode to theatre as an artform. It asks important questions of popularity, selfishness, stoicism and leadership, about life on social media, and about working in cinema, TV and OTT — all of which represent contemporary India. Also thrown in is a bit of the magic of small towns and possible models for theatre to thrive there.
John K is an unlikeable self-absorbed man nearing his forties. In the 15 years that he has struggled in Mumbai attempting to find his place in the spotlight, he has taken people for granted, using their affection for comfort and avoided accountability and reciprocity. He tells people that he had convinced his friend Asghar to write a play for him (so he could apply to acting school) instead of focusing on exam preparations. Asghar, a brilliant playwright, gave in to his friend’s insistence, which becomes the central conflict of Zaidi’s story.
In the present, Asghar comes across as a stoic figure who bends to no one. Having lost everything, he begins again, honing his craft as a playwright and director. He doesn’t dream big but ensures that he takes theatre culture beyond the college campus and to Baansa. Acting from a place of conviction and leadership, a creator at his finest, he adapts plays like Doctor Faustus and The Rover to make them relevant to small-town viewers. Meanwhile, Asghar struggles to find roles in cinema, OTT and TV, which he had earlier declined as a serious theatre artist. In showing such a contrast, and by presenting a fantastic model of theatre that can not only exist but possibly thrive in small towns, Zaidi shows how Mumbai might not be everyone’s city of dreams.
The internet plays a crucial role in the novel, which explores how it is both a window to the world as well as a space for projecting a suitable self-image through social media. In one instance, John learns that Asghar incorporated Javan theatre techniques in his play after learning them from YouTube videos. On Instagram, Asghar’s wife Zubi starts a small bakery business of Awadhi cookies that grows significantly. John posts videos of himself reciting famous lines from poems and plays to build a public profile of his range of work, and constantly keeps his audience updated as he travels for an international play. Despite the confidence he portrays in his posts, he continues to want to be associated with Asghar and play a lead role in one of his plays.
John K is an interesting narrator because the reader learns about his selfish motives through his thinking, rather than through the judgment of the outside world. His remorse for unintentionally ruining a friendship also strengthens as he seeks to star in his old friend’s new productions. While Asghar has moved on, John’s dissatisfaction with his work life in Mumbai tempts him to return to Baansa to relive his glory days of college theatre. The author presents a world where successful productions take shape in small towns and villages and the Mumbai dream isn’t the only road to success. In showing John’s conflict about chasing bigger projects, Zaidi sets an equalizing ground for the city of dreams to meet the rest of the India. This improbable scenario becomes entirely probable within the world of the novel.
The Comeback showcases its women – Shakeela ma’am, Zubi, Mina, Nazo – as producers of plays and businesses. This is a story about new beginnings for all its characters who are no longer in their prime. It’s also a showcase of relationships in an India where, despite bitterness, people stick together for convenience. This might not be the worst of things, the author suggests, as it sets the ground for rebuilding relationships.
Beginning in media res, The Comeback is a tale of one person evaluating his life choices and desperately trying to find redemption. It leaves readers rooting for his happy ending.
Akankshya Abismruta is an independent writer based in Sambalpur, Odisha. Instagram/X: @geekyliterati
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