Jainand Gurjar reviews The Secret Diary of a Conman by Vish Dhamija (published by Pan Macmillan India, 2024).
My introduction to what a con man looks like was from the movie Phir Hera Pheri (a Hindi comedy movie directed by Neeraj Vora, starring Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, among others). It showed me what a con man is before I was even aware of a word like that. And Vish Dhamija’s latest title reminded me of the movie in more ways than I thought.
Revenge Served with a Side of Risk
The Secret Diary Of A Conman by Vish Dhamija is a thrilling tale that takes on the journey of an epic heist where a cardsharp turned conman seeks revenge from his former partners who let him down by making him rot in prison. And thus begins an elaborate planning for an ambitious gambling night where not only crores are at stake, but his life too. With the web of lies and deception threatening him and his loved ones, where odds are not in his favour, the master conman has one last trick up his sleeve.
Diaries, Illustrations, and the Art of Engagement
This is epistolary fiction, i.e. written in the format of diaries, and Dhamija made the most of this format of storytelling, where there are cute illustrations on the margins and one-on-one conversation with the readers, which makes it more engaging and reactive. Vish Dhamija, through his protagonist, demanded the utmost attention of the readers, which, in case of causality, would lead to misjudgments and eventually applause for the writer.
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Dhamija shines in details where each chapter is titled and linked with a song, and if given special attention can reveal a little bit about the story.
Humor and Heart in a Conman’s World
The humour is spread throughout the book, and the warm friendship in the story gives it a tender touch amidst all the drama. The banter between Saurabh, our con man (or whatever other names he has), and Ranjit, his childhood friend, is refreshing and is a reminder of the sacredness of this relationship.
Being someone who played cards years ago for fun, the card tricks that the conman performs are very intriguing and made me look out to explore more of it and be involved in it.
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The backstory of Saurabh and his relationship with his parents serves as a strong motivation behind his actions and showcases the reality of a major chunk of the Indian population in their village life. His relationship with Zara, his love interest, showcases more dimensions of his personality and gives a complete picture of how he is as a person. Of all these characters, the one that shines the most is Zeenat, Saurabh’s cat, who hasn’t said a word in the book but connects the most.
The story sounds almost flawless, but the evil lies in the details, and the things that gave the book an edge bring its weaknesses. The epistolary format makes the story engaging and personal. At the same time, like how any diary writing, in reality, comes with breaks, Vish Dhamija takes a large leap in between the timeline and, in retrospect, loses the charm. The humour that gave some heartily moments to the story came to a level where one can feel that they are witnessing two dear friends making fun of each other for the sake of it, and it becomes dry (I have heard that’s what British humour is called, but was it that? No idea).
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The relationship between Saurabh and Zara could have been explored more, especially after a bump in their relationship. The motivation behind the grand heist doesn’t look that convincing in the long run and, in turn, makes one disconnected from the main protagonist. There comes a point where one just doesn’t care what will happen to him in the end, and that’s the feeling that readers do not appreciate. Though if it’s read in one go or sitting, it could be overlooked, but that’s not the case with everyone.
Favourite Quote from The Secret Diary of a Conman by Vish Dhamija
And let me tell you that gambling is never about money. It’s not about winning or losing either. If you ever have a heart-to-heart with a gambler, you’d know that gambling is about anticipation – when the cards are on the table, and you’re playing blind, the adrenaline gushes through your veins as much as after you have seen your cards. It is because of the thrill and not the cards per se.
Conclusion
The ending with the twists and turns again grabs the attention, but whether it feels fulfilling or not is debatable. Overall, Vish Dhamija’s The Secret Diary of a Conman is very promising, like the Hera Pheri franchise, but it ended up being more like their third instalment (that remains undelivered). It was a good one-time read for me and could be enjoyed if read in a single sitting.
