Recently on 19th May, 2022 Adi Pocha released his debut fiction Novel “Behram’s Boat” in Mumbai. Born into a show-biz family, (his father was a comedian, his mother a doctor and a singer, and his aunt is Usha Uthup) Adi Pocha started his writing career in 1984 as a copywriter in an advertising agency called Shilpi, after which he was hired by Lintas in 1985, and was made Creative Head of Lintas’ Calcutta office in 1987. Adi has a love for writing and that inspired him to write his Novel.
The event was attended by many well know faces Usha Uthup, Farhan Akhtar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Prahlad Kakar, Nikhil Kapoor, Brian Tellis, Parvati, Mohan Kapur, Anjali, Sushma, Asshu Trikkha, Namrata, Ajay Srinivasan, Avantika, Ahana, etc.
“Behram’s Boat” is a funny, whimsical story of one eccentric, cranky old Parsi’s struggle to build a boat that will save his people. And bring meaning to his life.
The book is published by Leadstart which is a leading publishing house from India with creative and progressive foci. They feature distinguished authors and writing from across the globe. Several Leadstart authors have been regularly shortlisted, longlisted and won major awards and recognitions from the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, Crossword Awards, Man Asian Literary Prize, various State Literary Awards to The Padma Bhushan Award (third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India) as well.
“Behram’s Boat is a fascinating narrative of one eccentric old Parsi’s struggle to find meaning in life by attempting to accomplish a task destined to doom. We at Leadstart are proud to publish this book with a unique storyline,” says Swarup Nanda, Founder, and CEO, Leadstart.
When satellite TV was launched in India in 1992, Adi Pocha conceptualized and directed the immensely popular game show, “Saanp Seedi”. Then went on to create, write, direct and executive produce India’s first daily soap, “Shanti”. While he now runs his own corporate and documentary filmmaking company, he has always thought of writing as his first love. “It took me 5 years to write Behram’s Boat and another 10 years to get it published. It is my labour of love. And I hope that it touches the lives of even a few people in some way.” Adi Pocha said.
A book about Finding Purpose, “Behram’s Boat” tells the story of Behram Rustomjee, a 65-year-old eccentric Parsi, and reforming alcoholic, who feels he has one last chance at redeeming his hitherto not very noble life: By building a boat that will save his tribe, the Parsis, a people on the verge of extinction. He will build a ship of wood and sail, similar to those that carried his ancestors more than a thousand years ago when they fled from Persia. He will sail this vessel as his forefathers did, but the other way around, from India to Iran. And he will invite 50 young Parsi couples to voyage along with him… and fornicate like hell. In the hope that at the end of his epic journey many little Parsi children may be conceived and his race, his kind, his people, will be saved. Unfortunately, his grand idea, his one last shot at leaving something to mark his time on the planet, isn’t exactly well-received.
The book was highly praised at the launch by the guests for the hard work the author has put up in the work. The book is a must-read for everyone. “I read the book in one sitting! I started reading it in the evening and finished at 4 am! A fabulous book. Loved it.” says Prahlad Kakar, Ad Film Guru. “Behram’s Boat” traces the funny, whimsical, and fatally hopeless story of one man as he struggles to build his boat, to end his life on a note of significant achievement.
