The Tailor's Needle

A love story set in colonial India: Big themes include the freedom struggle, conflict between English-educated Indians and the colonial masters and caste politics Cambridge educated Sir Saraswati Chandra Ranbakshi is a towering public figure in early twentieth century India. A firm believer in the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, he also has faith in the virtues of the British Raj. As a result, he has to mediate between the Maharaja of a princely state and the Viceroy and strike a fine balance between tradition and modernity. This tussle between old and new values is reflected in his three children the daredevil Maneka, the timid Sita, and their brother, Yogendra, who turns their fathers world upside down by falling in love with a lower-caste girl. The Tailors Needle explores some of the great moral dilemmas of pre-independent India with wit and sensitivity.