‘Puneeth: A Power Thriller’ hits stalls

Bengaluru: Puneeth is unlike any of the other novels I have written before,” said film director, actor and writer Dr Madan Patel. He was speaking at the launch of the book ‘Puneeth: A Power Thriller’, which he described as unique compared to his earlier works ‘Tamate’, ‘Mahamayi’ and ‘Belaku’, at Kannada Bhavan here recently.

The event drew a large audience of literature enthusiasts, readers of Kannada works and distinguished guests. Among those present were Dr DV Guruprasad, retired DGP; Prof HT Pothe, director of the Kannada Studies Centre, Kalaburagi; Doddegowda, manager of Sapna Book House; and writer and journalist Mahipala Reddy.

Dr Patel shared that the story was originally conceived as a film project for the late actor Puneeth Rajkumar. “This was a film story written for Puneeth Rajkumar. Unfortunately, we lost a great actor. I have now adapted it in the style of a pan-Indian web series. For the first step, I chose to bring it out as a book.

Hopefully, in the future, I will produce it as a web series,” he said. Echoing Madan’s vision, Mahipala remarked, “ Theentire book feels like watching a film with Appu (Puneeth Rajkumar) in the lead role.” Guruprasad shared that he had finished reading the book within a single day of receiving it.

The novel, he said, felt especially relatable because of its theme and setting within the Indian police force, with the protagonist Puneeth portrayed as a police officer.

“I felt as though most of the characters in the story were people similar to those I have met and interacted with in real life. The writing is so authentic that I even wondered if Madan himself had served in the forces at some point,” he remarked with a smile. Mahipala Reddy praised Madan’s gripping storytelling, noting how the suspense was maintained throughout.

“Till the very last paragraph of the final page, he does not give even the slightest hint of who the killer might be. His writing awakens the reader’s investigative instincts while keeping them guessing until the end,” he observed. During the discussion, Madan and the chief guests highlighted the importance of government intervention in fostering a culture of reading.

They proposed that, similar to the subsidies and schemes extended to essential commodities, dedicated initiatives should be introduced for books. Such measures would make books more affordable and also encourage wider readership among the public.