Death on Diagonal Lane

Pashupati Chatterji

More than a neighbourhood, the fittingly titled Diagonal Lane is a circus of characters with the most comically absurdist approaches to life. But even for a locality that has come to expect the unexpected, the death of the local gossip, Mr Reddy, comes as a complete shock. Friendly neighbour, Mr Murthy, attempts to keep the police out of it. But another friendly neighbour, Mr Shetty, bungles it up. Not only do the police get involved, but they also declare Mr Reddy's death a homicide. To top it all, the police officer in charge of the investigation turns out to be Mr Murthy's old school chum: Sub-Inspector Rathindranath 'Ratty' Gowda. A stroke of good fortune? Not really. Eager to earn a promotion by any means possible, Ratty proceeds to put the denizens of Diagonal Lane through the wringer. It takes all of Mr Murthy's tact and diplomacy to prevent his childhood buddy from putting all the leading lights of the lane behind bars. But meddling in murky police affairs can sometimes backfire, and it does not take Mr Murthy long to recognize the veracity of the old adage: policemen have no friends.

In this dark comedy on contemporary middle-class India, Pashupati Chatterji delivers a charming whodunnit guaranteed to have you laughing all the way to the end.