Arrack In The Afternoon 

This delightful first novel traces the changing ethos of Bombay as seen through the eyes of the protagonist, Verghese Konnikara. The story is of an alcoholic, a chronic depressive, who decides one day to end it all by jumping under a truck on the highway. He survives, however, and following a strange turn of events, is transformed into a godman of sorts.

The tale weaves through the debris and chaos that is modern-day Bombay and also explores the phenomenon of instant stardom, which is now such an intrinsic part of our celebrity culture.