Book – The Artist

Author – Deep Datewas | Price – ₹150/- | Publisher – Sahib Deep Prakashan, Bhikhi (Mansa)

“The Artist” is the debut novel of K. Deep (Deep Datewas). The canvas of this book encompasses the subtle layers of the lives of courtesans. The primary purpose of this novel is to take a glimpse at the shadows that lie behind human success. Through this book, the inner and outer dimensions of many lives unfold before the reader. Its essence — the various conditions of suffering, sorrow, pain, and despair that a person faces in pursuit of their goal — shakes the reader to the core while successfully presenting the true reality of life.

        The protagonist of this novel is ‘Alena Cyrus’, a famous actress. But behind the curtain of the stage, she also covertly engages in prostitution. This is why she is regarded as London’s most famous courtesan. Her establishment as an artist is a combination of her beauty and her art. Every man, every young person, dreams of spending a night with her. Such stigmatized fame sometimes unsettles her, but she repeatedly questions herself — why was there a need to walk these paths? The pain of her inner conscience rises openly, and she resolves that she will keep her son, D Cyrus, away from such paths and will make him a good artist — one who is loved sincerely by the people. With this desire, she vows to sacrifice all her happiness for her son. She becomes eager to leave the city of London and live in the small town of Newlyn.

        This book also speaks of many other courtesans. The author brings forth a vivid picture of their lifestyle. A question also arises here — how much filth lies embedded within the paths of the film/theatre world and the establishment. On one hand, this novel raises the note that circumstances can overwhelm a person and where does a restless mind wander. How do girls sell their bodies? How does this chain grow further? How do men exploit their helplessness? Another note that emerges is that in such a polluted environment, a man can also be crushed — and this is what happens to D Cyrus in the novel. He turns toward the world of theatre to fulfill his mother’s dreams. In his mind, sometimes his father Robish Cyrus appears, and along the way to his destination, many twists come into his life. The story of his first love connects with Senmartins — a very beautiful actress whose features resemble his mother. On this journey, his friend Erin Oscar, Ema, Jessica Manning, and famous actress Brittney Saint repeatedly accompany him. The character of Mary — the immoral girl who shakes D Cyrus to his mental core — is presented in a deeply poignant and sympathetic manner.

        In this novel, many complexities of an artist’s life come to the fore. The novelist has also portrayed events related to famous courtesan Catherine Nicol, Novin Cyrus, Betty Rose, Rachel, and others through his own perspective. The conclusion of this novel leaves the reader with a question mark — leading to a chain of further questions. There is one artist within a person and one outside. To find the outer artist requires intense struggle. The character in this novel agrees with this — when one’s inner conscience dies, the artist within also dies. The narrative style of this novel sometimes gives it a biographical tone. This work presents the hidden, unknown aspects of the lives of courtesans. It draws our attention to the fact that if an effort were made to remove the stain of prostitution from the face of society, the lives of these women could be transformed. This is a worthy work that engages with many such questions.

— Dr. Arvinder Kaur Kakra