The Acting MD, published by White Falcon Publishing, is a corporate scandal/drama set in the world of Indian real estate. The book makes a bold claim that the greatest skill an Indian businessman needs is acting. This unique premise sets this book apart from the rest.
Although there are multiple key characters, the story primarily follows the journey of Pranav Rai, an aspiring actor who is dragged into the dirty world of real estate. Pranav Rai never wanted to take over his father’s company, Pyramid Housing. He wanted to be an actor. But little does he know that he is about to perform the role of a lifetime.
Thrust into the world of Indian real estate, Pranav feels completely lost. This is a high-stakes industry where the rules can be bent or even broken for the right price. From embezzling executives to the corporate giant, The VNM Group, Pyramid has threats all around it. When a hostile takeover seems imminent, Pranav’s only way out is Indus City – a township project like nothing else the country has seen before.
The authenticity of the corporate world and its characters is derived from the author’s own experiences, which helps the story remain rooted in reality. The author, Vikram Mankal, has worked in the energy and construction sectors before starting work on The Acting MD. He has also written for magazines and authored the weekly column Neighbourhood Watch for The Hindu.
With a racy plot and intriguing characters, there is never a dull moment in this book. The final act sets up a great premise for the sequel as well. Fiction has been through a drought with readers and publishers leaning more towards non-fiction. But with great early reviews, The Acting MD looks like it could revive the genre of good old fiction.
Vikram Mankal is a writer and a homemaker. In his journey to get there he has worked in the energy and construction sectors, performed as a stage actor, written for magazines and authored a weekly column in The Hindu. Apart from The Acting MD Part 2, he is working on a few shows and is hoping to convert this book into a web series as well.
He loves stories in all forms, be it books, plays, films or TV shows. He is also one of those people who cooks for the joy of it.
