Evil Eye
By: Madhuri Shekar
Narrated by: Nick Choksi, Harsh Nayaar, Annapurna Sriram, Bernard White, Rita Wolf
Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
Performance
Release date: 05-02-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.
About This Audible Original
Usha is convinced that the Evil Eye, a curse that brings continuous misfortune, was cast upon her daughter, Pallavi, in the womb. What else could have possibly left her driven, career-oriented daughter edging closer and closer to 30 without a prospective husband? Determined to set Pallavi on the right path, Usha arranges date after date with potential suitors—but after yet another setup fails, it seems her efforts are proving fruitless. But in an unexpected turn of events, Pallavi becomes her own matchmaker when she meets—and quickly falls for—Sandeep, a young Indian-American entrepreneur. And though she expects her mother will be elated with her finally finding a man, Pallavi is distraught and confused to find her mother growing increasingly suspicious of Sandeep’s motives…and his true identity.
Told through a series of phone calls and voicemails, this Audible Original penned by award-winning rising star playwright Madhuri Shekar transitions seamlessly from a light-hearted family dramedy to an unexpectedly supernatural thriller. With an endearing cast of well-rounded characters, sharp, natural dialogue, and a shocking edge-of-your-seat climax, Evil Eye is a can’t-miss tale about cultural miscommunications, family secrets, and the lingering echoes of trauma.
Playwright Madhuri Shekar was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop Evil Eye.
Please note: This audio contains strong language, distressing situations, and descriptions of abuse and violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.
©2019 AO Media (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.
By: Madhuri Shekar
Narrated by: Nick Choksi, Harsh Nayaar, Annapurna Sriram, Bernard White, Rita Wolf
Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
Performance
Release date: 05-02-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.
About This Audible Original
Usha is convinced that the Evil Eye, a curse that brings continuous misfortune, was cast upon her daughter, Pallavi, in the womb. What else could have possibly left her driven, career-oriented daughter edging closer and closer to 30 without a prospective husband? Determined to set Pallavi on the right path, Usha arranges date after date with potential suitors—but after yet another setup fails, it seems her efforts are proving fruitless. But in an unexpected turn of events, Pallavi becomes her own matchmaker when she meets—and quickly falls for—Sandeep, a young Indian-American entrepreneur. And though she expects her mother will be elated with her finally finding a man, Pallavi is distraught and confused to find her mother growing increasingly suspicious of Sandeep’s motives…and his true identity.
Told through a series of phone calls and voicemails, this Audible Original penned by award-winning rising star playwright Madhuri Shekar transitions seamlessly from a light-hearted family dramedy to an unexpectedly supernatural thriller. With an endearing cast of well-rounded characters, sharp, natural dialogue, and a shocking edge-of-your-seat climax, Evil Eye is a can’t-miss tale about cultural miscommunications, family secrets, and the lingering echoes of trauma.
Playwright Madhuri Shekar was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop Evil Eye.
Please note: This audio contains strong language, distressing situations, and descriptions of abuse and violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.
©2019 AO Media (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.
Review:
Pallavi is a young Indian woman living in America where she enjoys pursuing her career. Her mother, Usha, has returned to India and is concerned that Pallavi is nearing 30 without a good Indian husband. Usha has tried setting Pallavi up even from a distance. Her concern is increasing as she fears that her daughter has been cursed by the Evil Eye. Pallavi has no knowledge that her mother’s own past is driving this fear.
Pallavi is excited when she stumbles upon a handsome Indian-American businessman from a well-established family. She thinks her mother will be thrilled to hear she is dating, and that the relationship is moving quickly. Instead, her mother becomes suspicious causing confusion and tension in the family. This escalates with Usha expressing increasing panic. Finally, Usha flies off to America with her husband trying to catch the next flight behind her hoping to protect his daughter and his wife.
This story has a good development to an exciting climax. I enjoyed the telling through phone calls and texts back and forth. I found it engaging to ‘observe’ the generational and cultural issues between daughter, mother and to a smaller degree, the father. There is some foul language, even early in the story but it moves off quickly. This is a good, quick listen that I recommend for fans of family drama with mystery.
Audio Notes: The narrators, Nick Choksi, Harsh Nayaar, Annapurna Sriram, Bernard White, and Rita Wolf do a grand job of bringing the characters to life. The voices match the people and the dialogue exchange. The performance is engaging and I'm glad I was able to pick this as a Audible Original when I might have missed out.
Source May 2019 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.
