Living Hell

Nadeem Sayed Khatib, nicknamed Nadeem Chipkali, is trying to avoid his financial troubles and live quietly in his apartment. His routine changes dramatically when he is sent to collect money from a tenant named Makhija and instead finds Makhija murdered in his bathroom. What follows is a frantic journey through crime, conspiracy, unreliable allies and Bombay's underworld.

Vivaan Shah is an Indian actor and writer from Mumbai. He made his Bollywood debut in 7 Khoon Maaf and has worked in films and television projects based on literary works. He published Living Hell in 2019 and has also written short fiction for publications including The Hindu BusinessLine and HT Brunch

The story follows Nadeem as an ordinary, troubled man unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder. After discovering Makhija's body, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy far more dangerous than he could have imagined. With an unhelpful police force, Makhija's intriguing ex-wife and the Bombay underworld closing in, Nadeem must depend on his wit and an unlikely group of companions to survive. Combining murder mystery, noir atmosphere and dark humour, the novel turns an accidental bystander into an unlikely hero.