Written by the other Meera Nair (not the one who directed 'Monsoon Wedding' and 'Mississippi Masala') 'Video' is a debut collection of ten short stories, nine of which are set in India. Nair won the Asian American Literary Award 2003 or 'Video' and had previously won the Pen/Amazon Award for the title story but had this withdrawn based to a technicality.

In the title story 'Video', Naseer is accidentally exposed to video pornography. A straight-laced upbringing fails to dampen his thrust for more and little does he realise the calamity that will befall him when he asks his wife to perform some of the acts he has seen on the video tape.

Nair has beautifully observed the minutiae of the Indian household, the TV and video taking pride of place in the living room, adorned with doilies and used as a focal point. Naseer wonders if he should hire the porn video to watch with his wife of fifteen years, Rasheeda, acknowledging in the next instant that this might be difficult given that his mother uses the TV to watch "Understanding the Koran"!

When he does broach the subject, Rasheeda is horrified at her husband's suggestion that she perform oral sex for him and, in true Indian Diva style, she retreats to the outside bathroom. She takes up residence and is instantly dubbed 'Sandaz Begum' and acquires guru-like status, dispensing advice to the neighbourhood.

'Video' is undoubtedly the best tale in this collection. Replete with gentle humour, acute observations and a general "craziness" that can only happen in an Indian extended family home, it is a gem.

In 'The Sculptor of the Sands' a young Goan fisherman finds a half-buried body of a dead woman in the sand. He sees in it a beauty of line and form and uses the body as his muse to create sand sculptures. These statues enchant the local women and incite jealousy in the other men. This is a gentle, almost mystical tale of how an artist finds his creative "calling". Taking a dead body as a muse is almost macabre, but with Nair's prose she saves this story and gives it an Isabel Allende touch.

In 'The Curry Leaf Tree', Dilip Alva's talent is his sensitive nose. He can detect the minutest quantities of ingredients used in a curry and bizarrely ends up marrying an Indian-American woman who cannot cook! His journey to 'America', sans nose, leaves him bewildered that he should be married to a woman who can serve "mass produced cheese pizza out of spite"! Thankfully mackerels bring Dilip back from the cliff-edge of aromatic wilderness and equilibrium is restored in the Alva household. Nair's homage to food is gentle, yet witty, sprinkled with sparkling observations about the cuisine clash between East & West. Curry lovers of the world will like this tale.

The remainder of Nair's tales follow more structured paths, so it is not surprising to learn that she has gained a Master's degree in creative writing from America's Temple University. In the story 'The Lodger in Room 726', a boy who brings breakfast to a new tenant in a boarding house pursues a fantasy that the man is a well-known murderer. Out of all the stories, this one is the weakest. Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognise shards of 'Rear Window' and 'North by North West' in this story and whilst I would stop at labelling it predictable, it has none of the charm of the other storylines. Seemingly mundane details lead to unexpected flights of fantasy in the young boy.

Those seeking to wallow in immigrant experiences have a new voice to whom they can turn in Meera Nair. In the story 'My Grandfather Dreams of Fences' an aging landlord who is convinced that his worker is stealing his land, erects fences around the land with fervour. Clinging to the last vestiges of a rigid class system, he cannot see that his dignity is deteriorating at the same pace with which he seeks to exert his influence with the fences. Nair successfully pulls off the conjuring act of making all the characters in this tale human and pitiable.

I love Nair's narrative best when she writes about quirky topics like the porn video and sense of smell as a talent. Her unbridled imagination is full of humour and can make even the most bizarre topic interesting and appealing. 'Video: Stories' is a worth winner of the Asian American Literary Award and a tasty first course from a new writer.

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