India, Sept. 13 -- I recently complained to a friend that Indian writing in English often uses a voice curated for the Western reader, overexplaining or exoticizing local phrases and idiosyncrasies. It can get tiresome to see sindoor turn into "red vermillion" or a samosa described as a "pastry with a potato filling," not least because such voices eviscerate our desi zaika, with verisimilitude diluted to the point where even well-fleshed-out characters feel less relatable than in Hindi cinema.

How refreshing then to chance upon a wholly cinematic book chock-full of phrases like jee ghabrana (feeling anxious), English-Vinglish, and Krismas ka prasad for cake distributed on Christmas. Each phrase captures a specific quirk so rooted in its ...