New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- With a gripping memoir by Arundhati Roy, followed by a riveting novel by Kiran Desai, 2025 has turned out to be a year of comebacks for some of the best writers from India who have kept their admirers guessing their next move for a long time. To this list we must add the name of Rahul Bhattacharya, acclaimed journalist and novelist, who returns after 14 years with a lyrical new work of fiction, Railsong.

In the early 2000s, Bhattacharya earned legions of fans among sports lovers for his stellar work as a sports reporter. His first book, Pundits from Pakistan (2005), was an account of the Indian cricket team's historic tour of its neighbouring nation in 2003-04. The warm, tender and acute observations, coupled with t...