Meena Kandasamy, known for her powerful novel When I Hit You, returns with a pithy and savagely funny tale of online shaming and the Indian manosphere. Her new book, Fieldwork As a Sex Object, explores the hellscape of the internet, particularly the Indian version, where far-right politics, caste, misogyny, and religious antagonisms collide.
The Story of Amy Chaturvedi
The protagonist, Amy Chaturvedi, is a posh student activist-communist living in London. One day, she wakes up to find a deepfake sex tape of her face circulating online. Although Amy is sexually unapologetic and has done plenty of transgressive things, she did not make that video. Yet, she must defend herself against the Indian manosphere and even her own mother.
Kandasamy writes: "The main aggressors are a disparate bunch of Nazi-loving, Islamophobic vegetarian dicks with profile pictures that are either the Joker or V for Vendetta." She exposes the weaselly character of Indian internet trolls, their failures with women, their desire to be followed by Prime Minister Modi, their fear of Muslims, and their rage. The sharp humor provides relief from the anger of the internet, and readers will find themselves laughing at Kandasamy's wicked observations.
Blurring Fiction and Reality
Kandasamy is a master of blurring the lines between fiction and real life. In Amy, she encapsulates how women are hunted and attacked online. Amy is rough, coarse, and often unsympathetic, living in a bubble of privilege and obliviousness. She is fixated on her looks, class, and power to shock by embracing her sexuality. She uses the moment of her global digital violation to wonder if she is in love with her best friend, alienating her further. She sleeps with the boyfriend of a white acquaintance who offered her sympathy, and the acquaintance throws a #REFUGEESWELCOME placard at Amy in rage. The internet takes vengeful pleasure in shaming her.
Kandasamy's Unflinching Style
Kandasamy is one of India's most exciting writers because she doesn't pull any punches. The novel asks: "What do you label a closet Andrew Tate who worships Modi and only talks about 'India Hindu again'?" The answer is an incel, but one who would need to be white to be pathologized neatly. While India's media landscape has retreated in the face of Hindu right fascism, Kandasamy remains at the barricades.
The novel could have done with less Marxist praxis, and there is a lot of internet language that may feel oversaturated. However, the personal and political are blended in all their twisted forms. Fans eagerly await Kandasamy's next move.
Fieldwork As a Sex Object by Meena Kandasamy is published by Brazen (£16.99).
