"Bipathu and a Very Big Dream" by Anita Nair

Aug 2

3 min read

Author: Anita Nair

Illustrator: Parmita Mukherjee

Opening Lines:

"Bipathu loved many things, but she loved three things more than anything else in the world. Her elder brother Saad, whom she called Ikka, football and Hrithik Roshan. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Umma or her little brother Faesal Kutty, but Saad, football and Hrithik Roshan occupied another plane of love which was mixed with admiration. And what bothered Bipathu more than anything else was that only Saad would ever know how much she loved him. For one, Hrithik Roshan didn’t know that she even existed. As for the other, the truth was she was not allowed to love football, in fact, no one but Ikka knew how much she loved football.

Almost every night Bipathu had the same dream: Saad, Hrithik Roshan and she were playing football. It was the eighty-sixth minute and both teams were."

Keywords: imagination, misfit, being different, football, girl empowerment

Summary:

Bipathu and a Very Big Dream follows nine‑year‑old Bipathu, who lives in the village of Kaikurussi in Kerala. After the pandemic, their school reopens and Bipathu steps into a world full of new challenges and new friends and classmates. Her biggest passion is football. It is her dream, the one that clashes with the expectations around her: her mother and the teacher believe it’s not a suitable game for girls, and her classmate Suleiman, the school bully, makes it even harder for her friend Rahul to train for the team selections.

Bipathu’s heart is also tied to her elder brother Saad, who has cerebral palsy; she fiercely supports him and celebrates every small victory. A turning point comes when Madama, a blind woman who’s moved to the village, gifts Saad a pair of braces—an act that sparks in Bipathu a belief in the “power of the universe” and in the possibility of dreams coming true. Alongside Saad and her rescued puppy Duggu, Bipathu works to help Rahul sharpen his football skills, all while navigating her own desire to play and be taken seriously.

Through her friendships with people of all ages and abilities, including neighbour Maash and "Madama", Bipathu learns that being a misfit can mean seeing the world differently and changing it for the better. The story blends everyday realism with unexpectedly found magic, showing how imagination, kindness, and persistence can chip away at stereotypes and open up new possibilities.

My thoughts about the book: I didn't imagine that I would enjoy this book so much. What is there to like? You might ask. There is so much to love in the book (it was created by Anita Nair after all) but my most favourite part is the characters! They are truly memorable, relatable, diverse, and most importantly real and living. In one of the interviews the author wrote that she was dreaming about the book for a long time until the book came into being.

The story opens with Bipathu's vivid dream in which she, her brother Saad and her favourite actor Hrithik Roshan are playing football - the game that she adores. This dream follows her in her real life. She desperately wants to play the game and yearns to be accepted among the boys trained by their teacher. Abdul Sir is compassionate and understanding. He believes anyone, be it a girl or a boy, can succeed in the game of football and does not let others' prejudices come in the way. That is why he encourages Bipathu to come to training sessions despite the majority of boys ignoring her. What a wonderful role model of a teacher! Through this positive relationship Anita Nair sends a clear message - girls belong on the football pitch as well.

Not all relationships in Bipathu's life have such a positive influence on her. Some people's words and actions seem discouraging, disorienting and confusing to her. But they will help her grow and explore all the flavours of life. I highly recommend this brilliant book!

About the author (Source: from the book): Anita Nair is one of India's most acclaimed authors. Her oeuvre ranges from literary fiction to noir to children's literature to translation. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages around the world.

Anita is the recipient of several prizes and honours including the Indian National Film Award in 2013, the Central Sahitya Akademi award and the Crossword Prize.

She is the founder of the creative writing mentorship programme Anita's Attic.

She is also a High-Profile Supporter of the UNHCR.

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