A novel by Jamal Mecklai

Love Joy and Silliness

Meet Shri Vindaloo — a pig in a silk robe, CEO of Pig Enterprises, and the most joyful soul in Goa. Eight chapters, six countries, and a love story that dances the whole way through.

“To be happy, all you have to do is smile.” — Shri Vindaloo

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Front cover of Love Joy and Silliness by Jamal Mecklai

★★★★★

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What you’re getting

A love story with a pig at the centre of it

Love Joy and Silliness is Jamal Mecklai’s debut novel — eight chapters that read like linked stories, following Shri Vindaloo from a tango club in Goa to a wedding in Las Vegas. It is short, warm, very funny, and quietly serious about the things that matter.

It is properly funny

A pig in a silk robe who dances tango, drinks cashew feni and falls in love roughly once a chapter. The comedy is warm and affectionate — never cruel, never clever for its own sake.

It takes you somewhere

Goa, Leningrad, New York, California, Mexico, New Orleans and Las Vegas — six countries of music, food, dancing and longing, drawn with real affection for each of them.

It leaves something behind

Underneath the silliness sits one simple idea: love and joy are the natural state of things, and silliness is how you get back to them. You finish it lighter than you started.

Format: Paperback
Cover price: ₹399
Chapters: Eight
Countries: Six
Publisher: Notion Press
ISBN: 979-8-89929-310-8

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★★★★★ Available on Amazon India & worldwide · ships wherever Amazon does

★★★★★ Available on Amazon India & Worldwide

There are no buts in love It's never too early to dance I have to go dance with my past and my future God doesn't need you to be somber; God needs you to be happy Everyone loves you as soon as they meet you Listen to the silence between bird calls To be happy, all you have to do is smile You have a lovely face, but it's anything but a poker face I'm never worried when you're around, Shri Vindaloo Shri Vindaloo, you don't need a role in any movie — you are a movie His smile followed her down the corridor to her room We all make mistakes, which means that we truly belong in the kingdom of God I learned to sing listening to the palm trees Rounds of kisses and happiness and a few more cocktails Out of his window he could see miles and miles of neon, then just sky There are no buts in love It's never too early to dance I have to go dance with my past and my future God doesn't need you to be somber; God needs you to be happy Everyone loves you as soon as they meet you Listen to the silence between bird calls To be happy, all you have to do is smile You have a lovely face, but it's anything but a poker face I'm never worried when you're around, Shri Vindaloo Shri Vindaloo, you don't need a role in any movie — you are a movie His smile followed her down the corridor to her room We all make mistakes, which means that we truly belong in the kingdom of God I learned to sing listening to the palm trees Rounds of kisses and happiness and a few more cocktails Out of his window he could see miles and miles of neon, then just sky

If you drink a lot of feni, you do get drunk — but you also see God If you ain't late, you ain't in New York New York is so friendly, particularly when you are spending money Isn't your last margarita the best margarita? They've never even kissed, and here they are getting married What's zydeco? Is it like tequila? The brain is like a toothbrush He felt he was inside the horizon – no depth, no distance, no nothing Be undressed and waiting, my precious angel Shri Vindaloo, you love everything If a lady pig puts her cowboy hat on a pig, she's going home with him that night "Darling," he spread his paws wide — "Come and get it." The most glamorous mothers of the bridal couple anywhere Lizards are the only creatures with two male procreative organs After the second cashew feni, the sun shines from behind your eyes If you drink a lot of feni, you do get drunk — but you also see God If you ain't late, you ain't in New York New York is so friendly, particularly when you are spending money Isn't your last margarita the best margarita? They've never even kissed, and here they are getting married What's zydeco? Is it like tequila? The brain is like a toothbrush He felt he was inside the horizon – no depth, no distance, no nothing Be undressed and waiting, my precious angel Shri Vindaloo, you love everything If a lady pig puts her cowboy hat on a pig, she's going home with him that night "Darling," he spread his paws wide — "Come and get it." The most glamorous mothers of the bridal couple anywhere Lizards are the only creatures with two male procreative organs After the second cashew feni, the sun shines from behind your eyes

NOW LISTENING

Listen to Chapter One

Before you step into the world of Love Joy and Silliness, press play and spend a little time with Shri Vindaloo as he begins his unforgettable journey from Goa to the rest of the world.

"There are no buts in love."

ALL CHAPTERS → BUY THE BOOK

Chapter 1

The Pig Queen of the Tango
Narrated by Jamal Mecklai

Sit back, press play, and let Shri Vindaloo take you somewhere wonderfully unexpected.

Love Joy and Silliness

A literary journey across Goa and the world. Buy on Amazon →

Keep the Story Going

Loved Chapter One? Get the next chapters sent straight to your inbox — free.

No spam. Just Shri Vindaloo, occasionally.

Meet the Man Himself

Who Is
Shri Vindaloo?

Shri Vindaloo, the CEO of Pig Enterprises, is a grand and wonderful pig who lives in Goa, and is always the most joyful presence in any room he enters.

He knows instinctively that love, joy and silliness are all there is, and to be happy all you have to do is smile.

He loves everyone he meets and, of course, everyone loves him back, including many, many lady pigs who he follows (sometimes), meets (sometimes) and loves (all the time).

His adventures take him back and forth between Goa and Leningrad, New York, California, Mexico, New Orleans and Las Vegas. And through all this, of course, multiple love stories unfold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamal Mecklai

Jamal Mecklai is a Mumbai-based writer, thinker, and — much like his protagonist — an enthusiast of life in all its delightful forms. He is also a financial analyst much-enjoyed in the media, whose business philosophy is “business in pleasure, work is play”.

Love Joy and Silliness is his debut novel about a pig who lives with his heart – his brain, as Shri Vindaloo says – is like a toothbrush, useful for brushing his teeth, but not much else.

He has also produced five short animated films based on chapters from the book, cinematic and warmly narrated in his own voice. Together they form the beginning of a world that extends beyond the page: literary, visual, and unmistakably joyful.

His writing moves easily between wit, affection, absurdity and spirituality, always centred on the reality that love, joy and silliness are all there is in life.

"There are no buts in love."

Lines, illustrated

Scenes from Shri Vindaloo’s world

I have to go dance with my past and my future

God does not need you to be somber; God needs you to be happy

His smile followed her down the corridor to her room

If you ain’t late, you ain’t in New York

I’m never worried when you’re around, Shri Vindaloo

FROM THE WORLD OF SHRI VINDALOO

Collected Thoughts on Love, Joy & Feni

God doesn’t need you to be somber;
God needs you to be happy.

— Shri Vindaloo

To be happy,
all you have to do
is smile.

— Shri Vindaloo

You drink a lot of feni
and you see God and it
puts hair on your chest.

— Shri Vindaloo

Isn’t your last margarita
the best margarita?

— Shri Vindaloo

Shri Vindaloo — Thirty Lines

From the Book

Thirty Lines That Will
Stay With You.

There are no buts in love.

It's never too early to dance.

I have to go dance with my past and my future.

God doesn't need you to be somber. God needs you to be happy.

Everyone loves you as soon as they meet you.

Listen to the silence between bird calls.

To be happy, all you have to do is smile.

You have a lovely face. But it's anything but a poker face.

If you drink a lot of feni, you do get drunk — but you also see God.

If you ain't late, you ain't in New York.

New York is so friendly, particularly when you are spending money.

Isn't your last margarita the best margarita?

It felt like he was inside the horizon — no depth, no distance, no nothing.

I'm never worried when you're around, Shri Vindaloo.

Be undressed and waiting, my precious angel.

Shri Vindaloo, you love everything.

What's zydeco? Is it like tequila?

The brain is like a toothbrush — good for brushing your teeth, not much use for living your life.

They've never even kissed, and here they are getting married.

We all make mistakes, which means we, like everyone else, truly belong in the kingdom of God — the Imperfect Master.

His smile followed her down the corridor to her room.

Out of his window he could see miles and miles of neon and then sky.

Shri Vindaloo, you don't need a role in any movie — you are a movie.

I learned to sing listening to the palm trees.

If a lady pig puts her cowboy hat on a pig, it means she's going home with him that night.

"Darling," he spread his paws wide, pursing his snout. "Come and get it."

This had to be the most glamorous mothers of the bridal couple anywhere.

Rounds of kisses and happiness and a few more cocktails.

You drink a lot of feni and you see God. And it puts more hair on your chest.

Lizards are the only creatures with two male procreative organs.

Read all thirty moments — and everything in between.

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Now Seeking the Right Production Partner

An Animated Series Ready for the World

Five proof-of-concept films already narrated by the author. A cinematic universe stretching from Goa to New York, Mexico, Leningrad and New Orleans. Eight ready-made episodes. One unforgettable central character. A world built on love, joy, music, food, longing and elegance.

Limited Opportunity Early collaborators can help shape the visual language and future adaptation of Shri Vindaloo World.

Ready-Made
Episodes

Proof-of-Concept
Films Produced

Countries Across
The Story

Character Unlike
Anything on Screen

GOA • FENI • TANGO • LOVE • NEW YORK • MUSIC • MEXICO • JOY

ANIMATION SERIES • EIGHT EPISODES • GLOBAL STORY WORLD

SHRI VINDALOO • ROMANCE • CINEMA • SILK SUITS • COCKTAILS

GOA • FENI • TANGO • LOVE • NEW YORK • MUSIC • MEXICO • JOY

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

Words from those who entered Shri Vindaloo’s world

Drawn from real reader reviews across India and beyond.

★★★★★

"While it's difficult to categorise this little treasure of a book, it certainly filled me with love, joy and silliness."

— Sally

★★★★★

"Just loved the book. Such a vivid colourful character — Shri Vindaloo."

— Spotty

★★★★★

"A magical world with beauty and dancing and love… and pigs!"

— Bombay Shopper

★★★★★

"Wild, heady, sunny… and totally lived up to its billing — LOVE JOY AND SILLINESS!"

— Amazon Customer

★★★★★

"The book gives up its warmth. Warm, witty and deeply human."

— Tush

★★★★★

"A rare charm — playful, warm, eccentric, and unexpectedly sophisticated."

— Deepanshu

The Visual World of Mino La Franca.

Mino La Franca is an acclaimed photographer and video artist with more than thirty years of experience creating visual work across theatre, opera, film, publishing, fashion, and advertising.

For Love Joy and Silliness, Mino shaped the cinematic identity of Shri Vindaloo through visual storytelling, art direction, animated films, still imagery, and atmospheric compositions inspired by Goa, music, movement, romance, and joy.

His work transforms Shri Vindaloo’s literary universe into something immersive, emotional, elegant, and visually unforgettable.

Visit Mino’s Website Watch the Film

FROM THE VISUAL WORLD OF SHRI VINDALOO

Love Joy and Silliness

A love story with a pig at the centre of it

It is properly funny

It takes you somewhere

It leaves something behind

Listen to Chapter One

Chapter 1

Keep the Story Going

Scenes from Shri Vindaloo’s world

Collected Thoughts on Love, Joy & Feni

Thirty Lines That Will Stay With You.

An Animated Series Ready for the World

Words from those who entered Shri Vindaloo’s world

The Visual World of Mino La Franca.

Cinematic Frames by Mino La Franca.

Thirty Lines That Will
Stay With You.