The Satanic Verses
Wednesday, January 23, 2008By Salman Rushdie
Our story begins as the two central characters — both Indian actors — find themselves falling out of the sky as their jetliner bound for London is blown to bits by terrorists.
Gibreel Farishta, a dashing leading man and film star in Bombay, has left his world of fame and fortune to pursue the love of his life, a woman of adventure who has climbed Mount Everest, in London.
His reluctant companion is Saladin Chamcha, a successful commercial voice-over man with a talent for impersonation.
The two middle-aged actors have an animated conversation as they hurtle toward earth. They somehow land safely, but then their troubles begin anew. Gibreel dreams himself into the persona of the archangel Gabriel; Chamcha grows horns and hooves and temporarily turns into the devil.
