Meena Kandasamy, the acclaimed author of When I Hit You, returns with a pithy and savagely funny novel about a deepfake sex tape and the toxic world of Indian internet trolls. Fieldwork As a Sex Object follows Amy Chaturvedi, a posh student activist living in London, who wakes up one day to find a deepfake sex tape of herself circulating online. While Amy is sexually unapologetic and has done plenty of transgressive things, she did not make that video. But try telling that to the Indian manosphere or her mother.
Kandasamy captures the hellish landscape of the Indian internet, where far-right politics, caste misogyny, and religious antagonisms collide. The trolls are described as a bunch of Nazi-loving, Islamophobic vegetarians with profile pictures of the Joker or V for Vendetta. They accuse Amy of being a Pakistani agent, funded by George Soros, and part of a gang wanting to balkanise India. Kandasamy’s sharp humour provides relief from the anger, exposing the trolls’ failures with women, their desire for Modi’s attention, and their rage.
A Master of Blurring Fiction and Reality
Kandasamy uses Amy’s story to encapsulate how women are hunted and attacked online. Amy is rough, unsympathetic, and lives in a bubble of privilege. She is fixated on her looks, class, and power to shock. She uses the moment of her violation to question her love for her best friend, alienating her further. She sleeps with the boyfriend of a white acquaintance who offered sympathy, leading to a dramatic fallout. The internet takes vengeful pleasure in shaming her.
Political and Personal Blended
Kandasamy is one of India’s most exciting writers because she does not pull punches. The novel asks tough questions about internet culture and misogyny. While some readers may find the Marxist praxis and internet language excessive, the blend of personal and political is powerful. Fans eagerly await Kandasamy’s next work.
