MOUSTACHE BY S. HAREESH (TRANSLATED FROM THE MALAYALAM BY JAYASREE KALATHIL)

Set in early 20th-century Kerala, Moustache follows Vavachan, a man from the lower-caste Pulayan community who defies upper-caste social norms by refusing to shave off a moustache grown for a theatrical role. Through a complex blend of magical realism and myth, the novel explores deep-seated caste struggles and power dynamics, transforming a personal act of defiance into a legendary saga of resistance.