The Pleasure Seeker
GENRE
DRAMA HISTORICAL FICTION ROMANCE RELIGIOUS
Core Theme
ROCK AND LONG LOST LOVE
TIME PERIOD
1980s & '90s
COMPARABLE TITLES
ROCKSTAR, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, ROCK OF AGES
CHARACTER LIST
DALE. 16-36. LEAD. STRONG MORAL CODE, JUDGMENTAL, MASCULINE.
AMARA GLAZER. 26-46. DALE'S LIFELONG LOVE INTEREST. INDEPENDENT, CONFIDENT, MODEST, SEXY.
SITA KAUR. 20'S-30'S. DALE'S EX WIFE, MOTHER OF HIS CHILDREN. UNEDUCATED, SEXY, FRIVOLOUS.
SHAYLA. 20'S-40'S. DALE'S FRIEND AND AMARA'S SISTER. FUN, CARELESS, CONFIDENT.
LEVINE. 30'S-40'S. PLEASURE SEEKER'S TOUR MANAGER. TRUSTWORTHY, RESPONSIBLE.
OSCAR, PETER AND ADAM. DALE'S BANDMATES. TALENTED AND MOSTLY CARELESS.
Logline
The Sikh child of trafficked parents, in Africa, who has to raise transportation (to school) costs for himself and his brothers, buys a piano he is given to sell on commission, learns to play, and becomes a rock star. But he is also always an 'other' and has to make his own way in the world.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
Arusha/ Tz, Dubai, Bern/ Chicago
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: No
Starting Description
On national television, Daler Singh tells talk show host Jimmy that his wife is the granddaughter of the man who bought my father. Daler is there to promote the invention that earned him his Ph.d. in sound engineering: notation software, which is displayed on a screen as he plays one of his hits.
Ending Description
20 years after he seduced Amara, Daler reunites and convinces her his feelings have not changed, tht they both feel th same.
Group Specific
non-christians and integrity, modern Africa
Hard Copy Available
No
ISBN
Information not completed
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Meaningful Message
Plot - Premise
Rags to Riches,Other
Main Character Details
Name: Daler Singh
Age: 16 into 30's
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Masculine,Adventurous,Aspiring,Sexy,Confident,Complex,Decisive,Faithful,Flexible,Skillful,Educated,Sophisticated,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Amaraq Glazer
Age: 26---early 40's
Gender: Female
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Modest,Sexy,Confident,Blunt,Funny,Honorable,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Sita Kaur
Age: early 20's to early 30's
Gender: Female
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Uneducated,Complex,Sexy,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Sita Kaur
Age: 20's to 30's
Gender: Female
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Complex,Sexy,Religious
Genre
ROMANCE, MATURE AUDIENCE, DRAMA, RELIGION
Brief
Dale is an African boy from an impecunious family that manages to pursue his studies in Switzerland and due to his musical talents, becomes a rockstar. As his destiny unfolds, he longs to find his way back to his beloved Amara.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: FAIR
Premise: FAIR
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
The Book Profile describes the book accurately.
Draw of Story
The story is interesting due to the unusual background and storyline of the protagonist.
Possible Drawbacks
Some situations in the book are controversial and not in a good way. The protagonist, Dale, describes situations of abuse towards his bride to be, Sita, which is frequently uncomfortable with his sexual advances. He finds himself irresistible and addresses sex as the main obligation of a wife. The character of his wife, Sita, is developed in a shallow and sexist way, and is frequently judged by her interests. Dale sees himself as perfect by all means, which makes him stiff and judgmental and is never critical of himself. It all makes the character unreal beyond acceptable and unrelatable - he becomes a rockstar, a doctor, the sexiest man alive elected by People magazine and also a multimillionaire. The storyline of the character is not clear, and the narrative repeats the same stories he has already described to other people in the book more than once. The critics to Christianism could have been interesting but wasn't carried out carefully, lacking an analysis of the protagonists' own religious dogmas, which are significant. The dog breed subject could have been developed in a more natural way to deepen the character of Amara but is misplaced in end of the narrative.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The idea of an African man overcoming all difficulties of his early life and taking over the world with his talent and charm and becoming a rockstar is interesting.
Fanbase Potential
The changes in the script would be numerous, but would certainly have a large fanbase as it involves music and a protagonist that is exotic, charming and has an unusual background.
Awards Potential
I see Awards potential in an adaptation as there is room for creativity in musical production.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
ROCKSTAR, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, ROCK OF AGES
What’s New About the Story
This story is original because of the background of the protagonist and narrator, regarding his origins, his religion and his beliefs.
Lead Characters
Dale, the protagonist, is talented, handsome and clever. Amara, his lifelong love interest, is an independent, funny and modest woman.
Uniqueness of Story
The protagonist is not charismatic as he lacks vulnerability and is too judgemental.
Possible Formats
Film - Studio, Film - Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
The storyline should be improved, and the protagonist's selfish understanding of his relationships should be reviewed.
Tips for Improvement
The protagonist, a rockstar, finds himself to be very liberated sexually but in fact is too judgmental. Narrowed view of the relation between sex and religion - understanding of human nature is too simplified.
Brief
African man overcomes poverty and becomes a rockstar - as well as a highly successful sound engineer. But he is not fully happy until he reunites with his lifelong love interest, the independent and beautiful Amara.
What We Liked
What is most enticing about this story is the background of this rockstar and successful sound engineer. Son of trafficked parents and born in Tanzania, he pursues his studies in Europe, where he becomes a doctor and meets his bandmates, while longs to reconnect with his lifelong love interest. Romance, religion and financial affairs are an interesting background to the story.
Film: It would be a good adaptation for a film for the same reasons as it would be for TV, plus the possibility of developing a musical identity for the band and amazing scenes depicting rock concerts.
TV: People would want to see it on TV because of the variety of scenarios - Tanzania, Dubai, Switzerland, United States of America, and tour all over the world - rich music resources, sexy scenes and a 19 year wait to reunite with his long lost love.
Key points: Music; African history; Spicy scenes; Exotic scenarios; Interesting female character
Synopsis
In an interview in a talk show, rockstar Dale shocks audience letting on that his partner's family used to own his parents - which were trafficked in Tanzania. He then decides to retell this improbable and surprising love story, which also becomes his life memoir.
Even though he's known Amara since he was born, as their families have been connected for a long time through human trafficking ties, he is 16 when he gets the chance to be alone with her, in order to escort her in a trip to Kenya, and is sexually initiated by her - even though she is 10 years older. Amara heads back to the United States and Dale is informed by his father of the impossibility of their love due to several factors such as age gap and social status.
Dale gets on with his life, and as his brothers did, he moves abroad to pursue his studies and ends up living and studying with a scholarship Switzerland - but never forgetting Amara. Dale meets his bandmates in school, where he is a well respected for being a responsible student and a talented pianist, and as his band starts becoming successful, he travels the world on tour. Along with his band, Dale also develops a music software that revolutionizes music and is awarded a Grammy. He also decides to listen to his parents and get married - a marriage arranged by his father with an wealthy and indian Sikh woman, Sita.
They have two children, but they don't have a happy marriage - especially when it comes to Dale's sexual expectations. Wealthy, famous and successful, Dale decides to finally get divorced and as he never forgot Amara, he decides to go after her in the US. As they get to know each other again, they realize the flame is still burning, they decide to get married and Dale finally feels satisfied in love.