Max Ophuls, a US diplomat who has worked in the Kashmir Valley, is murdered by his former chauffeur, Shalimar.

Several flashbacks take the readers to the past, and one learns that Shalimar was once full of affection, love and laughter.

His skill on the tight rope has earned him renown in his village and the nickname Shalimar the clown.

At a young age, he falls in love with a beautiful Kashmiri Pandit girl, named Boonyi.

Shalimar evades the authorities and eventually returns to India's home, with the intention of killing her.

The story portrays the paradise that once was Kashmir, and how the politics of the sub-continent ripped apart the lives of those caught in the middle of the battleground.

[10] Reviewing the novel in The Guardian, Natasha Walter thought that the best parts of the book was those set in Kashmir: "Shalimar and Boonyi's youth and family background are realised with humour and sensual detail.

When dealing with that tragedy Rushdie's style is genuinely passionate; this is a paean of love to a destroyed homeland.

"[12] Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times was more critical and described Rushdie's prose as "clotted and clichéd".

The principal roles were taken by Sean Panikkar, Andriana Chuchman, Gregory Dahl, and Katharine Goeldner; smaller parts were played by Aubrey Allicock and Thomas Hammons, among others.