Senior journalist Vikrant Parmar launches debut novel Tunnel Number 33

Chandigarh, March 28: Senior journalist Vikrant Parmar launched his debut novel Tunnel Number 33 at Chandigarh Press Club. Published by Fern Tree Publishing, the novel explores memory, mystery, and the lingering presence of the past against the haunting backdrop of the historic Shimla–Kalka railway line.

Set along the iconic Shimla–Kalka railway track—home to 103 tunnels and over a century of stories—Tunnel Number 33 follows Rudra Pratap, a writer in search of meaning, and Mahadev Singh, a legendary train driver believed to carry a mysterious mission tied to the past.

Their chance meeting during an ominous journey unfolds into a gripping exploration of memory, history, and unseen presences that quietly shape lives in the hills.

Speaking at the launch, Parmar shared that the mystique surrounding Tunnel Number 33 had fascinated him since childhood.

Growing up in Shimla, he had long been drawn to stories about the railway line and its tunnels, as well as to the supernatural folklore that surrounds them. In the novel, these personal memories merge with imagination to create an atmospheric narrative rooted in place and emotion

The book has already drawn appreciation from members of the film and literary community. Filmmaker Varun V. Sharma described the debut as “impossible to put down,” adding that the story lends itself naturally to adaptation for screen.

Screenwriter Anand Rathore noted that the narrative “thrills, entertains and surprises,” while author Sahar Gharachorlou highlighted the empathy the novel generates for restless spirits within its eerie setting.

Rich in mood and texture, Tunnel Number 33 unfolds in a landscape of dusk, sleet, and shifting shadows, where the past quietly presses against the present.

Rather than relying on conventional scares, the novel evokes a deeply sensory world marked by tension, compassion, and the enduring imprint of history on people and places. 

With this debut, Vikrant Parmar marks a compelling entry into literary fiction, bringing together his journalistic sensitivity, lived experience of the Himalayan landscape, and fascination with folklore into a narrative that resonates with readers seeking both mystery and meaning.