Short answers, pulled from the story.
Salman Rushdie published the novel in 1981 through Jonathan Cape with cover design by Bill Botten. The book won major literary awards including the Booker Prize and James Tait Black Memorial Prize that same year.
Saleem Sinai enters the world at midnight on the 15th of August 1947 linking his heartbeat to the birth of independent India. He belongs to a special group of children born within one hour of that stroke who possess telepathic powers.
The group of gifted children dissolves during the Emergency period declared by Indira Gandhi which signals the end of potency for the Midnight Children. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought legal action against the book in British courts in 1984 claiming defamation based on a single sentence regarding her son Sanjay Gandhi.
Salman Rushdie coined the word chutnification to describe adopting Indian elements into English speech or culture. This method allowed him to create a unique voice for the narrator while blending magical realism with historical events.
Director Deepa Mehta collaborated with Salman Rushdie on a film version premiered in September 2012 at Toronto International Film Festival. Satya Bhabha played Saleem Sinai while other roles were filled by Shriya Saran, Seema Biswas, and Anupam Kher among others.