|
Literary Review
Subterranean worlds
|
The book paints a harsh landscape where men and women jostle, kill, cajole, rave, rant and shout for power.
|
Written with a rare combination of humour and anger, the plots and subplots make this many-layered story memorable.
ONLINE sites compare it to The Godfather. Not only in its large and sprawling canvas of 900 pages but in the intensity that leaps out of this book tinged with violence, with love, with erotica, exploring a subculture that only those who have dared to understand can appreciate. This is not a book for the faint-hearted or for those that nurse hangovers of the good old days. Sacred Games, Vikram Chandra's new epic novel, drags you into the murkiness below the glitz. That is its intention. In a colossal romp, Chandra offers a view of Mumbai that many suspect, perhaps have even spoken of, but never confronted. This is the city that makes millions, kills hundreds and gives rise to tinsel dreams every minute, just as it makes space for those operating from the underground.
Sacred Games opens with Chandra's favourite cop, Inspector Sartaj Singh. Known as the "Silky Sikh", Singh is now forty and well past his prime. Embittered and cynical after his divorce, Singh's career prospects also don't look too bright. All that seems to change when he gets an anonymous call tipping him about the presence in Mumbai of the most wanted underworld don — Ganesh Gaitonde. As Singh speeds towards the "safe house" where Gaitonde is bunkered in, little does he realise that this would become a defining moment in his own life. Astonished by what he sees and finally recovering, Singh finds himself on the trail of a life which forks into the most mysterious branches and the best-kept secrets. While he tries to unravel what he suspects, Singh is continually reminded of his own life — his father's ideals, his mother's acceptance of what came her way and his own unfulfilled desires even as he comes to terms with the loss of his man Friday, Katekar at the hands of a small-time criminal
Ganesh Gaitonde has succeeded in foxing the best brains in the country. His prowess in his business dealings and in bed are unmatched. Rising from the ranks, Gaitonde gradually carves a place for himself in Mumbai's little bylanes, a world seething with dissent. In these lanes there is another world that seldom confronts the façade of the city. When it does, there is always violence. It is over this chaos that Gaitonde rules supreme. Gaitonde believes he plays fair and by the rules. Keeping the cops happy and keeping his men happy as well as looking after the needs of the bureaucracy is something Gaitonde has learnt well. But things take a turn when Gaitonde is introduced to a holy man. And in the few months when he is "exiled" to foreign shores far away from home, it is the strangely comforting tones of the Guruji that retain his self belief. Gaitonde finds himself consulting the wise man on every aspect of his life, be it the business deals or the many women in his life. But there is one area which Guruji never gets to know. Just as Gaitonde gets comfortable with his spiritual guide, Guruji suddenly disappears. Perplexed, hurt and abandoned, Gaitonde begins an obsessive search for his mentor. What he discovers leaves him shaken. Singh and Gaitonde have never met formally. Yet Gaitonde remembers the Sikh policeman from one chance encounter. It is he who calls upon Singh's services in the end.
Chandra's novel paints a harsh landscape where men and women jostle, kill, cajole, rave, rant and shout for power. Where the ultimate pinnacle of life is achievement. And in pursuit of this, none is willing to stop, whatever the cost. From an unholy nexus of murder and mayhem emerges a story of power and lust. Chandra's virtuosity of language that alternately thrills and repels, gets down to the basics of life in Mumbai. His skills as a storyteller are intact as are those of his minute and painstaking research into the hearts and minds of his characters.
Sacred Games will tempt even the most reluctant reader with the incredible enthusiasm of its huge cast, the energy of its characters and the plots and subplots that make this many-layered story so memorable. Written with a rare combination of humour and anger, it is easy to see why this will become a popular book bordering on the classic.
SUCHITRA BEHAL
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Literary Review
|
