One of the very few novels which looks life from a different perspective.I live in India where I
see
people sleep in platform with a bedsheet (not exactly bedsheet,but some hard cloth) .Everyday at night they start their own choirs, song and dance is part of their culture
they work hard in daytime as coolies(labour) get paid at the end of the day come home and enjoy their live .As written by David @ Linbaba sometimes municipal officers come and destroy their hut and leave the place .They rebuilt the house again to be destroyed another time by the same officers.I have always wondered how they are able to live their life when they have a sword hanging around the neck .This novel looks at the life of those slum people without any apologies .I have seen those characters walking around my place prabaker,Qasim Ali(leader of the slum)
Shantaram @ Linbaba is sentenced to
prison for armed robbery in Australia.He escapes from the high secured prison and lands in Mumbai(Bombay) City of Dreams where he finds a way to survive in mumbai.This novel is said to be biography of author Gregory David Roberts
Most of the adventures are set in India .His life and times in Mumbai slum ,Arthur Road Prison followed by his entry in Black Market where he exchanges currency.At times you feel that the author is exaggerating the black market trying to justify it .But its a very interesting read .The author knows the Indian people as he rightly says that "If 30 million americans where to live they would die fighting each other , Indians have a unity even in diversity".They have planned to make this novel into movie Johnny Depp is starring as shantaram .I am pretty excited because its mira nair who is directing it .It would be interesting to watch the movie because Mira knows how to make great novels to great movies.If you've read and watched The Namesake you would agree with me .For those who doubt about the movie Shantaram dont pass your judgement untill the movie is release .I am keeping my fingers crossed