Book review: Mumbaistan by Piyush Jha

Mumbaistan by Piyush Jha

Author: Piyush Jha

Format: Paperback
Language: English
Pages:242
Price:195

Publishers: Rupa Publications

ISBN Number: 9788129120175

The book Mumbaistan by director cum first time author Piyush Jha is a past paced crime thriller based on the city of Mumbai. The city Mumbai is the land of dreams as well the hub of crime in India and thus makes for a perfect setting for a crime thriller. The book is a collection of three short stories set around people living in Mumbai. 

The first of the trio is called Bomb Day which is the story of a prostitute, her lover who is not what he seems to be and a top cop on a mission. The first of the tale revolves around the seedier side of Mumbai where gangsters rule the lives and women with nowhere to go turn to the oldest profession in the world. It is in this situation that ACP Hani searches for the bane of his existence to the save the city that he so loves. The second in the series is Injectionwala. The story exposes the horrifying practices of trading in human organs in the city by those whom we trust with our lives. A love struck vigilante is caught in the manipulative ministrations of the woman he loves does the things he should have done before. The story Coma Man is about a man who wakes up from coma after long twenty years to find out that the world has changed since he lived. The man is a victim of communal riots and when he wakes up to a new Mumbai he is determined to set out in search of his wife and to resume the life that was supposed to be his. 

The stories are all perfectly in sync with the theme that the author had tried to portray. The writing style is smooth and easy. It is a good balance and doesn’t leave the reader unsatisfied. The book is fast paced as well and thus the reader is not left bored at any point. The characters are intriguing. This is probably one of the greatest achievements of the writer and one of the possible contributing factors to it is the fact the author also happens to be a director. The detail given to the characters is neither too much nor too little.

Mumbaistan is a thriller that hits the right spot and succeeds in enthralling the readers. The book has several plus points and succeeds in making a mark. Although there is room for improvement the book is a good read. A first time author Piyush Jha doesn’t come across as a novice in this particular forte and succeeds in making a mark. 

The reviewer is a third year student of pol.sc. Apart from reading books, following Bollywood and Hollywood releases, she loves to become a globe trotter.