Saturday, 7 November 2020

Gangster on the Run-Puja Changoiwala

Book: Gangster on the Run-The True Story of a Reformed Criminal
Author: Puja Changoiwala
Publisher: Harper Collins India

Do you believe that life gives you a second chance if you have the will to change?

Gangster on the Run by Puja Changoiwala is the life story of Rahul ‘Bhiku’ Jadhav- a gangster who captured his don’s attention being tech-literate and employing technology by running his extortion ring over Skype. As the time went by, he became one of the most wanted criminals of his time. after he got arrested in 2007, he became a shadow of what he had been, afflicted with alcoholism and  drug abuse, brought him to the brink of insanity. However, that was the first part of his life. Today, he is an ultra-marathoner who has covered a distance of 10000 kilometers, including one run from the Gateway of India in Mumbai to India Gate in New Delhi. This is the story of a man journeying to the depths of hell and rising from the ashes.  

The book is an inspirational journey that details the effects that the life of crime can have on a person, but more importantly, its about the will power of a person to reform and how a person’s choices can affect their lives. The book goes deep into the Mumbai of the early part of the millennium when it was ravaged by gangsters and how things unfolded during the time. A very well-researched book, Puja has incorporated some interesting insights into the lives of not just Rahul, but also the criminal justice system that prevailed during the time, both the good and the bad aspects of it. It also presents an interesting account of the systems that were in place that led to the crimes being committed. A very informative account, there are moments in the book that were quite amazing, like the interrogations that happened. I loved the detail of Bhiku’s time in jail, specially the part that shows that the humanity inside him hadn’t died. His time at the recovery centre was quite touching and his transformation was quite magical, and Puja deserves mention for penning it out so nicely that one can actually feel the different emotions that course through Rahul throughout the story. there are some places in the book that have some grammatical errors which can be removed in the subsequent editions.

Overall, a good book that is an inspirational read. It scores a 4/5 for me.

Grab a copy here.

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