Private India
Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson
Random House
R350
Pp480
WHEN THE world?s best-selling author teams up with one of India?s most popular writers, you expect some fireworks. Private India, by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi, may not exactly be setting the pages on fire, but the book ticks all the boxes for a good read, besides topping the bestseller charts in the country.
A series of murders rock Mumbai and all of them seem to have a connection. The victims are all women and the crime scenes reinforce images of Goddess Durga?s avatars. The Private India team, headed by Santosh Wagh and including three other members, is called in to investigate. As the investigation proceeds, fingers are pointed at people in the highest positions, as well as at Private Indian team members. Entwined are the usual suspects?Bollywood, the ISI, Mujahideen, the underworld, politicians, the police force and high-ranking officials?of maximum city. Some personal demons and a fresher?s course on the city of Mumbai later, the killer is finally revealed and everything falls into place.
What is interesting is how a very Indian theme (Durga and her avatars) forms the core idea of the plot. Ashwin Sanghi told FE that the plot was his idea, while James Patterson provided several key suggestions to tighten the pace and to heighten suspense. ?JP?s key contribution was character, particularly the almost neurotic behaviour of Santosh Wagh. I wrote the first draft and JP wrote the second. In that sense, I would say that it was an equal partnership,? says Sanghi.
Thanks to Sanghi, India and its stereotypes are also depicted accurately, especially the city of Mumbai. ?Both JP and I were clear that this story was meant to be a fast-paced crime thriller conveying the full impact of Mumbai. For me, personally, the test of a good book is whether the pages turn effortlessly. I believe that Private India passes that critical test,? says Sanghi.
Happy with the final version of the book, Sanghi, however, says more collaborations with other writers are not on the agenda for the moment. ?I have a small non-fiction title coming out later this year, followed by my solo fiction title Sialkot Saga in 2015,? he says.