Shantaram

In1978,giftedstudentandwriterGregRobertsturnedtoheroinwhenhismarriagecollapsed,feedinghisaddictionwithastringofrobberies.Caughtandconvicted,hewasgivenanineteen-yearsentence.Aftertwoyears,heescapedfromamaximum-securityprison,spendingthenexttenyearsontherunasAustralia'smostwantedman.HidinginBombay,heestablishedamedicalclinicforslum-dwellers,workedintheBollywoodfilmindustryandservedtimeinthenotoriousArthurRoadprison.HewasrecruitedbyoneofthemostcharismaticbranchesoftheBombaymafiaforwhomheworkedasaforger,counterfeiter,andsmuggler,andfoughtalongsideaunitofmujaheddinguerrillafightersinAfghanistan.Hisdebutnovel,SHANTARAM,isbasedonthisten-yearperiodofhislifeinBombay.Theresultisanepictaleofslumsandfive-starhotels,romanticloveandprisontorture,mafiagangwarsandBollywoodfilms.Agrippingadventurestory,SHANTARAMisalsoasuperblywrittenmeditationongoodandevilandanauthenticevocationofBombaylife.