Creating mayhem in Mumbai | Review of Tanuj Solanki’s crime thriller, ‘Manjhi’s Mayhem’
The HinduIn India, genre fiction in English has been dominated by foreign authors. In recent years, one genre where sub-continental authors have made their mark is historical fiction — or at least a uniquely Indian sub-variant of it characterised by a ‘masala mix’ of history, mythology, fantasy and allusions to contemporary events. Against this background, a new title that not only steers clear of the tried-and-tested Hindu mythology route but also takes on a traditional genre — crime fiction — and tries something different is welcome news. Having the story unfold as a first person narrative allows Solanki to explore the injustices and hypocrisies of a society divided along caste and class from the vantage point of the marginalised — especially in a setting where, it is often claimed, caste is not really a factor: the metropolis. Manjhi’s Mayhem Tanuj Solanki Penguin Random House ₹399 For instance, the titular character, Sewaram Manjhi, who hails from a family of manual scavengers, is able to get a job as a security guard only with the help of a fake Aadhaar card that enables him to assume the identity of a Jat.
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Review: Manjhi’s Mayhem byTanuj Solanki
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