Shantaram

Shantaram is a gripping novel of adventure, rich storytelling, and deep moral insight, inspired by the remarkable true story of eight years spent in Bombay’s underworld. Described as a literary masterpiece that is both scholarly and personal, reflective and humorous, it combines the intensity and momentum of a thriller. In the early 1980s, Gregory David Roberts, a former armed robber and heroin addict, escaped an Australian prison and found refuge in an Indian slum. There, he founded a free health clinic and became involved with the mafia as a money launderer, forger, and street fighter. Along the way, he learned Hindi and Marathi, experienced love, endured time in an Indian jail, acted in Bollywood, and even fought alongside the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. Despite prison guards destroying his first two manuscripts, Roberts persevered to write Shantaram, a powerful testament to his determination. This novel is an intense adventure, a passionate love story, and a raw yet poetic portrayal of a fugitive’s life.