Book Review: Gangster on The Run
I hardly ever – actually only twice before – read non-fiction books. In fact, of the two I have read so far, I could complete only one and the other one’s still at 20%. That’s why when I was offered to review this book, I was a bit skeptical. However, Gangster on the Run by Puja Changoiwala was a good read and for most part help me in rapt attention.
About the Book
This is “the true story of a reformed criminal”. It is the astonishing tale of an underworld ganglord and a raging alcoholic who left behind his past and emerged victorious to become an ultra-marathoner. From the little boy who feared demons to the feared extortionist and hitman to the man who outran those demons – the book covers the various facets of the life of Rahul Ramakant Jadhav in detail.
The Story of The Gangster “Bhiku Mhatre”
Born in Maharashtra’s Dombivli in the outskirts of the then-Bombay, Rahul loved to draw and paint and write in his diary as a young boy. He was the youngest of 3 siblings in a family of very limited means. The poverty angered him; he couldn’t understand how they always had second-hand things despite his father working so hard. He decided at a very tender age that he would never be the same – he would get or take what he desired.
The young Rahul enjoyed history about warrior lords like Shivaji and Hitler – he adored the fact that their legacies lived beyond their lifetime be it fame or infamy. He too wanted to be remembered. During the 1980s, when Bombay was ruled by the underworld, Rahul followed their tales closely via newspapers and neighborhood gossip; he found their escapades, the battles, the bloodshed to be very thrilling! Thus was born the idea of a criminal life and from this ideology emerged the gangster who fashioned himself as “Bhiku Mhatre” (from the famous Bollywood movie ‘Satya’).
From thereon began the story of Bhiku bhai who slowly rose through the ranks of the underworld through his intelligence, his daring and his knack of collecting friends and followers. He introduced and used VoIP calls to avoid detection, he used the internet to research for numbers of intended extortion victims. He soon became the right-hand man of well-known don Jaidev Reddy. His arrest in 2007 changed everything.
The Story of the Ultra Marathoner Rahul Jadhav
After his arrest, his boss “Anna”, whom he thought of as a brother, abandoned him. At that time he was also a serial alcoholic, barely able to function without his drink. He was accused of multiple crimes across various jurisdictions of Mumbai and Thane; he was beaten and tortured, he suffered alcohol withdrawal reactions and reached his lowest of low.
Gradually he recovered and used his intelligence to fight his own cases and defend himself against all accusations. He was acquitted from some and then released on bail for the others. But after his release he descended into depression as he went back to his alcoholic ways. He went into de-addiction 6 times until he finally conquered his demons and went on to channel his energy and efforts to that of running and participating in marathons.
He turned his life around at the age of the age of 40, he earned & kept a job, married, gave de-addiction counselling and now aims to shatter the national stadium record some day. His greatest achievement to date is his run from Mumbai to Delhi in a fortnight where he covered a distance of about 1400kms (!!) in January 2019.
Rating
4.5 stars
I love how this book chronicles the life of Rahul Jadhav very faithfully, from his childhood to his teenage days to his entrance and then rise in the world of organized crime. The chapters are broken up very well and the style of writing is clean and very detail oriented. In between the story, there are excerpts from newspapers or FIRs in words of the actual event incidence.
The book is very interesting from the aspects of how the underworld operates to how the Indian judicial system operates. It’s an eye-opener.
It is an inspiring story of how one can change and reinvent oneself if given a second chance. Rahul fought for his second chance because of his family who stood by him through thick and thin and helped him out in every way to get that second chance at life.
The only small criticism I have is that, I would have loved to hear more about his journey as the marathoner, his mind’s evolution from utter darkness to a world of dreams and happiness.
Praise for the Book
“A thrilling, unputdownable read from a prolific journalist” – Rakesh Maria, former chief, Maharastra ATS and former Commissioner of Police, Mumbai
“A must-read for true-crime lovers” – Ravi Subramanian, bestselling author
“In this thoroughly enthralling read, Puja provides an insider’s view of the underworld in a kaleidoscopic testimony of crime and punishment, survival and redemption” – Siddharth Roy Kapur, film producer
About The Author
Puja Changoiwala is an award winning journalist and the author of the critically acclaimed true-crime book, The Front Page Murders: Inside the Serial Killings That Shocked India. As a journalist, she writes about the intersections of gender, crime, social justice, human rights and technology.
This post was written as part of Blogchatter Half Marathon and it’s Book Review Program.
