Meeting Shantaram

Gregory David Roberts - The Man who has seen too much

March 24, 2005

We stepped into Leopolds after much deliberation as to where to have dinner. As always, it was quite crowded and took a while to get a table. While we were settling down, I glanced at the next table. Tourists - amongst the giggling American variety, there was a face I seemed to recognise. It was of the person whose extraordinary life account I had just finished reading. Gregory David Roberts, aka "Shantaram". Wasnt enitrely convinced until I saw a couple of autographed "Shantaram"s on the cashier's counter.

After much urging from across the table, I got up to wish the man as he walked up to the cashier.

"Yes I am", he replied on my query whether he was indeed Gregory David Robert. Not knowing what to say next, I quickly then said that it was quite an enjoyable book. "Thank you man" he said in a rather pleasant tone.

"Did the story and all the incidents happen for real?" I queried.

"Its a novel", he politely answered. "Well, did I go to Arthur Road Prison weighing 90 kilos, only to return reduced to 45 Kilos? Yes, I did. Did I go up to the apartment of the three Nigerians to threaten them and leave them on a plane out of the country? Yes I did, but the context from that presented in the book is quite different. I have taken situations that I have been in and weaved a story around it. I have also messed around with the chronology of events." I suppose the description "based on a true story" on the rear cover, arguably, holds true.

He seemed to fit the image that I had had in my mind as to what Shantram would be like. Will be quite interesting to see Johnny Depp play the leading role in the forthcoming movie about an escaped Australian convict - who moves to a slum in Bombay in the early 80s and within a matter of months finds himself well entrenched within the underworld, forging passports and eventually fighting with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

"What made you title the book, 'Shantaram', considering that everyone in the book refers to you as Linbaba?" I asked.

"The name 'Shantaram', which was given to me when I was at the village, is important to me. It is something that I try and live upto. There was a turning point in my life 15 years ago, after which I decided that every day I shall try and achieve something positive. And I hope that one day I will truly possess the name 'Shantaram'."

"I thought you were kind of forced to by the publishers, as it sounded more cool than Linbaba."

"No way, I would never let anyone touch a comma of my writing. My writing is very important to me and every word in that book is mine", and he made a gesture of running a knife across his arms. What he had just said, and the manner in which it was said, appeared to be a dialogue straight out from the book.

I then posed another important question that continued to plague my mind: "Did they really serve alcohol (as in, spirits) on the ground floor at Leopolds in the 80's?"

He smiled and said, "Not really. Thats something only a Mumbaikar would know. Like Sea Rock being in Juhu. People who know Bombay have asked me how the fuck did that come in! I have slipped in a few things like that".

"None of the characters are true either. There was no Didier or Abdullah, though they are loosely based on characters I have met."

"I quite liked the character of Vikram Patel actually", I mumbled.

"Thats nice. What did you like about the book?"

"Well, I related to the book, as it covers aspects of the city of Bombay that caught my fancy when I moved here 6 years back. I go to this dargah on Marine Lines, and I have met a number of guys there, that seem to fit the description of the people you have written about. It seemed to bring to life things that I've always wanted to know about."

I however did not say that the book did sound a bit school boyish at times. And that certain portions sounded quite cliched, with good amount of moral sermonising judiciously thrown in. But thats the thing about the book - it is written straight from the heart and from real experiences. Or at least, I would like to believe so. Not technically brilliant as a professional author would write. Infact, the book won the Literary Review Bad Sex award in 2003! I however thorougly enjoyed the accounts of how the underworld operated and the mentality of a fighter pitched in a street battle.

"Its been nice meeting you and if I see you around here again, I can autograph your copy."

"So, you are around for a while?"

"Yes, I am writing the sequel to the novel. Am also writing the script for the movie. You know that its being made into a movie right? Ya, so I've been looking for a place in Colaba for the last couple of weeks and havent figured out anything so far. I'm gonna be around for a while".

We exchanged goodbyes, he left holding his right hand over his heart and wished us both "Good luck". A bit dramatic I thought, but thats Shantaram.