India Uncovered
At 933 pages, Shantaram is not a novel for the faint hearted. But 120 pages in and I’m already hooked.
Based on a true story, it recounts the adventures of Lindsay Ford, a New Zealander on the run after escaping prison. He arrives in Mumbai, unfamiliar with the customs, culture or languages of India. But his luck is in, as he encounters local guide, Prabaker, a guardian angel who takes ‘Linbaba’ under his wing.
Not having been to India, I can’t say whether it captures the essence of the place, but the author does have a talent for evoking the culture shock experienced by new visitors.
Even taking a bath has its pitfalls. As Lin removes his clothing, Prabaker’s screams in panic:
‘No, Lin! This is India. Nobody is ever naked in India. And especially nobody is naked without clothes.’
‘So how do you do take a shower?
‘We wear it the underpants for having a bath in India.’
‘Well, that’s fine,’ I said, dropping the towel to reveal my black jockey shorts.
‘Yaaaah’ Prabaker screamed, diving for the towel and covering me again.
‘Those teeny pieces, Lin? Those are not the underpants. Those are under-underpants. You have it the over-underpants.
‘The…over-underpants?’
‘Yes. Certainly. Like these, my ones that I am wearing.’
He unbuttoned his own trousers enough to show me that he wore a pair of green shorts under his clothes
Yes, in India, the men are wearing these over-underpants, under their clothes at all times, and in all the situations. Even if they are wearing under-underpants, still they are wearing over-under pants, over their unders. You see?’
‘No.’
Well, just you wait here. I will get you some over-underpants for your bath. But don’t’ remove your towel. Please! Promise! If the people see you without the towel, in such teeny pieces, they will be like a wild people. Wait here!’
He darted off and after a few minutes returned with two pairs of red football shorts.
‘Here, Lin’, he puffed. ‘You are such a big fellow, I hope we can get a good fits. These are from Fat Satish. He is so fat, I think they might fit you. I told him a story, and then he gave it this two pairs for you. I told him that on the journey you had loose motions and you made such a mess in your over-underpants that we had to throw them away.’
‘You told him’, I asked, ‘that I shit my pants?’
‘Oh yes, Lin, I certainly couldn’t tell him that you have no over-underpants!’
‘Well, of course not.’
‘I mean, what would he be thinking about you?’
If a 900-page book doesn't appeal, perhaps the movie will be more your cup of chai. You might have a long wait, though. Production has been dogged by delays - rows among the production team, the strike by Writers' Guild, to say nothing of India's monsoon season. But, all being well, Johnny Depp will be taking the title role when it's realeased in 2011.
Based on a true story, it recounts the adventures of Lindsay Ford, a New Zealander on the run after escaping prison. He arrives in Mumbai, unfamiliar with the customs, culture or languages of India. But his luck is in, as he encounters local guide, Prabaker, a guardian angel who takes ‘Linbaba’ under his wing.
Not having been to India, I can’t say whether it captures the essence of the place, but the author does have a talent for evoking the culture shock experienced by new visitors.
Even taking a bath has its pitfalls. As Lin removes his clothing, Prabaker’s screams in panic:
‘No, Lin! This is India. Nobody is ever naked in India. And especially nobody is naked without clothes.’
‘So how do you do take a shower?
‘We wear it the underpants for having a bath in India.’
‘Well, that’s fine,’ I said, dropping the towel to reveal my black jockey shorts.
‘Yaaaah’ Prabaker screamed, diving for the towel and covering me again.
‘Those teeny pieces, Lin? Those are not the underpants. Those are under-underpants. You have it the over-underpants.
‘The…over-underpants?’
‘Yes. Certainly. Like these, my ones that I am wearing.’
He unbuttoned his own trousers enough to show me that he wore a pair of green shorts under his clothes
Yes, in India, the men are wearing these over-underpants, under their clothes at all times, and in all the situations. Even if they are wearing under-underpants, still they are wearing over-under pants, over their unders. You see?’
‘No.’
Well, just you wait here. I will get you some over-underpants for your bath. But don’t’ remove your towel. Please! Promise! If the people see you without the towel, in such teeny pieces, they will be like a wild people. Wait here!’
He darted off and after a few minutes returned with two pairs of red football shorts.
‘Here, Lin’, he puffed. ‘You are such a big fellow, I hope we can get a good fits. These are from Fat Satish. He is so fat, I think they might fit you. I told him a story, and then he gave it this two pairs for you. I told him that on the journey you had loose motions and you made such a mess in your over-underpants that we had to throw them away.’
‘You told him’, I asked, ‘that I shit my pants?’
‘Oh yes, Lin, I certainly couldn’t tell him that you have no over-underpants!’
‘Well, of course not.’
‘I mean, what would he be thinking about you?’
If a 900-page book doesn't appeal, perhaps the movie will be more your cup of chai. You might have a long wait, though. Production has been dogged by delays - rows among the production team, the strike by Writers' Guild, to say nothing of India's monsoon season. But, all being well, Johnny Depp will be taking the title role when it's realeased in 2011.
- Title: Shantaram
- Author: Gregory David Roberts
- Publisher: Scribe (2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 192076920X
- ISBN-13: 978-1920769208