PS – With all due respect to the author as an Editor / Journalist. Am writing this as a journalist. But for a regular reader, the book may be as interesting as any. However, here is my impression.
It was both the author and the subject of the book which compelled me go ahead and order a rupees 224 worth ‘Death in Mumbai’ by Meenal Baghel. It turned out to be a not-so-good investment. Meenal Bhaghel, whose reputation as a writer / editor precedes her, disappoints as an author of a non-fiction book. ‘Death in Mumbai’ publicised as a ‘gripping account of infamous Neeraj Grover killing that sent shockwaves through the nation’ fails on the very count of it being a ‘gripping account.’
After a first couple of chapters, the reader can potentially forget whether this is a book on the Neeraj Grover murder or whether this a PR exercise piece on Mumbai’s Oshiwara, Ekta kapoor, Moon Das, or Ramgopal Varma. One does not understand why the author needed to introduce Rakesh Maria, current chief of Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorism Squad, with a whole page of details of 1993 blast case. I mean everyone knows who Rakesh Maria is. But for the benefit of those who don’t know the officer, perhaps a more recent reference would have have worked. In any case I do not see the reason in glorifying Rakesh Maria. As a non-fictional narrative of a murder, the book could have done with a more matter of fact introduction for the officer. But if you go by the book, I’d prefer a page full of introduction on who Rakesh Maria is as against chapters dedicating or glorifying tinsel world characters like Ekta Kapoor, Moon Das, and Ram Gopal Varma!
More than 100 pages into the book you are still waiting for a first person account of either Maria Susairaj or Jerome. But all you get is just a few lines here and here snatched from chance conversations during the court hearings. From the book, the only thing that you get as a reader is an idea of the personas that are Maria, Jerome and Neeraj. Large part of the narrative of the incident itself is done through the witnesses or the chargesheet that has been filed. One keeps wishing for that quintessential first person account. But that never comes. While it could have been difficult but not impossible to get Jerome to speak to the author, I believe that convincing Maria would have worked. As a journalist who has covered the case, I can say with certainty that Maria could have spoken if pursued consistently.
Again based on my journalistic experience of covering the case, I was left wishing for snippets which bring life into a long form narrative of just another love triangle gone bad. For instance, with reference to the portion where its written that at the fag end of the trial Maria had started putting on weight and was surviving on chocolates, there is a very interesting story which could have found mention in the book. A young boy would always come for the hearings bringing a bag full of chocolates and other essentials both for Maria and Jerome. For the longest time Maria used to pay for Jerome’s expenses as well. However Maria had stopped paying as the trial progressed and both the defense lawyers squarely blamed on each other’s client. As a reader I want to know how the status of relationship between the two lovers or had they become former lovers?
I also found myself disagreeing with the character build-up of Maria and Jerome. The author appears to have used adjectives to paint a negative picture of Maria and a charming but angry young man image of the naval lieutenant. Through the narrative the author appears to singularly blame Maria. As a journalist, but more as a woman, I feel that Maria alone cannot be blamed. Both Maria and Jerome are at fault.
On the up side, there appears to be an effort to meet people connected with Maria and Neeraj’s side of the story. The author beautifully describes the point where the investigators break the Maria Susairaj to the point of her confession. The book also successfully gives an insight into the functioning of the world of television and its obsessions.
All in all for me, the book comes across as a forced narrative of an incident.
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