Vikas Swarup
The second novel by Vikas Swarup, after Q&A, the book that now has a life of its own. Six Suspects worked essentially as a superb suspense thriller for me, but it is also a commentary on everything that happens in India – from militancy and racism to reality TV and call centres. Through six of the most stereotyped characters that you could ever find (okay, five), the author manages not only to create a gripping tale that shakes up the mix every time you think you have cracked the mystery in your head, but also manages to share a perspective on many of the things that makes news and even the probable behind-the-scenes machinations. All delivered not in a preachy tone that one would expect when such topics are involved, but the most amazing wit and sense of humour I have read in recent times.
Right from the time the author shares a brief history of Vicky Rai, the ‘victim’, and in three paragraphs narrates the deeds that brought India’s sense of justice into the spotlight, I was hooked. He then proceeds to set up the suspects – the bureaucrat who is yet to get over his loss of power, the actress who tries hard to maintain her image and reputation and not mention Nietzsche in conversations, the tribal who seemed to be the only non-stereotype and displays a sense of deep rooted compassion and understanding that humanity seems to have lost, the mobile thief who lives out the Bollywood cliche, the politician who will go to any lengths for power, and the American, whose tale – right from his name, Larry Page – is such a bizarre laugh riot that it deserves a sequel!
The story lines develop independently, but with clear connections that add to the intrigue. The politician’s spiritual advisor, the actress’ man Friday, the underworld’s ransom kidnaps, the honest cop, the Bhopal gas tragedy and its victims, Pakistani militants, naked sadhus in Prayag, and even the Indian American university grad, all cliches that add volumes to the narrative. But the real craft and genius is in how the stories and backstories are connected, and all the details are tallied. From the motive to the execution, every character, primary and secondary, and his/her action is accounted for, all while making us believe, for instance, that Gandhi’s spirit has entered a corrupt official!
After all of this, the author takes us through the night itself and just as I thought that the climax itself was an anti, it turned out to be the setup for a riveting series of events that provides a deserving end to a fantastically written work of fiction. Must read.