Book Review – Shantanu: Rakhta Charitra Book I by Devansh Kamdar

Shantanu is a titular underworld crime thriller novel, book 1 in the Rakhta Charitra series. Set against the bustling cosmopolitan culture of Bombay, the story features Mahek, Shantanu, and Kshitij Bhosale in the mainstream narrative. Shantanu is the lead character and many other auxiliary characters share spotlight with him.

He works for his boss: Kshitij Bhosale. Shantanu is an ace shooter, different than others. His absolute loyalty brought him closer to his boss. They both share a great bonding and rapport in a crime world where people don’t even trust their intimate shadows.

Shantanu has been assigned to keep vigil on a woman ‘Mahek’. He has got orders to shoot her and the man accompanying her. Shantanu being a hardcore goon has cold heart when shooting targets for Kshitij Bhosale. Like most of the Bollywood movies, a woman softens and alters a mafia’s heart, something similar happens with Shantanu. After a few meet-ups with Mahek, the gangster is overwhelmed by emotional trauma, he psychologically begins weighing his life, deeds, actions, sweeps about his past resurfaces in snatches…adding depth to the narrative.

Often mafia driven novels grapple with sub themes like redemption, betrayal, double cross, this novel too has its share of such aspects but the author has given more focus on individualism. Shantanu backs up Kshitij Bhosale against other gangsters. The rivalry runs undercurrent. Kshitij Bhosale is a clever man but when he doubts a change of heart in Shantanu, he turns otherwise. After meeting Mahek, Shantanu’s life is exposed to more danger and insecurity. Probably there could be some substantial reasons behind it. In such crime thriller novels if you have fallen for one character and rooting for it, the best chance is not to expect them go live and happy. You will be drawn emotionally by the ending of the novel. Yet it wins heart more beautifully than any mafia/don movies.

This is not a family dragged mafia story, in Bombay such stories are real and were part of its drenched history. Devansh Kamdar’s world building and introduction of characters is powerful. He vividly described the seasonal ambience of Bombay’s streets, roads, hotels, and the under belly of mafia world.

With no intersecting POVs, the book chugs ahead quite smoothly with action always around the corner. Shantanu is quiet, less on violence, beautifully-written novel, explores grief, loss, betrayal in the chilling world of mafia crimes.

You can purchase the novel from Amazon/Kindle

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