Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister(Book Review)

  Tabrik C’s political drama Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister is intriguing, dark and intense with a highly volatile and fascinating protagonist. From the hallowed halls of Harvard to the political abyss of 7 RCR, Tabrik C weaves a political thriller underlayed with dark and heavy emotional content.

  Siddhartha Tagore- a musical prodigy, Tibetan enthusiast and political leader stuck between the crossroads of his past and present-is a conflicted and unstable genius thrust into national limelight for his forceful views. Leading a disturbed nation exposed to the consequences of its own vulnerable past, Siddhartha Tagore battles his own karma as well as that of the nation amidst a whirlpool of conspiracies. What makes the story stand out is its continuous brush with lust and power that makes for a scorching read. The emotional turmoil of the characters, especially that of Greg Templar, leading to a murky muddled chain of events threatening to destroy the nation as a whole is bone chilling. And trapped in this ever continuous cycle of vengeance is the nation’s integrity and the people.

 

  The story begins at Pokhran, on the borders of India, with India standing at the precipice of a political fallout. With a populace that is more aware of its privileges and rights demanding answers and a highly dangerous nuclear threat looming on the horizons, Siddhartha Tagore must break all rules to save the nation. But conspiracies brewing underneath this political storm and his own dark past wreak havoc to create a drama where the nation ultimately gets stuck between the power struggle of revolutionaries. Rukmani Devi, a Nobel-Prize winning economist who believes that the answers to the problems ailing the nation lies in her old Vedic ways falls victim to the feigned fervour of Greg Templar and endangers the nation as a whole to her own radical ideas. Digging up the dirt of the past to stain the credibility of Siddhartha Tagore, she brings about a dangerous turn of events that unleashes Tagore’s past and endangers all that he ever cared about.
  Yet the story lacks fluid pace and at times, conviction. Flitting continuously between the past and present, the story loses its grip at certain points. The narrative is certainly racy and the writer unfailingly keeps you hooked to Siddhartha Tagore who, as a protagonist, is charmingly charismatic and unexpectedly dangerous. The unfolding of the story from a third person perspective unaware of the consequences that his own insignificant presence might ensue (Akbar Shah) also makes for an interesting plot turner. The plot thickens as the characters take the story forward but somehow, the narrative becomes more about Tagore’s personal life than real politics threatening to tear everything apart. As a political thriller, you do expect the writer to concentrate more on the Indian political scenario rather than the personal drama of Tagore.
  However, kudos to Tabrik C for creating such magnificent and relatable characters. It is absolutely wonderful to see a writer break tradition and weave a political thriller with heavy doses of suspense, menace and power. If you are looking for India’s answer to the likes of Grisham, Archer and Sheldon, this is the book for you.

  Rating: 3/5

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