Book Review | Combo of Ludlum, Brown and Indiana Jones
The author goes on to observe in the end that force — strength — is the only way to preserve peace, but the evidence offered is the sheer bloody violence of Ashoka’s campaign across India
What you notice about Mr Sanghi’s books is how his writing has changed over the years. This one is better in many ways than, say, The Rozabal Line, which he wrote almost two decades ago: It’s better plotted, more complex, with more nuanced characters and, despite its size, easier to read. Like his other books, this one, too, combines bits of religion, terrorism, and some fast action: A combination of the complexity of Robert Ludlum, with religious elements like Dan Brown’s and the action of the Indiana Jones movies. The question is, does this combination work?
The plot, first, briefly. A mysterious force, with a history going back to the story of Rama, and used by ancients across the subcontinent, is gifted to Ravana by Shiva. As he lies dying on the battlefield, Ravana whispers the secret of the force to Lakshmana. It comes into reality with the touch of Vishnu — in the form of Rama. This secret forms the solution to a modern military problem facing India.
The narration begins towards the end of the Mughal empire, some three centuries ago. Nadir Shah, when attacking Delhi, discovers an indestructible metal pillar. Frustrated, he destroys the rest of the city. The story proceeds, with much back and forth, traversing millennia and oceans and continents. Central to it is Ravana, who existed some seven thousand years ago, and whose gift travels across the world, involving various rulers and warriors and traders in parts of subcontinental India, Korea, and Sri Lanka.
In the present day, the story takes us from the ruins of the Mughals to Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Chennai office, where a shield for a new battle tank is under development. The new technology is problematic. Enter two crucial characters: Aditya Pillai, a powerful industrialist with large investments in India’s nascent but burgeoning defence industry, and Somi Kim, a Korean engineer, both blessed with minds that question. Pillai and Kim, while sharing the adventure that leads them to the indestructible material that arose from Shiva’s boon, also provide the romance essential to a thriller.
Glitches make presence known throughout. The writing carries bloat. The author goes on to observe in the end that force — strength — is the only way to preserve peace, but the evidence offered is the sheer bloody violence of Ashoka’s campaign across India. So, it might be worth a read as a thriller, but any genuine understanding of Indic thought requires some more research and reflection.
The Ayodhya Alliance
By Ashwin Sanghi
Harper Fiction
pp. 538; Rs 599