R.I.P: Resurgent Indian Patriots – Mukul Deva – 'Thrill-a-minute book'

Name of Book - "R.I.P: Resurgent Indian Patriots"
Author - Mukul Deva - ex-Indian soldier
Publisher - Westland
Genre - Action-Political Thriller
Cover - Paperback
Price INR 200

This is my second book as part of the Blogadda Book Reviews Program. "R.I.P: Resurgent Indian Patriots" by Mukul Deva is like watching a fast-paced 'Mission Impossible' movie or rather an episode from the hit TV-series '24'.

Are you frustrated at the growing corruption around you? The never-ending scams from fodder-scams, Bofors, coffins for dead soldiers, plot allotments, 2G scams - do all these scams anger you? The growing sense of disappointment that successive governments have tried to create a welfare state doling out freebies and keep the mouths of the general public shut hurts one and all.

The media for all its worth with the likes of Arnab Goswami and Rajdeep Sardesai can go hammer and tongs and provide the same 'breaking news' again and again of one scam or the other; the nation has been bled dry by successive generation of corrupt politicians and a section of public who know that 'We the general public' are screwed!

Well you may ask why I rant like this for a book review?

The book has a lovely cover with the silhouette of a soldier in battle-gear and the image lingered in my mind for quite some time. I am a sucker for secret-ops and assassins and political thrillers and this book has it all. Well my dear friends because this book does not make any bones and goes about in detail about a group of vigilantes who assassinate powerful politicians and judges. The book starts with a set of three killings in three different cities. Close aides of three corrupt politicians are killed by lethal injection at a public place. One at a marriage party, one at a public art gallery and the other in a seedy hotel bar.

Set in modern India riddled by scams and corrupt politicians - the author cleverly plays around with the names of real politicians to give us characters with similar sounding names and equally corrupt natures. Sample these: Ranvijay, Kamble, Karunakaran --- there is a dig at a silent PM and an all powerful Madam head of the ruling party as well. All major scams the 2G scam, defence deals, plots for Kargil warriors find a mention. Anna Hazare has been replaced by Hazarika!

The story is about how a group of ex-paratroopers and special operatives calling themselves RIP go about systematically killing corrupt people. They issue a threat stating that if the government does not take strict action more deaths will follow. RIP is led by by Colonel Krishna Athwale a widower who lost his wife an airhostess during a plane hijack shoot-out.

Colonel Krishna and his renegades are pursued by two groups one led by mercenary and disgraced soldier Raghav and another Vinod Bedi from the CBI. A three-way cat-and-mouse game plays out with shootouts, bomb explosions and killings.
To complicate matters Raghav's wife Reena who is in the process of getting a divorce and Krishna find themselves mutually attracted to each other and this makes Raghav extremely jealous.

There is an emotional aspect as well with Raghav and Reena's son Azaan and Krishna's son Sachin being best friends. The scene where Raghav's son longs for his son; but also knows that he can never be faithful to his wife or any woman for that matter and goes on to have sexual intercourse with his maid-servant brings out the manic nature of a man with clearly disturbing schizophrenic tendencies. If this book gets made into a movie; I would love to see who gets Raghav’s role.

Other emotional scenes are Reena's doubts on whether to forgive Raghav and go back to him for the sake of her son. The turmoil as she realises that she is falling in love with Krishna. The scene where she accompanies Krishna to the temple on the death anniversary of Krishna's wife is well written.

Read this book to find out if RIP team succeeds in its mission or if Vinod manages to track down the renegades or if Raghav and Krishna have a final showdown.
Published by Westland this book is enjoyable; has all the potential for a slick movie-production and at Rs 200 is definitely worth a read. Will rate this book four stars out of five!

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