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‘Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister’ is Tabrik C’s first novel. He is a political enthusiast, entrepreneur and perfumer. His novel is a political thriller which deals with one man’s journey across countries to confront inner and outer demons out to wreck havoc on India.

The blurb goes like this –

“India is on the edge as a subversive internal revolt against the constitution, and the threat of jehadi terror of an unthinkable level, are looming on the horizon.

Ringing Shiva’s damaru in and out of the Parliament, a sudden turn of karma catapults outsider Siddhartha Tagore – a conflicted genius, music maestro and prodigal son, with forceful views on China and Pakistan into national prominence as the head of the Opposition Alliance and finally as the newly elected Prime Minister of a disturbed nation.

But buried secrets are being resurrected and threaten to expose the past. Twisted within the double helix of menacing politics and hidden lust, ‘Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister’ is a scorching account of Siddhartha Tagore’s fascinating journey from Harvard to 7 Race Course Road.

Tabrik has weaved an impressive storyline. Nowadays many Indian writers are coming up with books on contemporary Indian issues of terror and politics. Even though this is an addition, it still holds itself quite well amongst the rest. Tabrik starts off from the time Siddhartha becomes the Prime Minister quite unexpectedly but goes back to where it all began – Harvard. Siddhartha’s past life, his trials and tribulations, his love, his inner demons are all beautifully narrated.

Tabrik has a fine grasp of the language and he has a fine writing style. He seems to have a keen interest in politics, music and perfumes and that shows in the content throughout the book. The various sequences are proof of the hard work put in by the writer to make the novel as contemporary as possible. Whether it is talking about Mozart or describing the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York, Tabrik does a good job. And this is what takes the book to another level.

But then this one is not without its downsides. There are two glaring points. Firstly, the book starts off as more of a political thriller but as you reach midway, you feel that politics is quite secondary. It’s more about human emotions and relationships. And this is what makes you slightly disappointed. Secondly, Tabrik has narrated the book by flipping across years and countries and situations. The concept is quite good. But after a while, it may become a bit confusing for a reader to piece together the years and situations easily.

Tabrik has created some beautiful characters. Siddhartha is the heart and soul of the book. He is suave and elegant as the man who has to fight with everyone to achieve the unachievable. Rukmini is the Leader of Opposition who is scheming and always ready for a fight. Gregory Templar is Siddhartha’s friend at Harvard.
The rest like Karishma, Rubaya, Kabir lend able support.

All in all a good first attempt!

Rating – 3.5/5

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