I picked up this book as I liked the author’s (Arnab Ray) other book named Mahabharata Murders. Sultan of Delhi wasn’t as thrilling or racy as the former, as it is set in a very different environment.

The book spans the life of Arjun Bhatia, the primary character of this story. It documents his move to India at the time of partition and his rise, fall, and rise again in the power circles of India. The author does a reasonably good job capturing the milieu of post-independence India, the emergency period, and the liberalization eras. He paints a picture of rampant corruption, drugs, guns, foul language as politicians, underworld dons, and laymen are weaved into this tale.

At times, the narration sounds a bit filmy, which makes one wonder if the book was written to be made into a movie. The casual references to the CIA, the Russians, and other players don’t add to the narrative. There is an emotional undercurrent to the tale and a revenge saga with certain plot twists. Still, they don’t really surprise the reader. A decent read overall.

Originally published here.