Once Was Bombay

A compelling portrayal of a dying city

Who killed Bombay, once India’s trend-setting city and commercial capital? Its politicians or its underworld? When did this city of gold turn into a cemetery of dead souls and dreams?

Seeking answers, Pinki Virani travels through many Bombays to record a medley of voices. Of glassware shop-owner Babliseth, resident of the original island for five decades, for whom life is all about hard work and decent deeds, till language and religion tragically divide the island. Of young builder Manish Shah, riddled with bullets in a case of mistaken identity. Of a don lamenting, in an exclusive interview, the loss of honour in the new underworld even as a young gangster swears that deeds committed in high-rises are worse than his own. Of the jet set, rationalizing the presence of rioters and racketeers at their lavish parties. Of Bollywood stuntmen—the real, hitherto unsung heroes—wrestling with reality.

Comprising three novellas and four short stories, to be read as stand-alone or inter-linked pieces, Once Was Bombay is a brilliant work of literary non-fiction rich in memories and insights.

‘‘ ‘Pinki Virani is the most gifted and the gutsiest woman reporter and writer in the country.’ —Khushwant Singh, The Tribune ‘...a brave, outspoken, unsparing book about the decline of a city.’ —Urvashi Butalia, The Hindu