2088th BLOG POST
34th Book
of 2023
Living in Navi
Mumbai and Mumbai, there has been multiple times I have spotted Nigerian
citizens in local train and other public places. There’re always some
assumptions about them and we don’t take a second to pass judgments against
them. Secretly, everyone of us wish to know how they are in India and what do
they exactly do to survive or live in our city. Thankfully, I got my hands upon
this book named “The Nigerian Mafia- Mumbai” written by Onyeka Nwelue who is a
Nigerian filmmaker, publisher, talk-show host, bookseller, author and an
Academic Visitor and founder of the James Currey Society, at the African
Studies Centre, University of Oxford.
As the author is
himself from Nigeria, he has been able to provide us specific details on the
life of a Nigerian who has left his home to be in a new country and start from
zero amidst all the struggles and chaos he has to go through. Onyeka has used
the character of Uche to describe why the protagonist left his country and how
he is trying to survive in India in its most fancy city- Mumbai.
The book is written
in a very easy language which can be understood even by the beginners. I was
quite unsure about the language initially as the author belongs to a foreign
land where English is not prominently spoken hence the citizens lack the
fluency. Surprisingly, Onyeka does great justice to the primary language he chose
to write his story. He has also tried to maintain the flavor of Nigerian accent
by ensuring that the same is scribbled in the conversations where certain
characters are involved. Initially, I found difficult reading and understanding
it but once I understood the purpose, it became easy to read the same.
Nwelue’s has a
great potential in narrating the story as he is able to convince us about
multiple sub plots and the kind of situations the characters have to go
through. We are able to comprehend the arc of the characters and their changing
priorities with the passing time in a city like Bandra where they get the
difficult opportunities to survive but on the risk of getting caught at any
point of time. How a local actor moves to Mumbai for becoming a Bollywood actor
but ends up becoming a drug dealer – even a pimp – and indulges in other
criminal activities as well. While reading the whole scenario from the
perspective of a Nigerian, a reader is able to empathize with them completely.
In the pre-climax,
author brings a twist and reveals what exactly happened with Uche before
leaving for India. I read that part twice. The convincing factor in the author’s
writing makes you believe even those sections where the possibility of it seems
very fictional. Obviously, the book is a fictional attempt but the way it’s
written makes it sound like an autobiography. I liked how author has justified
the rawness of all the locales he has based his story in such as Bandra,
Mumbai, Nigerian cities etc. One can easily imagine the whole ambience of the
place where the character is regularly on a run for survival.
The romantic angle
in the story is given a small place which gives a different perspective of the
character but the confusion and uncertainty of the same makes it a separate but
integral part of the tale. The book also takes us through how even fellow
Nigerians doesn’t support each other due to their own caste system where there’s
a lot of superiority complex in the ones who belong to the higher community. It
speaks of other aspects of Nigeria as well.
Overall, the book
is a compelling read which makes you keep turning pages until you finish it. It
tempts you in believing that there’s something more sensational about to happen
in the next chapter. Author has made the reading experience very easy and
interesting. I give the book 3.75* out of 5. I am looking forward to read more
work from the author in future.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
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