Bollywood Revisited...spiced with Australian writing

Shantaram... the white Australian fugitive who finds his love and destiny in the streets of Bombay , is a romantic potboiler for anyone in love with Bombay.Gregory David Roberts who seems to be a real 'Mumbaiker' has churned out a very bollywood script where the hero is a typical Hindi hero. The larger than life macho hero saves the women he loves ,has a few good fights,makes it to through jail and much much more!This book has a good dose of adventure ,scenes of escape from high security prison, fights with inmates,horse rides on treacherous mountains and some street fights.The hero of this book 'Lin' seems to have a charm that helps him escape every time.From jail to crime to drugs to betrayal by his lover... 'Lin' always comes away clean albeit with a few ghosts in his head.The characterisation of Lin is so perfect that it seems phony. He stays in the slum and helps out as a doctor, then he joins the dons of the Mumbai underworld and learns the tricks of the trade, and then he goes to Afghanistan to fight with and for his father figure the mafia head Khader Khan . He then returns to Mumbai escaping miraculously, death and a broken heart.He is just good enough to help every friend in need and angry enough to join the mafia, violent enough to defend himself but not violent enough to kill.He loves but does not trust..not anyone especially himself. The author has made such a typical hero that i am sure the movie Shantaram will be a great hit in India.To give credit where it is due, Gregory Roberts is a very articulate writer. He uses clever twist of words that make a reader think about the written word.Some of the lines he has written will be remembered long after the book and the plot will be.The charcter Karla once says, " Truth is a bully we all pretend to like" .Thoughts like this has such an impact on the mind that we may observe life and try to verify the truth in his words. For being an Australian writer , he has used loads of Indian sentiment and our sensibilities of life.All in all , it is a vast book with a few special moments, some great lines and a very very predictable plot!As for it being an authentic autobiographical compositon, all i have to say is Mr.Roberts.. if he has lived such a life.. kudos to him!!! He has lived a truly remarkable Indian hero's life.As I am sure my fellow Indians will agree, we all live rather mundane lives compared to Linbaba!!!