SHANTARAM ~ Mumbai Article Part 2
Mumbai - 25 Years after Shantaram's Days - Part 2
The small by-lanes of Colaba remain as seedy as ever and it is 'Business as Usual' here for the nefarious. Foreigners can expect to be accosted by the Prabakers of today, offering drugs, accommodation and foreign currency exchange. 
Some things never change! Shantaram's walk past Sassoon Dock and the Parsee Sanitarium to Cuffe Parade is as it was, except for a few fancier shops. Have the slums changed? Only sombody who lived through these times could truly say; however the festivals are still celebrated with the same gusto. Cuffe Parade's diligent citizens have managed to claim some open grounds to create a few beautiful gardens while the value of real estate here continues to spiral.
So much appears to be the same but the city has seen mammoth changes in every way. The riots and bomb blasts of the early nineties left deep scars on the psyche of this tolerant, cosmopolitan city. It took more terrorist attacks for the people to see through the game plan and close their ranks. Hopefully nothing will break the multi-religious unity that had been threatened when communalism raised its ugly head. Several underworld dons with terrorist links, who had not fled the country, cool their heels in Arthur Road Jail. The prison, on what is now known as Sane Guruji Road, has been elevated to the status of a Central Prison but the conditions inside remain unchanged. The dreaded solitary confinement in the Anda or circular cell continues. Adjacent to the prison the TADA Court conducted the trials of hundreds of suspected terrorists linked to the bomb blasts and recently gave its verdicts, fourteen years after the event. Incidently Sea Rock Hotel in Bandra, mentioned in the book, was damaged by a bomb explosion and has since been closed.
Sadly Mumbai, regarded as the safest city in the country, saw crime increase sharply in the nineties. Encounters between the police and criminals were common and many shootouts ended with violent death on the streets. Extortionists held the city at ransom and controlled the lucrative business of Bollywood cinema. Today the underworld today is less interested in smuggling gold, and the falling value of the dollar does not make illegal foreign exchange transactions lucrative either. Drugs and arms are smuggled across the borders and the Khader Khans of today continue to thrive, though unlike during Shantaram's time, many mafia dons now operate from outside the country.
Bollywood itself is dominated by newer Khans; the most sought after stars are Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman and Saif - all Khans.
Several parts of the city mentioned in the book have changed in appearance, not always for the better. Shantaram's favorite walk from Colaba Causeway past the Regal Circle to VT, (now Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus or CST) is more attractive as a number of the beautiful Gothic buildings have been restored and illuminated. Further on, past Crawford Market, a new 2.4 km long flyover runs past Chor Bazaar all the way to JJ Hospital, reducing travel time considerably. Marine Drive has had a makeover and offers broad parapets to sit on while enjoying the sea breeze. Further on, Chowpatty too has been cleaned up and beautified. It is no longer a venue for anti-social activities. The colorful food stalls have been sadly shifted and a senior citizens' park is now the local highlight. Shantaram's favorite Tardeo now has a number of sky scrapers that have sadly altered the skyline. The charming old buildings in the vernacular style of architecture are fast disappearing. Haji Ali is still a popular rendezvous and the juice stall continues to thrive.
The population has increased multi-fold and people are moving into the distant suburbs, beyond Juhu. Malls have come up everywhere and youngsters are enjoying a new affluent lifestyle thanks to jobs in Call Centers and BPOs. Would lin Baba's life in 21st Century Mumbai have been very different in this changed scenario? One is left to wonder.
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