The Sialkot Saga

Bharat Series

by Ashwin Sanghi

'When it’s a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.'

The trajectories of Arvind and Arbaaz, both ‘businessmen’ of a kind whose lives are unwillingly intertwined, ricochet off one another while they play out their sinister and murderous plots of personal and professional one-upmanship, all the while breaking every rule in the book.

Both are unaware that what they seek and fight over is the very obstacle in realising an ancient secret that dates back to a time long forgotten.

And yet, at the heart of it all, there lies tenderness... and pathos... and blood... and rare moments of an almost exalted happiness. So, can it be that a man is both sinner and saint, victor and victim, black and white?

Ashwin Sanghi, master storyteller and spinner of yarns, weaves together threads of the past and present, fact and fiction, history and mythology, business and politics, love and hatred while dangling you ceaselessly over the cliff with this chilling multi-layered narrative, keeping you guessing till a totally unguessable end.

And you’re left wondering whether it's a matter of faith... or fate?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Thriller, India, Mythology, Mystery

588 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2016

About the author

Ashwin Sanghi—entrepreneur by day, novelist by night—has all the usual qualifications of an Indian businessman. Schooling at the Cathedral & John Connon School, a B.A. (Economics) from St. Xavier’s College, and an M.B.A. (Finance) from the Yale School of Management. Besides being a businessman, Ashwin manages a parallel career as writer of fiction. Ashwin’s first novel, ‘The Rozabal Line’ was originally self-published in 2007 under his anagram-pseudonym—Shawn Haigins. The book was subsequently published by Westland in 2008 and 2010 in India under his own name and went on to become a national bestseller. ‘Chanakya’s Chant’ is his second novel in the historical-fiction genre. The book has remained on AC Nielsen’s India Bookscan Top-10 for all of 2011. It won the ‘2010 Crossword-Vodafone Popular Choice Award’ in September 2011. UTV has purchased the movie rights to the book and a film based upon the story is expected soon. Dr. Shashi Tharoor released the novel in Mumbai calling it an “enthralling, delightfully-interesting and gripping read with historical research that is impressive.” The Hindustan Times has called it “a cracker of a page-turner.” Ashwin is currently working on his third novel, as yet untitled, that explores business strategies in ancient India. Ashwin is also working towards a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Bangor University in Wales. Ashwin lives in Mumbai with his wife, Anushika, and his eight-year old son, Raghuvir.

Reviews

[Shreya Vaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that you simply read, and then there are some books that grip you in their magic and you start breathing them.. The Sialkot Saga by Ashwin Sanghi is one such book that you should definitely devour into this summer.


A twisted tale of faith and fate, The Sialkot saga is a mix of two stories, one that has been going on for centuries and the other which starts with the partition of India and Pakistan.

The Sialkot Saga opens with the story of Partition of India, 1947 where a train has just entered Amritsar station, leaking of blood and smelling of gore. Sukhbir Singh, the Railway Constable has just found a boy who has survived the massacre, born by a mad man's fascination to create two nations out of one. He has just passed on the boy to his assistant under safety when he hears another cry.

Parallel to this story, the book takes us back to 250 BCE, Pataliputra, King Ashoka's Kingdom. Tired of blood and gore that he witnessed in the War of Kalinga, Ashoka is now a transformed man. He now seeks to create a secret society of Nine Men, who will be burdened with a secret to guard with their life and pass on to the right person when the time comes. These nine men have the secret towards power, peace, better and longer life, something with which they want the world to be a better place.

The Sialkot Saga then moves on to the cities of Mumbai and Kolkata. Arbaaz Khan from Mumbai is a teenage scrawny boy who hunts while he hides. Arvind Bagadia from Kolkata is something which we call smart, a trait to be acquired if you want to be successful quick. Both Arvind and Arbaaz grow up to be similar, successful, smart, rich and with their own count of skeletons in the closet. While Arbaaz grows in life with support from Abdul Dada, the notorious don of Mumbai's underbelly, whereas Arvind grows in life with his own set of rules and presence of mind, using which he twists regulations and finds loopholes that can help him in his journey towards success.

Bound by fate and faith, their paths cross from time to time. Both are unaware that what they seek and fight over is the very obstacle in realizing an ancient secret that dates back to a time long forgotten..


The story of the Sialkot Saga is impeccable and brainy, something of a business thriller. Two men from different backgrounds trying to cut off each other with tricks that no regular man would be able to figure out easily. Arvind and Arbaaz are two such characters that will leave you mesmerized and in awe, leaving you wanting for more from Ashwin Sanghi.

Overall, The Sialkot Saga is a great read, And by great I mean a phenomenon where you will be hooked to a 500+ pages book till the time you finish it. Every page that you turn leaves you stunned. And before you know it, a climax will come that will again leave you spell bounded. Ashwin Sanghi is one talented writer who has spun two tales into one, leaving the reader wanting for more. The story line is pretty smooth, full of twists and turns that will keep you engaged till the end. The characters are something which will leave an imprint on your mind, making it difficult to move on to another book. Though some pages could have been removed to shorten the length, but then it is something that can be easily overlooked when those extra pages turn put to be a great story.

What I really loved about the Sialkot Saga was the amount of research Sanghi has put in to create such a masterpiece! The story is a perfect mix of ancient secrets and mordern phases of India since the time of partition. Sanghi has beautifully covered lives of Arvind and Arbaaz through the time of 1950-2010, a time when India was trying to struggle to be a great nation. From falling leaders like Indira Gandhi, to fodder scams and peace talks between India and Pakistan, even 9/11! When you read the Sialkot Saga, you realize how much hard work in research and creativity has been put in by Sanghi!

All in all, The Sialkot Saga is something that you must definitely devour into! If you miss out on this, then it's totally your loss!

[Ramya · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK having read all previous novels of the author.... I had good expectations if not great.....and I have to say I am royally disappointed!! it's a must mash if everything style wise and content wise.....author tried to connect every possible terrorist/communal activity since independence into the book.... some characters keep appearing without much role....like AB vajpayee LK advani etc......it's history part is very minimal.....with the first few chapters looking at the typical setting of past n present of Mr Sanghi ...I expected something like chanakyas chant however it's all about arbaaz and aravind.....he shud have left out the history part.....many quotes are either from someone (this time without acknowledgements which I am surprised!!!) or from his previous books....overall I was glad when it ended as I don't like leaving a book half way!! to be honest even the title is misleading as the only 2℅ of story relates to the title

[Ashok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bare bones version: Fantastic book, worth reading, set in India-Pakistan, starting from 1947. With the publication of this book, Ashwin Sanghi, earlier called the Indian Dan Brown, can now be favourably compared to Jeffrey Archer in his (Jeffrey Archer's) heyday.
Long version: The tale begins with a detailed description of a train full of dead bodies crossing from Pakistan to India during the independence turmoils of 1947 (which reminded me of Khushwant Singh's 'Train from Pakistan').
This is much, much more than just a story of ‘When it’s a question of money, everybody is of the same religion’ as stated in the promos and on the back cover. Like Ashwin's 'Chanakya's Chant', the present (1947 till date) is interspersed with the hoary past, starting from Emperor Ashoka's reign. The connections between the past and present are revealed in stages.
Arvind is the son of a Marwari businessman in Calcutta, and interested in making money right from his childhood. Arbaaz is the son of a Muslim dockworker in Bombay, and forced to become a dockworker when his father dies young. Disillusioned by the cutthroats around him and grinding poverty, Arbaaz also seeks wealth by any means and quickly rises in Bombay's underworld. The trajectories of these ‘businessmen’ get unwillingly intertwined, and they frequently cross swords while they play out their sinister and murderous plots of personal and professional one-upmanship, all the while breaking every rule in the book. Then politics and necessity makes these sworn enemies into collaborators, partners, relatives and relatively cordial…
With the skeleton of historical and actual facts as a base, the story has been developed on what could have happened in this period, making it both possible and plausible. What are some of the components of this book? Love and hate, pathos and bathos, Hindu-Muslim enmity and one-upmanship, sinners and saints, crime and punishment, history and how it shadow falls on the present and future, romance and hate, cutting-science technology and its extrapolations, secrets of longevity, the business culture of making money by any means, the world of Bollywood, of politics, of business, of Mumbai's underworld, and their permutations and combinations...
As in his earlier books, 'The Sialkot Saga' also has some quotable quotes, and witty, familiar and popular sayings.
There is some sex and romance, starting with calf love, but no overt detailed descriptions of body parts, of artificial respiration, of natural insemination, or of exchange of bodily fluids.
I thank Mr. Ashwin Sanghi for sending me an autographed preview copy of 'The Sialkot Saga' for my review.
P.S. Since I have recently edited a book on advanced orthopaedic surgery, some of that language has permeated into this review.

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing less is expected from Indian Dan Brown.

Story so tightly knitted with Indian economy and politics.

Detailed review may come

[Rohit Enghakat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was the first Ashwin Sanghi for me. It is very interesting right from the outset. The book plot loosely resembles an Jefferey Archer kind of a storyline (faint hints of Kane and Abel, maybe). It is about two people whose lives intertwine and how they become arch rivals out-maneuvering one another in business. The strategies they adopt to outwit each other is vividly retold which hooks the reader. The main plot is about how a secret formula for immortality is handed down to various people from one generation to the next for the good of mankind. This then becomes the central theme of the book. The book can best be described as colourful and paints a very vivid picture of the streets of Bombay and Kolkata where the protagonists live.

Another notable feature is that the book is interspersed with history starting from the partition till the present day. Historical facts are strewn throughout the book, most of the times unrelated to the plot which becomes a bit irritating.

Overall, definitely worth picking up another Sanghi book.

[Rahul Khatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

ASHWIN SANGHI IS THE JEFFERY ARCHER OF INDIA !!!

Truth be told, I ordered this book just 'cause it's written by Ashwin Sanghi ( The Dan Brown Of India ) but after reading few pages I realised that the author had jumped to another court which is held by Jeffery Archer in which historic chain of events are related to a fable and hence popped a great work of fiction like ' Honour Among Thieves ' & so is like ' The Sialkot Saga '. Another confession is that I discourage my fellow readers not to read this book 'cause as mentioned earlier I'd picked the book with a hope to find another ravishing theology like that of Chanakya's Chant & The Krishna Key and so the beginning was not gripping, as what I always expect from this author,but with turning of pages the plot turned gripping . Better to say that the plot had engulfed me.
* And with alacrity, I corrected my mistake of discouraging readers by ranging 'em & telling (not asking) to read the book ASAP with tipping off that Ashwin Sanghi is now the Jeffery Archer of India *
Now coming to the Book, The Sialkot Saga is the 4th book of the Bharata Series written by the best-selling author (And still my fav) Ashwin Sanghi. Launched with an anecdote of the most heinous incidents in the history of mankind, The Partition of India , which desecrated more than million families with many children rendered helpless. Towns were looted, Women were raped , Brothers which once live together turned against each other & somewhere in between same time a train rolled in the Amritsar railway station with pin drop silence inside the coaches.Sukhbir Singh entered the train and found a little soul alive and as was about to deboard the train he heard another voice , so handing over the kid to his colleague , Sukhbir started the search of other voice. Then on the book is divided into 7 parts carrying the description of 10 years in each part from 1950-2010 in 6 parts while the 7th holds about 2010. Alike Jeffery Archer, Ashwin Sanghi had bolted the major real life incidents that cracked in the Indian history with the life of his protagonists, Arbaz Sheikh & Arvind Bagadia.Raised in different families but with the same set of codes in mind to earn as much as possible, Arbaz and Arvind were committed to their business in the different locations but found themselves against each other on the table of money and started a sinister and actual gripping plot. Arbaz Sheikh, son of a Dockworker, was raised in a Muslim family with very limited resources at the hand but Arbaz was always motivated to study hard till the day he lost his father, the only bread maker of family and eventually led Arbaz to take his father's place as the earning member & feed his mother . With time, Arbaz started trying his hand in local business under the patronage of & Abdul dad his journey towards affluence started . On another side, Arvid was raised in an upper class marwari family & had started investing in different buisnesses since school days & using the same tactics, years later, he landed in the Forbes list of Richest Man.
The dates, the geographical specifications and detailed description of the actions in the book add to its authenticity. While the novel is simple , the narrative is not passive and leaves covert clues to hint the incident taking place in the book,but lets the reader keep track of them .Like Archer, Ashwin doesn't go deep into the emotional turmoil faced by the characters, instead, he focuses on one aspect of their lives. It can either be a motive or a driving emotion of revenge or pride or even sense of duty towards public. It's because of this that I didn't find myself as involves and attached to the character as to the plot.Beside this outline the plot is balanced on of the famous myth or better say about the oldest brotherhood of the world, Ashoka's Nine which were deemed to protect a secret whose presence in the public milleu can bring havoc.
So by the end I'll give 5/5 to the sagaciously written The Sialkot Saga .

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are only few sensible fiction authors in India whom you can name whenever people are ridiculing you over the fact that you do not read foreign authors. The first three names that can save you from humiliation are Amish Tripathi, Ravi Subramanian and Ashwin Sanghi. The eager wait for each of their book cannot be described in words. I am just done reading Ashwin Sanghi’s latest release, “The Sialkot Saga” which is almost 600 pages and I am glad that it has turned out to be the book worth waiting for. As obvious, right from the first page, this book attracts you towards itself and doesn’t let you think about anything else until and unless you are done with its last page. Unfortunately, I have not been able to complete this book in a single sitting but I would like to say even when I took break while reading this book, I didn’t forget name of a single character. That’s how much interesting every character in this book are even when they have a small role to play.

Once again, Ashwin Sanghi have chosen to tell two stories- one based in history and another one between the year ranges of 1947-2010. This time, he has chosen to go Jeffrey Archer way than Dan Brown and he seems to have succeeded in it undoubtedly. Though, there’s nothing like suspense for which you’ll keep on turning the pages but the narration of the story is done so splendidly that you will find it hard to keep the book aside. The real incidents are used to build up the premises which is the USP of this book. Even the real characters like Atal Bihari Vajpayee are used to make the story look more significant. The book consists of all the dramas- business, competition, politics, wars, partition, Bollywood, sports, underworld, family, science, history, crime, etc. Like the Bollywood movie “Mausam”, author have set many of his sub-plots with some real tragic incidents such as Godhra incident, 9/11, 26/11 etc. Thankfully, he manages to handle it with his wit and creative writing skills.

The kind of research and study that Ashwin Sanghi must have gone for writing this book can be easily deciphered in every 10 pages. The last few pages reflects how he challenges himself to write something that people won’t even expect from him. And this acts as an added value for the reader. Coming to few drawbacks, I feel that the title of the book didn’t do much justice as Sialkot have very less to do with the story. Similarly, I feel that few pages could have been edited as they didn’t provide much boost to the story. Again, the usage of real-life characters aren’t used but kept as cameos in book. They should have been used somewhere in an important junction of the story which could have added more power to it. Anyways, this is a book which shall always stay in my Recommended List as it has everything which a reader dreams from a new book. I give this book undisputed 4.75* out of 5.

[Souparnika Chander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here goes another Ashwin Sanghi's breathtaking novel!! Unputdownable.
At first, I had expected that the book was something about Ashoka's 9 unknown men and wished that this book shoudnt have any trace of recent books with similar plot revolving around the Nine.
And here, Ashwin didn't disappoint me, instead took into surprise, unexpected, brilliant plot.
India during partition, the political scenes since independence, was depicted so nicely by the Author. Somewhere in between I felt it was going to be something like Chankya's Chant, that one of the characters reminded me of Gangasagar. Abdul Dada reminded me somewhat, of SirKhan (of Krishna Key) nd Pillai reminded me of Velunaayakar (Kamalhassan from the tamil Movie Naayagan).
Its good to see ( for a CS student like me) that the author has use the Companies Act 1956, and various other Acts nd Legal terms, at appropriate places in the book. (The Minutes of the meeting of Braid Pvt Ltd, was funny towards the end. )
It gave me chills when we met Rajiv Gandhi, Vajpayee, Modi, Narasimha Reddy, swearing ceremony of Amma, and other political incidents that happened during those times. And the most important of all was when Arvind and Arbaaz meet in the plane to Hyderabad!!
There are these other moments like India's world cup, the rise of Khans in Bollywood, etc tat one wud enjoy.
We also see Bombay turning into Mumbai n Calcutta turning into Kolkata nd Madras turning into Chennai.
A good game of business, politics, Mumbai Underworld, Finacial scams, rivalry between two rising powerfulmen.
But the historical / mythological factors are very very less than expected as in Ashwin's other works. But towards the end. esp, the epilogue has all what makes me delighted. In fact, I would vote the last few pages of the book as the bestest part.
Otherwise, it is certainly a breathtaking, unputdownable, edge-of-the-seat thriller that promises to want you know "what is gonna happen next? "

And that made me give 5 on 5 for this astounding effort by the author.
Still, Krishna Key and Rozabal line remains my favourite!!
Waiting for the Author's next!!

[Sushant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t write book reviews. In fact this is my first one. And I am doing this in the midst of a crazy work schedule – simply because people need to know about this book. It’s so bad that its good.

I wonder whatever happened to Ashwin Sanghi. Krishna key was a fairly good read. But this one – Sialkot Saga – totally confounded me.

I presume this is how this book took birth – Ashwin collected all current affairs magazine from the last sixty years. He made small white chits of paper with events of historical and political significance. Starting from Independence to Jessica Lal murder to kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi to what not. He remembered to include few prominent names on the chits as well – including Atal Bihari Bajpayee, Harshad Mehta, some RSS stalwarts etc. He then wrote two bigger chits, one named Arbaaz, other named Arvind. While creating this maze of chits, Ashwin remembered that he needs an ancient wisdom angle to be attached to the story. He makes few more chits with names of ancient emperors and few Sanskrit words, they also go into the maze. He then mixed up all these chits and voila! Sialkot Saga is born!

I dislike sarcasm. But honestly I could not find any other way to justify the senselessness of this book. Why wasn’t it named ‘The Business and Political Acumen of Arbaaz and Arvind’ when 90% of the book is dedicated to financial transactions, deals, stock prices, we even have full memos and letters reproduced. The story has absolutely no coherence.

Ashwin Sanghi needs to introspect whether he continues to write books for the sake of writing or takes time and writes with substance.

[Praveen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly disappointing.... this books seems to be like mix of “Bollywood” Masala movies from the time of Salim-Javed .

[Vishal Jha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Arvind and Arbaaz both of them are ambitious, both of them have a brilliant mind and they are ready to break all the rules for their business....
The planning and plotting of each business strategy will amaze you, the way they set their enemies right will make you gasp, and in between these plannings, plotting there are moments of love, kindness and loyality...
Another thing that i liked a lot about this book was the fact that it touched almost all the top headlines from 1947-2010 in all the fields be it sports,politics,bollywood,nuclear test, assasinations, beauty paegents and everything...
On the other hand the base of the story is a secret that is probably as old as the ramayan.. i would not tell you what it is otherwise it will spoil the fun..
It is definately an enjoyable read but yes, a lengthy read.... you should definately read this for a thriller....

[Neeleisch G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be entered in the syllabus of business management. Two rivals who were nothing inn their past how became worlds top most businessmen. This is the plot of the books which starts from Samraat Ashok's royal meeting with his few trusted accomplices to India Pakistan partition to top most businessmen.

From nothing to everything. The book teaches us how to be a billionaire from a zero.

[Nipun Mohta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mediocre read full with instances of scams. The story only becomes interesting after you have read through around 82-84% of the book. Prior to that and even after that to some extent the book is just a collection of various scams that have happened in various places. The book does leave some open questions at the end. I would want to give it 2.5 stars instead of 3 as the story develops very late. And wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to his other three novels, this one was a let down. The story has interesting beginning but somewhere in the middle it loses steam. Too many plots and sub plots it becomes difficult to follow the storyline.

[Gunjan Mittal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Thriller. Read complete review on my blog. http://blushesandsparkle.com/the-sial...

[Varsha Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book did not surpass my expectations. Unlike his masterpiece, Chanakya's Chant this book was very predictable. It kept reminding me of Jeffery Archer's bestseller, Kane and Abel. It shares a lot resemblance to Kane and Abel (much like Bollywood version of Kane and Abel with more drama and 'masala') as the plot unfolds. It was as if I was witnessing the entire history of India (from 1947 to 2010 ) while reading the book. The style of writing is good and I liked the fact that he has mentioned many tiny, irrelevant (to the story) but impact full incidents in the history of India. All in all the book will give a nostalgic feeling to every Indian who was alive anytime between 1947 to 2010.

[Viju · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ability to introduce multiple twists and turns in a plot to make the story-reading experience enjoyable for the reader has been exploited many a time. Be it the whodunit classics by Agatha Christie, the massively popular Dan Brown books or the recent trend of easily ‘accessible’ thrillers, they have all used twists and turns as a plot element routinely. Ashwin Sanghi has done that with his two books I’ve read: Chanakya’s Chant and Private India. While Chanakya’s Chant’s twists seemed slightly creative, it got pretty lazy with Private India. I was hoping the laziness was to do with the disconnect in the joint writing efforts of James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi, but unfortunately the laziness in the plot occurs in Sialkot Saga as well.

There are way too many things happening in Sialkot Saga which has its premise transit from historic times to the time of the partition. The book hastily introduces us to characters from India’s political scenario from the times of partition till current day including the likes of the past prime ministers, business tycoons, Mumbai underworld, movie stars and more. In addition, the book traces back the happenings of many occurrences in the last 50-60 years to the handiwork of the two protagonists in the book Arvind and Arbaaz. It is mildly unsettling that every incident in the book that has had the handily of one of the protagonists simply goes in favour of the them. And it is even more unsettling that the aftermath of the incident rarely finds a mention in later on in the book.

With all of this, the book could have still been woven into a tight thriller with lesser occurrences. But in the process of making the book a page turner, Ashwin Sanghi completely misses the point and makes the book a royal mess with occurrences from Page 80 easily forgotten by him (and the reader) in Page 90.

Coming to the characters, every character except the two protagonists Arvind and Arbaaz mostly make guest appearances in the book. There is this disloyal wife who has a relationship with the husband’s best friend, a sexually abused movie star who sets the box office ringing, a mafia-lord type character who needed to played into hiring Arbaaz, children of warring factions falling in love, and more. Sounds familiar? All of these have been characters and premises in Bollywood dramas from yesteryears.

The best part of the book is essentially the epilogue (followed by the prologue) and reading the epilogue you suddenly realise that nothing in the whole book actually mattered except those pages. The book may have served as a journey of the two characters and how destiny shapes their lives, but unfortunately by then you are hardly invested in knowing about the two larger-than-life characters.

The Sialkot Saga, which has more forced coincidences as twists than a regular Abbas Mustan move, may serve as a good read for someone who needs a lazy read on a trip or an afternoon.

[RITU MAHESHWARI · Rating 1 out of 5]

After finishing the book I fail to understand what was the book about and what was going on inside the head of Ashwin Sanghi when he was writing this mammoth novel of more than 500 pages when the novel could have been finished in just below 100 pages.

The novel started as a historical fiction with utmost suspense about Ashoka and his Nine unknown and their secret knowledge which Ashoka doesn't want to fall in the wrong hands. That is that. After that rest of the 500 pages are about two men Arvind and Arbazz and their full proof plans with perfect execution to make more and more money by conning people. I was dead bored by reading the never ending saga of these two guys and their superficial rivalry.

What happened to Ashoka's Nine unknown and their secret, I kept wondering about it. It is only in the end in last chapter that the secret was revealed. It is a new style of writing a mysterious novel by not writing anything about it till the end thus maintaining a stunning silence and rising the suspense. But sorry Mr. author, in this case it only raised my impatience.

Oh yes of course Ashwin has indeed changed his writing style. He has ditched Dan Brown's writing style and has adopted Jeffery Archer's style in this novel. Whoever's style but The Sialkot Saga is a real disappointment.

Follow the link to read the full review
http://thebookworld.org/sialkot-saga-...

[Athul Raj · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift and that's the only reason I added this to my shelf. Though I started it almost a month back, I couldn't force myself to read it and hence dropped it midway. So clichéd and overly dramatic with superstitious trash sprinkled over it.

[Pritam TheBookAddict · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that good what I expected. There was sometimes when I thought it would be a DNF. But at least I finished it. Not even want to give a proper review.

[Utkrisht Fella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sialkot Saga by Ashwin Sanghi is an ambitious and sprawling epic that attempts to intertwine two distinct historical timelines with a contemporary narrative. Sanghi, known for his ability to blend history, mythology and suspense, largely succeeds in creating a complex and engaging tapestry. The novel jumps between the partition of India in 1947, the rise of the East India Company in the 17th century and a modern-day corporate battle, all connected by a mysterious secret and a powerful artifact.

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its meticulous research and the sheer breadth of historical detail. Sanghi brings to life the tumultuous period of partition with vivid descriptions and a palpable sense of the human cost. Similarly, the chapters set in the 17th century offer a fascinating glimpse into the machinations of early colonial trade and power struggles. These historical segments are rich with atmosphere and provide a strong foundation for the overarching mystery.

The contemporary plotline, involving two rival businessmen and their cutthroat competition, serves as the vehicle for uncovering the historical secrets. While perhaps less compelling than the historical narratives, it effectively drives the plot forward and provides a sense of urgency. Sanghi's characters, while numerous, are generally well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets. The antagonists are particularly well-crafted, embodying a chilling blend of ambition and ruthlessness.

However, the sheer complexity of the narrative can sometimes be a double-edged sword. The constant shifting between timelines and the introduction of a vast array of characters can be a bit disorienting, requiring the reader to pay close attention to keep track of the various threads. At times, the exposition feels a little heavy-handed, as Sanghi strives to ensure the reader grasps the intricate historical context. The pacing, while generally good, occasionally sags under the weight of so much information.

Despite these minor quibbles, The Sialkot Saga is a highly rewarding read. Sanghi's ability to connect seemingly disparate events across centuries is impressive and the central mystery is genuinely intriguing. The novel is a testament to the idea that history is not just a collection of facts, but a living, breathing entity that continues to shape our present. It's a book that will appeal to readers who enjoy historical thrillers, complex plots and a deep dive into the hidden corners of history. It's a testament to Sanghi's skill that he manages to pull off such an intricate narrative with such confidence.

[Supriya Saran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashwin Sanghi is an ‘autobuy’ author for me since I was mesmerized by his ‘Krishna Key’ and the the other two novels in that trilogy of sorts. So, this book was bought as soon as it was released without a single review being read or any sort of prompting. And I was as spellbound by it as the previous three.

Often called the Dan Brown of India, because his previous books were really mythology whipped up into unputdownable thrillers, I found this book a tad different, as it also dealt with modern history as we know it. Or as we lived it.

The book opens with a gorey detail of the 1947 Partition, that had me cringing and asking myself, if I really wanted to read this and regurgitate old horrors and angers. But the gruesome Prologue immediately jumped back into 250 BCE, Patliputra with one witnessing the court of Ashoka. Once again I found myself intrigued. Interestingly the narrative jumps between the past and the present history of India, building up to India as it is today – still wrapped up in age old secrets, but unaware of any.

So from Patliputra, you find yourself in an independent India of 1950, and back again to 350 CE Kosambi in King Samudragupta’s court minting the famous gold coins. Back again to 1960 and the rising India with its politics and industry … reading about familiar names and events that one had actually been a witness too.

The story is woven around our two protagonists, Arvind and Arbaaz and how they work with and around the changing political scenario and events like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the brutal aftermath, Asian Games, colour television, satellite television, 9/11, till the dotcom boom. They are always at loggerheads, each outdoing the other as business rivals making a place for themselves in the modern India and the Forbes top 10 list. But behind the business rivalry lie hearts filled with love, friendship, loyalty and finally untold secrets that unfold just for the readers in the end.

I was transported back in time, with each chapter … reading about events and people that I grew up surrounded by. It was a perfect mix of the past and current history and was meshed into each other quite brilliantly by the end of the book.

Even though, throughout the book, I kept hoping and wishing that the two (Arvind and Arbaaz) would settle their differences and work as one, that was the one thing I was left bereft of.

I closed the book finally, wondering, ‘what if…’ and feeling that not so surprising, that Ashwin Sanghi maintains his position in my ‘autobuy’ authors list.

[Harish Challapalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a die hard fan of Ashwin Sanghi, I was very much interested in this work right from the moment I came to know about it. This review is going to be one of the toughest.

One thing I can say was it was dragged and the premise of the book suddenly changed during the penultimate stage which the reader can understand while reading, unlike his previous works where a definite target is there from the beginning and the narration was in accordance with it.

Looks like the author had some one liners in his mind and weaved a story around those.

"Intelligent end up working for the smart"
"when it comes to the matter of money, everyone belong to the same religion"
And etc., Catchy, aren't they?
A SMALL TIP: Be sure to have a marker in hand while reading. You will enjoy it later if u go through the highlighted quotes.

The plot reminds u of Dongri to dubai, few of Chetan Bhagat's stereotyped love stories and off course Ashwin's trade mark back n forth time travelling. There are times when I felt like I am watching a movie made in 2016 having a plot rolling back to 60s and start from there. I lost interest when the author tried to show the smartness of the lead characters by making them guess what would happen in the next few years, which actually happened decades ago. That was very lame of Ashwin. That costed him a star in my review.

U may miss Ashwin's trade mark anagrams to some extent as they did not play any major role. There are some moments in the book which are very interesting but were very limited. Looks like the author lost focus. That's another star lost.

Yet one can enjoy the narration and as there no many characters the plot is relatively less complex and we will not get lost. On the whole, not something that is competitive enough for his previous works but definitely worth reading atleast once!!

[Paresh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his latest book Ashwin Sanghi has come a long way from Chanakya Chants to this one. His writing style has evolved a lot; this book actually reminded me of two famous books by two equally famous writers - If tomorrow comes (Sidney Sheldon - Tracey Whitney - Arvind Bagaria), Kane & Abel(Jeffrey Archer - Abel Rosnovski - Arbaaz Sheikh).
The plot though gripping has couple of loose ends and the two main characters of the book appear to be protagonist and antagonist at the same time.
The book beautifully captures the narration of - "Everything is fair in Love and War"... The turn of events and situations bring together some of the harsh realities if life and looked very relevant in day to day life in various aspects.
The book also has couple of amazing statements written in very simple and ornate way effectively communicating the essence of the words.
Although a couple of loose ends could have been tied in much better way but still the books doesn't fail to impress and its difficult to keep it down once held.
The mythological thriller part added at most of the places lacked sincerity and was not enthralling enough to have tied the past with present.
The post narrative of trying to link the past with present was highly overdo and looked too much out of place. To me it appeared more of forced fitting the regular Ashwin Sanghi flair about historical mythological thrill.
All said, the book is really a nice read and should be given a chance.
Kudos to the writer for coming way out of the regular genre and writing something of this taste.

[Sandeep Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I read Ashwin Sir, I read him to learn. This book is purely a masterpiece for me, in terms of writing style. I am in love and will surely get inspired by him in my coming novels. Coming to the story of the book, it talks about 2 protagonists, Arvind and Arbaaz, both businessmen. Their journey from different background is interesting to read and the most interesting part is to see how brilliantly authors brings the two poles, closer and fuses them into one.
Author has tried a new element in this book and that is to introduce different events of India, that shaped the 'India' that we see today. The whole story is divided into timelines and every major event has been shared or have effected the story to shape up.
The only flaw that I encountered in the story was the pre climax part. The story becomes too slow and predictable as well. But the climax takes it over as well.
Overall a wonderful read.

[Soumyabrata Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Cane and Abel-esque saga by the lines of India's History and to some extent Geography as well, with a backdrop of milestones of wealthy empires in Indian History. The premise felt promising, as well as the slow unfolding of characters and the flow of events. Though sometimes, the pace falters, you can easily grip on to the easy-on-the-eye writing style of Sanghi that takes you all over India's multicultural heritage. As usual, this book is also a vast treasure-trove of encyclopedic knowledge that Sanghi's books comes with, to support the diverse arcs of his story.
In terms of writing, I felt there was nothing new in this. So just an average three stars!
Enjoyed it! :)

[Abhijit Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 500 page book could have been just 100 pages.

Normally, Ashwin Sanghis's works have an interplay of mythology and contemporary life, mixed in a way that is exciting and engaging. You can feel and trace how mythology is being incorporated and leveraged and that I think is his usp.

However, this one was a disappointment. The interplay was weak and once you reach the end, it feels that this was a coffee table read and there was no point in having some of the middle pages.

The good thing though is that it isn't a heavy read.

Overall, an okayish recommend

[Anil Swarup · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book marks a deft weaving of actual historical events and mythology with fiction. Ashwin Sanghi seems to be adept at it. The story line covers a few decades (perhaps a centuries as well in a different context) but flows seamlessly through these decades and geographies. There is some suspense as well that gets revealed in the end. The narration is taut despite running into more than 500 pages. Certainly one of the better offerings from this author. Worth a read.

[Ankita Bhatnagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is like watching a movie with lots of twists which keeps you hooked till the end. It takes us back to history and the plot is very intelligently weeded around it. The book is a perfect blend of emotions and connects well to any age group. I loved the book and your an amazing author, Ashwin Sanghi. Thanks for such a phenomenal novel. A must read for everyone.