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Breathless in Bombay
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305 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2008
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September 22, 2008
Of late, one is getting more and more sensitized about how Mumbai – by far India’s most multicultural and economically vibrant cities—is slowly slipping into the abyss of bad governance, terror scare, crammed spaces, and heavy concretization…all of it which is steadily eating into the essence of this dream city. People living here rue the fact that many of the city’s authentic places are being sold off to builders who are constructing residential skyscrapers and shopping centers for the ever-bourgeoning class of the brand-flashing, mall hoppers.
Nishikanth Kamat made a poignant portrayal of it in his wonderful, Mumbai Meri Jaan and here again, writer Murzban draws to attention this utter hopelessness, a tragically increasing class-divide that is threatening to deconstruct everything that the city stands for – peaceful co-existence and the spirit of brotherhood. All of Murzban’s 14 stories draw to attention various aspects of the city. Dhobi Ghat and The House Of Mine refer to the problem of displacement where in old structures ---emblems of the city's sparkling authenticity --- are being sold off. There is a strain of regret and sadness in Murzban's narration, as he sees his city being stripped off its uniqueness and warmth and replaced by cold affluence and almost sickening homogeneity.
Class divide seems to be one of Murzban's overarching concern, as he highlights them in his chapters, Breathless in Bombay, The Great Divide, Busy Sunday, The Queen Guards Her Own. This disparity of income -wherein one sizeable class indulges in all kinds of obscene accesses while another grovels in squalor (the author takes the readers through some extremely poverty-ridden, crime-infested, morally depraved streets and lives). Busy Sunday is especially interesting because it brings to light the repercussions of this unsavory class divide and an all round atmosphere of distrust and fraudulence it promotes.
Not all stories deal with problems that are necessarily about Mumbai. For example, there's a highly charged story, Traffic about a live-in couple and the bitterness that seeps in after the scent of idealistic togetherness. Now, this is a story that could have happened anywhere but it nevertheless finds a resonance with the city's fast-paced life, where survival and self-advancement is the only mantra and human emotions are daily crushed under the weight of clinical practicality and opportunism.
The biggest reason to recommend this book is because it draws you in within no time. Murzban - with his ability for detailing -- manages to create a setting that grips you from the word go. It’s obvious the writer feels a great amount of sadness and angst at the city’s dismal state on various fronts but Murzban tackles it with a great compassion and understanding of human frailties. Also, he makes sure to create extremely well fleshed out characters, studying their motives with care and empathy.
Yes, not all stories end well. There could be a feeling that some of them have ended abruptly after starting off so well. But Murzban succeeds in acquainting readers with the colours, flavours and temperament of the city.
A well-mixed Bombay Bhel and some food for thought as well!
-Sandhya Iyer
http://sandyi.blogspot.com
Nishikanth Kamat made a poignant portrayal of it in his wonderful, Mumbai Meri Jaan and here again, writer Murzban draws to attention this utter hopelessness, a tragically increasing class-divide that is threatening to deconstruct everything that the city stands for – peaceful co-existence and the spirit of brotherhood. All of Murzban’s 14 stories draw to attention various aspects of the city. Dhobi Ghat and The House Of Mine refer to the problem of displacement where in old structures ---emblems of the city's sparkling authenticity --- are being sold off. There is a strain of regret and sadness in Murzban's narration, as he sees his city being stripped off its uniqueness and warmth and replaced by cold affluence and almost sickening homogeneity.
Class divide seems to be one of Murzban's overarching concern, as he highlights them in his chapters, Breathless in Bombay, The Great Divide, Busy Sunday, The Queen Guards Her Own. This disparity of income -wherein one sizeable class indulges in all kinds of obscene accesses while another grovels in squalor (the author takes the readers through some extremely poverty-ridden, crime-infested, morally depraved streets and lives). Busy Sunday is especially interesting because it brings to light the repercussions of this unsavory class divide and an all round atmosphere of distrust and fraudulence it promotes.
Not all stories deal with problems that are necessarily about Mumbai. For example, there's a highly charged story, Traffic about a live-in couple and the bitterness that seeps in after the scent of idealistic togetherness. Now, this is a story that could have happened anywhere but it nevertheless finds a resonance with the city's fast-paced life, where survival and self-advancement is the only mantra and human emotions are daily crushed under the weight of clinical practicality and opportunism.
The biggest reason to recommend this book is because it draws you in within no time. Murzban - with his ability for detailing -- manages to create a setting that grips you from the word go. It’s obvious the writer feels a great amount of sadness and angst at the city’s dismal state on various fronts but Murzban tackles it with a great compassion and understanding of human frailties. Also, he makes sure to create extremely well fleshed out characters, studying their motives with care and empathy.
Yes, not all stories end well. There could be a feeling that some of them have ended abruptly after starting off so well. But Murzban succeeds in acquainting readers with the colours, flavours and temperament of the city.
A well-mixed Bombay Bhel and some food for thought as well!
-Sandhya Iyer
http://sandyi.blogspot.com
June 29, 2008
This is a book of literary fiction that should be mandatory reading for anyone who has ever loved the city of Bombay (or Mumbai, whatever you prefer). Easily the most arresting fictional biography of a city and its inhabitants in a long, long time, Shroff's short stories crackle with a sort of nervous energy that makes the familiar, endearing and the seemingly unknown, fascinating. All fourteen stories sing, dance and catapult their way into your heart with a richness of cast and detail that literally takes your breath away.
As with any book of short stories, it's difficult to agree upon the universal gems that everyone loves. In my opinion, the title story Breathless in Bombay along with The Queen Guards Her Own and This House of Mine can hold their own in a galaxy of the finest short fiction you would have ever come across from some the most astute practitioners of this art form.
A word of caution though. This is most certainly NOT India Exotica, what the West, ordinarily loves to peddle in the name of Indian Fiction (and which justifiably irritates the living daylights out of serious readers). This is fiction in all its rawness; contemporary in telling, compelling to read, rooted firmly in the Indian milieu and throbbing with affectionate and intelligent humour.
Shroff's bond with his fellow citizens from all walks of the society, his growing unease with the changing social equations, his unsparing eye on the hollowness that drives the city's prima donnas and his tireless concern for the way the world around him is reshaping to accommodate society's fresh set of rules, permeates through every pore of the story and is in fact a recurring theme that haunts its characters (and as a result of that, his readers) over and over.
The city of Bombay has got herself a stellar storyteller. Take a bow, Mr. Shroff.
As with any book of short stories, it's difficult to agree upon the universal gems that everyone loves. In my opinion, the title story Breathless in Bombay along with The Queen Guards Her Own and This House of Mine can hold their own in a galaxy of the finest short fiction you would have ever come across from some the most astute practitioners of this art form.
A word of caution though. This is most certainly NOT India Exotica, what the West, ordinarily loves to peddle in the name of Indian Fiction (and which justifiably irritates the living daylights out of serious readers). This is fiction in all its rawness; contemporary in telling, compelling to read, rooted firmly in the Indian milieu and throbbing with affectionate and intelligent humour.
Shroff's bond with his fellow citizens from all walks of the society, his growing unease with the changing social equations, his unsparing eye on the hollowness that drives the city's prima donnas and his tireless concern for the way the world around him is reshaping to accommodate society's fresh set of rules, permeates through every pore of the story and is in fact a recurring theme that haunts its characters (and as a result of that, his readers) over and over.
The city of Bombay has got herself a stellar storyteller. Take a bow, Mr. Shroff.
October 30, 2008
I don't know what it is about non-English writers and short story collections, but I have a soft spot for them. I've always been facinated with Indian culture, so this is a great match for me! I like how these stories are not about being American-Indian, but rather, about being Indian in India. I can only read a these one at a time, and usually only one per day, so it's taking a while.
Okay, done. Finally. The stories were good, but I was reminded on every page why we should avoid adverbs--they are weak and non-English writers lean on them far too often. The last story was a bit of a let down. Short story collections should move the reader, and when I was done, I felt like all the movement I did was for naught.
I did really like the short story called "Traffic"--it rocked.
Okay, done. Finally. The stories were good, but I was reminded on every page why we should avoid adverbs--they are weak and non-English writers lean on them far too often. The last story was a bit of a let down. Short story collections should move the reader, and when I was done, I felt like all the movement I did was for naught.
I did really like the short story called "Traffic"--it rocked.
January 27, 2022
So, this year I decided I needed to try and make more effort to try and get back to finding my mojo for books. And I thought the best way to do this would be by reading about places I love or rereading stories that have stayed with me. In that quest, I picked up ‘Breathless in Bombay’ , a collection of short fictional stories written by Murzban F Shroff.
As someone who has grown up in Bombay, the stories resonate with you because you recognize most of the characters, know the places, the description so vivid that one can see the sweat covered bodies rubbing against each other on a crowded Mumbai train or a cramped chawl jostling for space. The sense of desperation in every character trying to make it in the city of dreams or to abandon everything they have worked for and run for their life is almost palpable.
The book has 14 stories set in different contexts but carries the same strain of misery and desolation throughout. We get a glimpse of the life of Mataprasad, a Dobhi by profession, who spent all his life cleaning other people’s dirty clothes on the banks of Dhobi Ghat and Bheem Singh, the maalishwala, who works the magic of his fingers on tired bodies on Chowpatty beach. Both men moved from their village, trying to make ends meet in the city hell-bent on breaking them, but they still refused to leave. You feel for Vicky, who, despite a life of glamour and never-ending Bollywood parties, is still lonely and desolate, falling for a man who mistreats her. Somewhere else in Bombay, a group of people from different religions and different professions crammed together in a building unfit for living struggle to save their home. As a reader, you feel sad for the plight of Chacha sawari, who drives his Victoria with his trusted horse Badshah leading the way, so desperate to save the girl child of a prostitute from her fate in the red light district of Kamathipura.
It rightly depicts that Bombay is not for the faint-hearted; you will not make it if you don’t learn to hustle and hustle; you must because everyone else is. There is a constant hum of activity in this city that never sleeps, dreams breaking, hearts aching, and people just trying to co-exist with the class divide in between the slums, the depilating old chawls, or the high rise buildings that are taking over the history and character of the city.
The author has gripped the vein of Bombay, and I found myself transported back home, almost feeling the salt from the sea on my skin on the many long walks that I have done on Marine Drive. A fabulous read for anyone who has lived in Bombay or wants to visit it to understand why it holds the allure that it does.It is a seductress that lures you in and then sucks you in its vast abyss from which only some of us can escape.
कहीं बिल्डिंग, कहीं ट्रामे, कहीं मोटर, कहीं मिल
मिलता है यहाँ सब कुछ, इक मिलता नहीं दिल
इन्साँ का नहीं कहीं नाम-ओ-निशाँ
ज़रा हट के ये है बॉम्बे मेरी जाँ
As someone who has grown up in Bombay, the stories resonate with you because you recognize most of the characters, know the places, the description so vivid that one can see the sweat covered bodies rubbing against each other on a crowded Mumbai train or a cramped chawl jostling for space. The sense of desperation in every character trying to make it in the city of dreams or to abandon everything they have worked for and run for their life is almost palpable.
The book has 14 stories set in different contexts but carries the same strain of misery and desolation throughout. We get a glimpse of the life of Mataprasad, a Dobhi by profession, who spent all his life cleaning other people’s dirty clothes on the banks of Dhobi Ghat and Bheem Singh, the maalishwala, who works the magic of his fingers on tired bodies on Chowpatty beach. Both men moved from their village, trying to make ends meet in the city hell-bent on breaking them, but they still refused to leave. You feel for Vicky, who, despite a life of glamour and never-ending Bollywood parties, is still lonely and desolate, falling for a man who mistreats her. Somewhere else in Bombay, a group of people from different religions and different professions crammed together in a building unfit for living struggle to save their home. As a reader, you feel sad for the plight of Chacha sawari, who drives his Victoria with his trusted horse Badshah leading the way, so desperate to save the girl child of a prostitute from her fate in the red light district of Kamathipura.
It rightly depicts that Bombay is not for the faint-hearted; you will not make it if you don’t learn to hustle and hustle; you must because everyone else is. There is a constant hum of activity in this city that never sleeps, dreams breaking, hearts aching, and people just trying to co-exist with the class divide in between the slums, the depilating old chawls, or the high rise buildings that are taking over the history and character of the city.
The author has gripped the vein of Bombay, and I found myself transported back home, almost feeling the salt from the sea on my skin on the many long walks that I have done on Marine Drive. A fabulous read for anyone who has lived in Bombay or wants to visit it to understand why it holds the allure that it does.It is a seductress that lures you in and then sucks you in its vast abyss from which only some of us can escape.
कहीं बिल्डिंग, कहीं ट्रामे, कहीं मोटर, कहीं मिल
मिलता है यहाँ सब कुछ, इक मिलता नहीं दिल
इन्साँ का नहीं कहीं नाम-ओ-निशाँ
ज़रा हट के ये है बॉम्बे मेरी जाँ
October 28, 2014
A great discovery of a book and an author - Breathless in Bombay by Murzban F. Shroff. You can feel his love for this city and its people. I can imagine him sitting in the window of his house seeing the lives passing by and reading their minds and thoughts to build these stories.
To read more:
http://storywala.blogspot.in/2012/06/...
To read more:
http://storywala.blogspot.in/2012/06/...
June 21, 2012
Really enjoyable short stories of life in Bombay. If you've ever been to Bombay, you will enjoy this book. It's about day to day life of people who live in the large metropolis - Bombay...or Mumbai as it's now known.
June 18, 2013
One of my favourite short story collections about Bombay. Read and re-read it time and again.
July 25, 2011
Breathless in Bombay is Mumbai..completely, teeming with characters that gives Mumbai its current character. Shroff uses characters from many walks of life and across age bands to describe the lives that make up the city. And these are not just the Mumbaikars, but also those who come from different parts of the country and end up being absorbed by the city and its machinations for love, money, power and everything else that makes it tick. With 14 stories, each of which showcases different Mumbais/Bombays - from dhobighat to Bollywood and from victoriawallas to Page 3 socialites, it shows the struggle of humanity, the aspirations that give the city its rhythm, the ability of its citizens to pick up the pieces and move on, and their eternal elixir - hope.
I'd loved Pinki Virani's 'Once was Bombay' for showing the transition of a city brilliantly, and I'd put Shroff's work at the same level, for bringing out so well, the dynamics of Mumbai.
I'd loved Pinki Virani's 'Once was Bombay' for showing the transition of a city brilliantly, and I'd put Shroff's work at the same level, for bringing out so well, the dynamics of Mumbai.
August 30, 2016
A solid anthology of stories based in the city I've always wanted to live in! These stories could be based in any city, hence giving them a universal feel! An undiscovered little gem!
A lot of the stories in this collection are open-ended and which is (mostly) a nice thing. And some of the writing reminds me Rohinton Mistry!
A lot of the stories in this collection are open-ended and which is (mostly) a nice thing. And some of the writing reminds me Rohinton Mistry!
July 19, 2020
Rating: 4.5/5⭐
Taking a leaf out of the writer's introduction to the book, I'd say: Bombay is the city of struggle. Struggle for space, time, dreams...even the richest in the city seem to struggle for something.
Now, remembering my first visit to the city, I would say: it truly is the city that never stops, never sleeps. As a tourist, I saw it from a different view and left the city in a week. But for the residents, I can understand the relationship with the city. The love for the original essence of it; the sea, Marine drive, historical value, etc are now jammed in with the traffic, the population, the floods that leave the city gasping for breath most years. That's the relationship that Shroff was confused about. Which is why he decided to write about how he could love this city of wonders despite all its new flaws.
Mataprasad, a Dhobhi, lives and works at the ghat in Mumbai, washing the grime off people's clothes. His problems in life were different than Vicki from the film industry, who walks throught the traffic and wants to die. Her struggle, again, differs from what Bheem Singh, the maalishwalla, who works at Chowpatty Beach. In another part of the city, a professor and his neighbours get a notice to empty their building. While they worry about their home, Chacha Sawari and his horse, Badshah, drive the Victoria all along the prided Queen's Necklace. Meanwhile in a posh colony park, Hilda talks about her past and about the scandals of Nadir Ravankhot with her friends. The monsoon is here and a writer has just been cheated by a damarwalla. In another little house, an ex-army man Dinsoo lives with his wife Sila and their servant Ram Kumar. A wise doctor, an alcoholic, an honest government officer, a cab driver...they have struggles of their own.
All of this happens in the same city...maybe at the same time, maybe not. People in Bombay standing 2 feet apart have completely different lives and this city, even if they hate it, still provides for their family. Bombay with all its flaws, still gives them opportunities. Like a parent it scolds and beats them, makes them struggle...but once through that, it rewards and loves them like it's own. People from completely different classes rub shoulders side by side when it comes to struggling in Bombay. Bombay takes a lot from it's people. It takes patience, endurance, hard work...and those who are willing to put it all in get rewarded at the end.
The city gives away nothing for free, except ofcourse...the sea. The sea, it's light breeze and the infamous monsoons.
Read Breathless in Bombay to experience the city through people across professions and classes. You get to peer into their lives and reflect on their love for the city even when it slaps hardships on them. Read it if you want to learn how to love Bombay with all its flaws, sweat, grime and traffic. Learn to love it like I have..a little bit, and maybe on your next visit...Bombay might just love you back❤️
Taking a leaf out of the writer's introduction to the book, I'd say: Bombay is the city of struggle. Struggle for space, time, dreams...even the richest in the city seem to struggle for something.
Now, remembering my first visit to the city, I would say: it truly is the city that never stops, never sleeps. As a tourist, I saw it from a different view and left the city in a week. But for the residents, I can understand the relationship with the city. The love for the original essence of it; the sea, Marine drive, historical value, etc are now jammed in with the traffic, the population, the floods that leave the city gasping for breath most years. That's the relationship that Shroff was confused about. Which is why he decided to write about how he could love this city of wonders despite all its new flaws.
Mataprasad, a Dhobhi, lives and works at the ghat in Mumbai, washing the grime off people's clothes. His problems in life were different than Vicki from the film industry, who walks throught the traffic and wants to die. Her struggle, again, differs from what Bheem Singh, the maalishwalla, who works at Chowpatty Beach. In another part of the city, a professor and his neighbours get a notice to empty their building. While they worry about their home, Chacha Sawari and his horse, Badshah, drive the Victoria all along the prided Queen's Necklace. Meanwhile in a posh colony park, Hilda talks about her past and about the scandals of Nadir Ravankhot with her friends. The monsoon is here and a writer has just been cheated by a damarwalla. In another little house, an ex-army man Dinsoo lives with his wife Sila and their servant Ram Kumar. A wise doctor, an alcoholic, an honest government officer, a cab driver...they have struggles of their own.
All of this happens in the same city...maybe at the same time, maybe not. People in Bombay standing 2 feet apart have completely different lives and this city, even if they hate it, still provides for their family. Bombay with all its flaws, still gives them opportunities. Like a parent it scolds and beats them, makes them struggle...but once through that, it rewards and loves them like it's own. People from completely different classes rub shoulders side by side when it comes to struggling in Bombay. Bombay takes a lot from it's people. It takes patience, endurance, hard work...and those who are willing to put it all in get rewarded at the end.
The city gives away nothing for free, except ofcourse...the sea. The sea, it's light breeze and the infamous monsoons.
Read Breathless in Bombay to experience the city through people across professions and classes. You get to peer into their lives and reflect on their love for the city even when it slaps hardships on them. Read it if you want to learn how to love Bombay with all its flaws, sweat, grime and traffic. Learn to love it like I have..a little bit, and maybe on your next visit...Bombay might just love you back❤️
October 11, 2010
BREATHLESS in Bombay menjungkirbalikkan apa yang difantasikan oleh Shahrukh, Amir dan Salman Khan atau Aishwarya Rai, Kajol dan Priyanka Chopra dalam kepingan-kepingan filem Bollywood mereka.
Di tangan Murzban F Shroff, penanya menyelongkar 14 cerpen yang menyusup ke dunia real Bombay bersama-sama kibaran pakaian di puncak dhobi ghat (bukit kecil) yang berhimpunnya kasta pengusaha dobi secara tradisional dan picitan pengurut maalishwalla di tepi pantai yang kedua-dua kelompok itu berkongsi gelisah - angin pembangunan merempuh dunia mereka.
The House of Mine pula seolah-olah mewakili kelompok manusia kelas bawahan dan menengah yang terhimpun dalam bangunan yang mereka diami di kawasan slum di Bombay. Pada satu hari, mereka menerima notis pindah daripada lembaga perumahan atas alasan kononnya bangunan itu sangat berbahaya didiami dan kemudian dengan keajaiban kuasa wang, kondisi itu berubah kepada masih boleh didiami tetapi dengan pembaikpulihan dilakukan. Malangnya, ia juga tidak mengembalikan kehidupan mereka seperti sebelumnya, tetapi terpaksa menggigit kegelisahan yang baru pula.
Justeru, tidak hairanlah semua watak dalam karya Murzban terhimpit di tengah-tengah cengkaman tradisi dan himpitan kemodenan: selalu watak manusia bawahan adalah ibarat terkial-kial keluar dari mulut buaya, tetapi untuk terperosok ke dalam mulut harimau. Malah, pada suatu ketika, bahagian kaki mereka dikerkah buaya dan kepala mereka ditelan harimau!
Malangnya tidak seperti jalur cerita Bollywood dengan keadilan puitiknya, hero tidak muncul dari kawasan gelandangan, manakala kejahatan tidak pernah dibawa ke pentas keadilan.
Membaca Breathless in Bombay, mendorong kita bertanya kepada diri kita tentang ranah sastera kita. Apakah kemiskinan bandar kita tidak melahirkan pengarang yang cuba mewakili suara tertindas itu atau memangnya kita tidak punya penulis yang dapat mewakili perpektif manusia pinggiran dalam arus urbanisasi dan modenisasi itu?
Di tangan Murzban F Shroff, penanya menyelongkar 14 cerpen yang menyusup ke dunia real Bombay bersama-sama kibaran pakaian di puncak dhobi ghat (bukit kecil) yang berhimpunnya kasta pengusaha dobi secara tradisional dan picitan pengurut maalishwalla di tepi pantai yang kedua-dua kelompok itu berkongsi gelisah - angin pembangunan merempuh dunia mereka.
The House of Mine pula seolah-olah mewakili kelompok manusia kelas bawahan dan menengah yang terhimpun dalam bangunan yang mereka diami di kawasan slum di Bombay. Pada satu hari, mereka menerima notis pindah daripada lembaga perumahan atas alasan kononnya bangunan itu sangat berbahaya didiami dan kemudian dengan keajaiban kuasa wang, kondisi itu berubah kepada masih boleh didiami tetapi dengan pembaikpulihan dilakukan. Malangnya, ia juga tidak mengembalikan kehidupan mereka seperti sebelumnya, tetapi terpaksa menggigit kegelisahan yang baru pula.
Justeru, tidak hairanlah semua watak dalam karya Murzban terhimpit di tengah-tengah cengkaman tradisi dan himpitan kemodenan: selalu watak manusia bawahan adalah ibarat terkial-kial keluar dari mulut buaya, tetapi untuk terperosok ke dalam mulut harimau. Malah, pada suatu ketika, bahagian kaki mereka dikerkah buaya dan kepala mereka ditelan harimau!
Malangnya tidak seperti jalur cerita Bollywood dengan keadilan puitiknya, hero tidak muncul dari kawasan gelandangan, manakala kejahatan tidak pernah dibawa ke pentas keadilan.
Membaca Breathless in Bombay, mendorong kita bertanya kepada diri kita tentang ranah sastera kita. Apakah kemiskinan bandar kita tidak melahirkan pengarang yang cuba mewakili suara tertindas itu atau memangnya kita tidak punya penulis yang dapat mewakili perpektif manusia pinggiran dalam arus urbanisasi dan modenisasi itu?
August 22, 2014
Three and a half stars. Shroff's debut collection of short stories paints a vivid picture of Bombay that captures its essence very well. This isn't a glossed-over, sanitized portrait of a city. It's the real thing, complete with liquor dens, whores, gangs, and the familiar contrast between the very wealthy and those living and dying on the streets in abject poverty. My favorite story was The Queen Guards Her Own, a tale of a victoriawalla and his horse, set against the backdrop of Marine Drive.
May 12, 2008
I was disappointed when I realized that this was a book of short stories (yes, after I'd started it) but the writing is so incredible that I'm reading it anyway. Dare I compare it to Interpreter of Maladies? I do indeed.
....Update...I have a few more pages left to go, and I can't quite bring myself to care - it being a short story and all, not too involved with the characters. I'd love to read a novel from this author.
....Update...I have a few more pages left to go, and I can't quite bring myself to care - it being a short story and all, not too involved with the characters. I'd love to read a novel from this author.
March 6, 2014
A series of short-stories narrated by characters of various backgrounds in Bombay. I really loved some of these stories, but eventually grew a little restless at reading so many. Overall, the resonating theme of these stories (life in Bombay can beat down even the most well-intentioned of people) was believable and could be felt throughout the book.
April 20, 2017
This book provides the vivid picture of Bombay with its characters. Very nice and enjoyable stories that show about Bombay life. This is about the struggle of humanity and their aspirations and day to day life of not only Mumbai people but also people from various parts of India who go there for employment to fulfill their dreams and get absorbed in the city life.
January 6, 2017
I decided to read this book because I wanted to understand the city I live in. Breathless in Bombay, however, is more superficial in having one story on each of the Bombay characters and less about the spirit of the city. The stories seem rushed and unfinished. Three stars.
March 20, 2018
With a wide variety of issues touched upon, including caste, class, gender, public spaces, poverty and the urban intersection of the same, this book guides the reader from one fascinating facet of Bombay to another. Highly recommended.
January 10, 2011
a brilliant book. Loved the short stories about the city. A must read.
March 30, 2017
good book
April 11, 2019
Very well written stories from different strata of Bombay. Gives you a very Bombay-esque experience!
June 4, 2023
On the first day of our arrival to Bombay last year, we decided to walk down from our hotel at Marine Drive to the gateway of India. Promptly the next morning, we lost our voices,started coughing, and feeling sick as a fish out of water. Unbeknownst to us, Bombay air pollution had reached an all-time high. So I took it to be the moment of serendipity in my life when the bookstore guy at Juhu's lovely Prithvi bookstore recommended this book to me when I asked if he had any books on Bombay. We were quite literally breathless in Bombay.
This is a compilation of short stories and really the attempt here is to paint the picture of one of those cosmopolitan hubs, the ones that proverbially never sleeps. The ones that are glittery and shiny in advertisements but places where survival is brutal, ruthless, manic and hard-earned. Think your New York or LA or London as a reference point.
I really enjoyed the stories, some of which would perhaps not be qualified for a short story if scrutinised. The stories, situations and characters though are as diverse as the city. Maybe that is what the writer wanted to accomplish anyway. From a taxiwalla trying to make a big buck only to be comically arrested thanks to his passenger or a bunch of tenants coming together to save their property from building code violation to a couple of advertisement professionals traversing love and its complexities- there are people from many different walks and states and backgrounds that have come together on this landmass trying to work their lives out. They are looking for a compatible partner, saving money to go back to their beloved left behind in a village or people whose traditional professions are threatened by technology. There is struggle, there is heartbreak, and there are signs of life.
The writing is very detailed most of the times and I enjoyed that because it really painted a picture of the city and its sight and sounds. That big city that isolates and dehumanises and crushes its residents also has space and opportunities for one and all. Eventually, a place is its people, and this book does a good job of bringing a good few of them together here. I recommend reading and savouring these stories!
This is a compilation of short stories and really the attempt here is to paint the picture of one of those cosmopolitan hubs, the ones that proverbially never sleeps. The ones that are glittery and shiny in advertisements but places where survival is brutal, ruthless, manic and hard-earned. Think your New York or LA or London as a reference point.
I really enjoyed the stories, some of which would perhaps not be qualified for a short story if scrutinised. The stories, situations and characters though are as diverse as the city. Maybe that is what the writer wanted to accomplish anyway. From a taxiwalla trying to make a big buck only to be comically arrested thanks to his passenger or a bunch of tenants coming together to save their property from building code violation to a couple of advertisement professionals traversing love and its complexities- there are people from many different walks and states and backgrounds that have come together on this landmass trying to work their lives out. They are looking for a compatible partner, saving money to go back to their beloved left behind in a village or people whose traditional professions are threatened by technology. There is struggle, there is heartbreak, and there are signs of life.
The writing is very detailed most of the times and I enjoyed that because it really painted a picture of the city and its sight and sounds. That big city that isolates and dehumanises and crushes its residents also has space and opportunities for one and all. Eventually, a place is its people, and this book does a good job of bringing a good few of them together here. I recommend reading and savouring these stories!
May 6, 2020
This book has 14 stories depicting the lives of people who inhabit, live, love, loathe and breathe Bombay. There have been a lot of books written on this city, some describing the beauty in the chaos that is Bombay, poetic renditions of the architecture of the port city and singing praises of all the places where the sea touches the land and lives of so many people and all that you can own in this city. This book stands out as it mainly has voices of people who are categorised as 'have nots' and it looks like an attempt made by the author to tell the rest of the world or society their stories, their struggles, their love for this city which in spite of all their hardships, struggles, they have come to admire and attach their sense of belonging to. This book addresses issues like corruption, competition, encroachment, unplanned development, poverty, class divide, daily struggles and stresses of living but believe me, this does not make the book a drab. What it does is make it more real, than any other story of Bombay can be. It does have stories on people who live comfortable lives in sea-facing bungalows or old heritage structures as well but they also narrate stories of struggle and issues they face. When I read this book, I was transported back to my college days and all the memories. I walked down the lanes of Colaba again, I sat down next to the sea at Marine Drive, staring into the water, looking at the skyline and sighing at the beauty this place is in the night, I got drenched in the rains again, I could taste the beer and pasta at Leopold and I could also feel the crowd,the rush, the infinite number of people walking on the pavements, in the stations etc. This was not a feel-good book, but maybe it is not supposed to be that. It is a very realistic portrayal of Bombay from the eyes of people (maalishwalla, victoriawalla, Parsi residents, Parsi doctors, sex workers, government workers, dhobis) who inhabit the by lanes, the slums, the tiny pockets, the oldest of old buildings and streets of Bombay.
September 12, 2024
In the introduction to this collection of stories set in and around Bombay, Murzban F. Shroff indicates the inspiration he took from his hometown, noting that he set out to capture “a series of journeys, through the mental lives of its citizens, their conflicts, their betrayals, their realization, and their redemption.” In Breathless in Bombay, he achieves just that.
Several themes persist:
In “Dhobi Ghat” and “Maalishwalla,” Shroff features responses to the displacement caused by the passage of time, the march of progress that threatens livelihoods rooted in the past. The question of how to adapt to the new reality is a profound one, yet, unfortunately, one to which the characters struggle to accept or find adequate adaptations.
In subtle ways, “Busy Sunday” and the eponymous “Breathless in Bombay” highlight the power of society over the appropriate behaviours one puts forward. While distinct in their presentation of how differing castes respond to such pressures, both stories provide the clarity of the necessity to conform to societal norms and impulses.
Shroff also incorporates stories that speak to the consequences of circumstance, either through those that might corrupt an otherwise honourable man – as chronicled in “Babu Barrah Takka” – or the karmic cycle one ambitious taxi driver encounters as he strives to determine the most economically beneficial fare, as portrayed in “Meter Down.”
Still, there are testaments to the goodness of human nature, particularly in “The Queen Guards Her Own,” where one man’s treatment of both a beloved animal and a young woman stands replete in its honesty and loyalty. Indeed, the integrity of the character in this story provides a distinct contrast to many of the other characters featured throughout the collection.
5 stars. I deeply enjoyed this collection. Each journey spoke exactly to what Shroff intended, each conflict, realisation, or redemption a clear statement of the contradictory elements surrounding life in Bombay. Additionally, I find his subtle inclusion of place, and how Bombay itself features as a unique character, refreshing and uplifting. This focus allows the reader to locate each character resolutely within their context, and by understanding their challenges, alongside the dynamism of the city, to emerge with a deeper understanding of Bombay and her peoples. A better introduction to Bombay I’ve not yet found.
Several themes persist:
In “Dhobi Ghat” and “Maalishwalla,” Shroff features responses to the displacement caused by the passage of time, the march of progress that threatens livelihoods rooted in the past. The question of how to adapt to the new reality is a profound one, yet, unfortunately, one to which the characters struggle to accept or find adequate adaptations.
In subtle ways, “Busy Sunday” and the eponymous “Breathless in Bombay” highlight the power of society over the appropriate behaviours one puts forward. While distinct in their presentation of how differing castes respond to such pressures, both stories provide the clarity of the necessity to conform to societal norms and impulses.
Shroff also incorporates stories that speak to the consequences of circumstance, either through those that might corrupt an otherwise honourable man – as chronicled in “Babu Barrah Takka” – or the karmic cycle one ambitious taxi driver encounters as he strives to determine the most economically beneficial fare, as portrayed in “Meter Down.”
Still, there are testaments to the goodness of human nature, particularly in “The Queen Guards Her Own,” where one man’s treatment of both a beloved animal and a young woman stands replete in its honesty and loyalty. Indeed, the integrity of the character in this story provides a distinct contrast to many of the other characters featured throughout the collection.
5 stars. I deeply enjoyed this collection. Each journey spoke exactly to what Shroff intended, each conflict, realisation, or redemption a clear statement of the contradictory elements surrounding life in Bombay. Additionally, I find his subtle inclusion of place, and how Bombay itself features as a unique character, refreshing and uplifting. This focus allows the reader to locate each character resolutely within their context, and by understanding their challenges, alongside the dynamism of the city, to emerge with a deeper understanding of Bombay and her peoples. A better introduction to Bombay I’ve not yet found.
May 27, 2020
“All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim.” – Christopher Morley
So the short stories go this way:
Dhobi Ghat is about Mataprasad Mahadev, Traffic is about Vicki Dhanrajgiri and Nandkumar Chaurasia, The Maalishwalla is about Bheem Singh Bahadur and Kaveri, This House Of Mine, The Queen Guards Her Own is about Chacha Sawari who is a victoriawalla, Haraami is about Rohit and Shyla, A Different Bhel is about Nadir Ravankhot and three ladies i.e. Hilda Pestonji, Gul Sinor and Roxanne Banaji, Busy Sunday is about one writer, The Great Divide is about Dinsoo and Silla Mullafiroze; Meter Down is about Mohitram Doiphade, Love in the Time of Aids is about Pesi and Dr. Doongaji, Babu Barrah Takka is about Madhulikar Srini, Jamal Haddi’s Revenge is about Jamal Haddi, his wife Kunta and Sunaina; and lastly, Breathless in Bombay is about Aringdham Banerjee and Ritika.
Breathless in Bombay is a ravelled montage of short stories, each story styling a vivacious depiction of existence. The author uses stunning descriptions and expressive style to craft authentic scenarios. The reader senses as if they are exactly in the core of Bombay with all its striking disarray and enthusiasm. Specific occupations and class segregation is very evident in certain stories. Each tale entices, mesmerizes, loiters because of the clashes that trouble the protagonist’s survival, differences which is fraction of way of life. Each narrative opens our minds to ogle to a different way of life, and although these livelihoods might vary from our own, one experiences a profound relation to the individual state to grasp to what the character’s yearn and desires.
“There's something about arriving in new cities, wandering empty streets with no destination. I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I'm born to leave.” – Charlotte Eriksson
So the short stories go this way:
Dhobi Ghat is about Mataprasad Mahadev, Traffic is about Vicki Dhanrajgiri and Nandkumar Chaurasia, The Maalishwalla is about Bheem Singh Bahadur and Kaveri, This House Of Mine, The Queen Guards Her Own is about Chacha Sawari who is a victoriawalla, Haraami is about Rohit and Shyla, A Different Bhel is about Nadir Ravankhot and three ladies i.e. Hilda Pestonji, Gul Sinor and Roxanne Banaji, Busy Sunday is about one writer, The Great Divide is about Dinsoo and Silla Mullafiroze; Meter Down is about Mohitram Doiphade, Love in the Time of Aids is about Pesi and Dr. Doongaji, Babu Barrah Takka is about Madhulikar Srini, Jamal Haddi’s Revenge is about Jamal Haddi, his wife Kunta and Sunaina; and lastly, Breathless in Bombay is about Aringdham Banerjee and Ritika.
Breathless in Bombay is a ravelled montage of short stories, each story styling a vivacious depiction of existence. The author uses stunning descriptions and expressive style to craft authentic scenarios. The reader senses as if they are exactly in the core of Bombay with all its striking disarray and enthusiasm. Specific occupations and class segregation is very evident in certain stories. Each tale entices, mesmerizes, loiters because of the clashes that trouble the protagonist’s survival, differences which is fraction of way of life. Each narrative opens our minds to ogle to a different way of life, and although these livelihoods might vary from our own, one experiences a profound relation to the individual state to grasp to what the character’s yearn and desires.
“There's something about arriving in new cities, wandering empty streets with no destination. I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I'm born to leave.” – Charlotte Eriksson
October 21, 2022
Breathess in Bombay is a compilation of short unfinished stories carved from the daily lives of people in Bombay. Its refreshing to read stories that portray hopelessness, coexistence, love, and moreover, stand for what the city actually stands for – peace in chaos. Well not all stories resembles the low income – common man problems, Traffic is one story that deals with a live-in couple and their idea of togetherness. Though Shroff, had tried to may be, intentionally kept the story unfinished or ended them abruptly, I was actually thinking on how the ending would be on the writers take. We all have different versions of a story, but to end on a writer’s note, hits different to the reader and actually make things clearer in the story. Whatever the case, the stories have each and every masala of the city – From food to beaches to high end buildings to serene streets to chaos gardens, Murzban had detailed things such that it makes one feel travelling the city, while actually not being there.
The chapter Dhobi Ghat was very fresh and exhilarating. In the world of washing machines, a place like Dhobi Ghat was out of my mind, though knowing that such place exist, it made me feel travelling to the Ghat for experiencing the unexperienced things in the city. I’m thankful to Murzban that he reminded me of Dhobi Ghat.
The chapter Dhobi Ghat was very fresh and exhilarating. In the world of washing machines, a place like Dhobi Ghat was out of my mind, though knowing that such place exist, it made me feel travelling to the Ghat for experiencing the unexperienced things in the city. I’m thankful to Murzban that he reminded me of Dhobi Ghat.
September 8, 2024
Picked up Breathless in Bombay as a souvenir from my visit to the famous Kitab Khana store at Fort. The book held up its promise to faithfully represent the city, traversing through the stories of people you and I easily take for granted. It shows us the despair of the city’s inhabitants whose great dreams of fortune are stymied every single day in the face of a ruthlessness from those who wield wealth and power. There’s the maalishwallah’s yearning for his village, the dhobi ghat’s unequal fight against machines, the victoriawallah’s optimism, the rude taxiwallah’s affection for his sister among other eclectic characters. My favourite story of the lot is ‘The Great Divide’ which showcases the class differences between Bombay’s elite and the migrants and yet it is also about an incident that ultimately triggers the breakdown of these differences, making it one of the most wholesome stories in the book. Some others are gut-wrenching talking about exploitation, assault, domestic violence as a way of ripping apart the dreams of its women protagonists. All in all, a very memorable collection of short stories bringing out the essence of the city in every page.
August 24, 2023
"A short story is a different thing altogether – a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger," said Stephen King.
Breathless in Bombay is a collection of 14 short stories revolving around people from the city of Bombay/Mumbai. Me being a person who has never visited Bombay could successfully visualize the painting of the city through the author's words as different characters from different stories take you in various parts of the city.
Like how a collection of short stories is supposed to be, this is exactly that way. Most of them end abruptly, after everything that happened, leaving you blinking. But Murzban succeeds in acquainting readers with the flavours of the city. Personally liked the stories, The Queen Guards Her Own and the title tale, Breathless in Bombay.
Highly recommended.
Breathless in Bombay is a collection of 14 short stories revolving around people from the city of Bombay/Mumbai. Me being a person who has never visited Bombay could successfully visualize the painting of the city through the author's words as different characters from different stories take you in various parts of the city.
Like how a collection of short stories is supposed to be, this is exactly that way. Most of them end abruptly, after everything that happened, leaving you blinking. But Murzban succeeds in acquainting readers with the flavours of the city. Personally liked the stories, The Queen Guards Her Own and the title tale, Breathless in Bombay.
Highly recommended.
August 19, 2018
I once again traveled across Bombay through 14 short stories from this wonderful collection. I didn't enjoy the first story very much but as the book progressed I found the stories to my liking. Bombay books are very relatable. It is easy to identify with the lives portrayed. And this one was no different. I also liked that fact that the ending of all stories is inconclusive. Overall a thoroughly satisfying read that might make you nostalgic, especially if you were an erstwhile Bombayite.
Favourites: The Maalishwalla, The Qveen Guards Her Own, Meter Down, Babu Barrah Takka, Breathless in Bombay
Favourites: The Maalishwalla, The Qveen Guards Her Own, Meter Down, Babu Barrah Takka, Breathless in Bombay
June 19, 2023
I read this book the first month I moved to Mumbai. This was during the monsoon and I had a long public bus commute. The stories made me fall head over heels in love with the city, and I carried it everywhere I went. It helped me overcome the migrant intimidation and I cherish each and every moment I have lived.
Beauty and pain in the ordinary, the book helped me make sense of what I could not have otherwise.
Beauty and pain in the ordinary, the book helped me make sense of what I could not have otherwise.
January 18, 2022
I read quite a bit of India based fiction, so there was little surprising in these stories of struggles to survive in the morass of Bombay/Mumbai. If the reader is new to India stories and doesn't want to commit to the many longer novels, this collection of shorter stories would be a good introduction.
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