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The Last War
Watch Mumbai turn into Kurukshetra in The Last War
The Greatest Story Ever Told . . . Again
A modern-day version of The Mahabharata, The Last War is a page-turning account of brothers in arms and families at war. In the gritty expanse of India’s most dynamic city, Mumbai, from its ritzy high-rises to its mean streets and slums, loyalties are tested, blood is drawn and only ‘dharma’ can justify the means to a devastating end.
About the author:
Sandipan Deb spent several years in the corporate world before shifting to journalism. He has been the managing editor of Outlook, the editor of The Financial Express and was the founder-editor of Open. He is also the author of The IITians: The Story of an Extraordinary Indian Institution and How Its Alumni Are Reshaping the World, which has been translated into Chinese and Korean. A collection of his writings over the years can be accessed at sandipanonline.com. The Last War is his first novel.
The Greatest Story Ever Told . . . Again
A modern-day version of The Mahabharata, The Last War is a page-turning account of brothers in arms and families at war. In the gritty expanse of India’s most dynamic city, Mumbai, from its ritzy high-rises to its mean streets and slums, loyalties are tested, blood is drawn and only ‘dharma’ can justify the means to a devastating end.
About the author:
Sandipan Deb spent several years in the corporate world before shifting to journalism. He has been the managing editor of Outlook, the editor of The Financial Express and was the founder-editor of Open. He is also the author of The IITians: The Story of an Extraordinary Indian Institution and How Its Alumni Are Reshaping the World, which has been translated into Chinese and Korean. A collection of his writings over the years can be accessed at sandipanonline.com. The Last War is his first novel.
595 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 2, 2018
I felt the author did a fairly good job of portraying the characters of Mahabharat in the modern world. Mahabharat has a twisted tale at its heart; it was quite exciting to identify the parallel stories and characters and relating them.
While it was intense and gritty, there were few moments of unnaturalness in the characters. While it was fair in the original, it did not work in the modern backdrop.
I also thought that there were too many characters squeezed into the story - after all, Mahabharat is an epic story which couldn't have been told in its entirety in a single novel. All the characters and their skirmishes were quite difficult to keep track of.
But what I was disappointed with here, was that despite spanning a length of almost 600 pages, there were hardly any strong female characters to look up to. It is a retelling, but it doesn't mean that the author couldn't have added some things to show how things have changed for women.
While it was intense and gritty, there were few moments of unnaturalness in the characters. While it was fair in the original, it did not work in the modern backdrop.
I also thought that there were too many characters squeezed into the story - after all, Mahabharat is an epic story which couldn't have been told in its entirety in a single novel. All the characters and their skirmishes were quite difficult to keep track of.
But what I was disappointed with here, was that despite spanning a length of almost 600 pages, there were hardly any strong female characters to look up to. It is a retelling, but it doesn't mean that the author couldn't have added some things to show how things have changed for women.
March 10, 2013
Presenting
The Last War by Sandipan Deb.
Here is the summary of the book:
Watch Mumbai turn into Kurukshetra in The Last War. The Greatest Story Ever Told . . . Again. A modern-day version of The Mahabharata, The Last War is a page-turning account of brothers in arms and families at war. In the gritty expanse of India’s most dynamic city, Mumbai, from its ritzy high-rises to its mean streets and slums, loyalties are tested, blood is drawn and only ‘dharma’ can justify the means to a devastating end.
Authors are re-imagining the popular myths and classic literature into something new and modern everyday and they have been all successful in their attempts (with a few misses here and there) leading to some popular books and series'. Now our Indian authors also shouldn't stand back in this and its commendable of them to do so too. But when it comes to classic Indian literature like the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Upanishads or the one in question here the Mahabharata; well long standing and popular Indian authors have failed in that prospect.
Decidedly there had been many re-imaging of Mahabharata before. So, Sandipan Deb's The Last War is definitely not the first one out there. But he did this little trick, he simplified the hefty classic, clipping away some major important characters, reconstructing the story in his own way to try to tell a story that had spanned over the ages into a 500 paged book. Mumbai is the Kurukshetra. Mumbai underground rather. And whomsoever wins, gets the rule of the city under their thumb.
Now let's be clear, it is rather IMPOSSIBLE, to squeeze in all those characters together and all the myriad elements and story arcs from the original into a small book. Clever of the author to reconstruct it accordingly, add in match fixing and the 9/11 attack to provide a more contemporary and a simplistic tale.
The characters and their background were well thought off but the biggest problem of such a rendition, it missed the strong points, the layered stories....frankly every other thing that made Mahabharata an epic. The pace of the story was good though as a matter of fact. But what the Mahabharata represents... "dharma" doesn't ring true rather it goes stale after repeatedly hearing about throughout.
Here is the summary of the book:
Watch Mumbai turn into Kurukshetra in The Last War. The Greatest Story Ever Told . . . Again. A modern-day version of The Mahabharata, The Last War is a page-turning account of brothers in arms and families at war. In the gritty expanse of India’s most dynamic city, Mumbai, from its ritzy high-rises to its mean streets and slums, loyalties are tested, blood is drawn and only ‘dharma’ can justify the means to a devastating end.
Authors are re-imagining the popular myths and classic literature into something new and modern everyday and they have been all successful in their attempts (with a few misses here and there) leading to some popular books and series'. Now our Indian authors also shouldn't stand back in this and its commendable of them to do so too. But when it comes to classic Indian literature like the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Upanishads or the one in question here the Mahabharata; well long standing and popular Indian authors have failed in that prospect.
Decidedly there had been many re-imaging of Mahabharata before. So, Sandipan Deb's The Last War is definitely not the first one out there. But he did this little trick, he simplified the hefty classic, clipping away some major important characters, reconstructing the story in his own way to try to tell a story that had spanned over the ages into a 500 paged book. Mumbai is the Kurukshetra. Mumbai underground rather. And whomsoever wins, gets the rule of the city under their thumb.
Now let's be clear, it is rather IMPOSSIBLE, to squeeze in all those characters together and all the myriad elements and story arcs from the original into a small book. Clever of the author to reconstruct it accordingly, add in match fixing and the 9/11 attack to provide a more contemporary and a simplistic tale.
The characters and their background were well thought off but the biggest problem of such a rendition, it missed the strong points, the layered stories....frankly every other thing that made Mahabharata an epic. The pace of the story was good though as a matter of fact. But what the Mahabharata represents... "dharma" doesn't ring true rather it goes stale after repeatedly hearing about throughout.
"An OK attempt. Doesn't have the epic feel the original held"
February 24, 2013
Sandipan Deb's rendition of the Mahabharata in Mumbai. This is obviously not the first rendition of the Mahabharata in contemporary events - Tharoor's The Great Indian Novel, Mani Ratnam's Thalapathi, Prakash Jha's Rajneeti, but this one manages to shift the scene to what seems like an apt arena - the Mumbai underground. Bombay is kurukshetra and Bombay is the prize.
As with all the other renditions, it is practically impossible to fit all characters and events into the new canvass, so the author has been clinical in removing characters and reshaping events to fit his narrative. On a positive note, the interpretation is not altogether flawed, but is written very clearly on a simplistic level. Many characters have been well etched and can be seen as very close parallels of their originals. There are also contemporary incidents like match fixing, 9/11 etc which have been woven into the plot.
But the simplistic narrative does take away from the immense layering and subtext that the original possesses. (that's why it's an epic) I also felt that some events/characters could have been easily included and the narrative brought closer to the original theme.
The pace, however, is really quick and there is no lag in the narrative at all. Pick it up for a flight read, and you're sure not to get bored. No more, no less.
As with all the other renditions, it is practically impossible to fit all characters and events into the new canvass, so the author has been clinical in removing characters and reshaping events to fit his narrative. On a positive note, the interpretation is not altogether flawed, but is written very clearly on a simplistic level. Many characters have been well etched and can be seen as very close parallels of their originals. There are also contemporary incidents like match fixing, 9/11 etc which have been woven into the plot.
But the simplistic narrative does take away from the immense layering and subtext that the original possesses. (that's why it's an epic) I also felt that some events/characters could have been easily included and the narrative brought closer to the original theme.
The pace, however, is really quick and there is no lag in the narrative at all. Pick it up for a flight read, and you're sure not to get bored. No more, no less.
October 15, 2016
Sandipan Deb, takes one of India's greatest epics and sets it against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld. The Mahabharat is the kind of work that could be adapted on any backdrop, with it's tale of two warring clans.
Deb manages to create the characters well, as well as the rivalry between the cousins. However, he just ends up being too literal. The way the characters of Rishabh( Yudhistir), Vikram( Bheem) and Jeet(Arjun) are conceived, seems too outlandish. Its like Deb just wanted to so deliberately force fit everything in the original Mahabharat to modern times, it ends up looking too silly. And so are the attempts to force fit 9/11, Cricket Betting into the narrative. Had Deb just stuck to the original spirit of the Mahabharat, and reinvented it for modern times, would have been even more credible. This looks more like a Spot the Reference kind.
Also the way to explain Dharma, and that faux lecture on Doing your Duty, rankles. It just sounds so wannabe. The Gita is an indepth exploration of philosophy, here it just sounds so much out of place, and so does the ending too. And too much use of the F word.
One time read, that's it, pacy, entertaining, but don't really expect anything profound from it. Give me a Godfather any day.
Deb manages to create the characters well, as well as the rivalry between the cousins. However, he just ends up being too literal. The way the characters of Rishabh( Yudhistir), Vikram( Bheem) and Jeet(Arjun) are conceived, seems too outlandish. Its like Deb just wanted to so deliberately force fit everything in the original Mahabharat to modern times, it ends up looking too silly. And so are the attempts to force fit 9/11, Cricket Betting into the narrative. Had Deb just stuck to the original spirit of the Mahabharat, and reinvented it for modern times, would have been even more credible. This looks more like a Spot the Reference kind.
Also the way to explain Dharma, and that faux lecture on Doing your Duty, rankles. It just sounds so wannabe. The Gita is an indepth exploration of philosophy, here it just sounds so much out of place, and so does the ending too. And too much use of the F word.
One time read, that's it, pacy, entertaining, but don't really expect anything profound from it. Give me a Godfather any day.
November 18, 2025
I picked up this book after a long dry spell of not being able to concentrate on reading at all. And finishing a 500+ page read felt like a huge accomplishment. Needless to say, the book is quite a page turner with a writing style that's not only super easy to read but also has a gripping plot.
It wasn't until mid-book I looked up about the author and the book and realised the connection to the Mahabharata. It was only then I started drawing parallels, which were honestly quite obvious to begin with. I did find the ending quite underwhelming for the exciting plot that had been developing throughout the book. The talk about dharma and its manifestation into the war of the underworld gangs felt quite forced and unnecessarily exaggerated. The entire series of events also seem a bit too fast paced and at times, too simplified.
I do appreciate the intriguing sub-heads categorising parts of the story describing vividly the upcoming plot without providing spoilers (well not always though!). The changing narratives from the perspectives of the different characters of the story is also refreshing, but I feel they could've been more personal and defining of each character's thought process. They seemed to blur into one another at times, making all of them not very unique and different from each other, though the author has tried hard to vocalise the differences explicitly.
Overall, I feel it is an absorbing but also a light read, and I am thankful that it nudged me to start reading again.
P.S. This is my first book review. If it was even slightly helpful to anyone, I am thrilled!
It wasn't until mid-book I looked up about the author and the book and realised the connection to the Mahabharata. It was only then I started drawing parallels, which were honestly quite obvious to begin with. I did find the ending quite underwhelming for the exciting plot that had been developing throughout the book. The talk about dharma and its manifestation into the war of the underworld gangs felt quite forced and unnecessarily exaggerated. The entire series of events also seem a bit too fast paced and at times, too simplified.
I do appreciate the intriguing sub-heads categorising parts of the story describing vividly the upcoming plot without providing spoilers (well not always though!). The changing narratives from the perspectives of the different characters of the story is also refreshing, but I feel they could've been more personal and defining of each character's thought process. They seemed to blur into one another at times, making all of them not very unique and different from each other, though the author has tried hard to vocalise the differences explicitly.
Overall, I feel it is an absorbing but also a light read, and I am thankful that it nudged me to start reading again.
P.S. This is my first book review. If it was even slightly helpful to anyone, I am thrilled!
October 2, 2017
Sandipan Deb's 'The Last War' is retelling of the greatest story ever told 'Mahabharata' but set against the backdrop of Mumbai underworld. This is definitely not the first time that Mahabharata is told in contemporary events (Maniratnam's Dalapathi) but this one manages to show the rivalry between the cousins as a struggle for power and control over the underworld and Mumbai. I liked how the author used cricket spot fixing instead of gambling. The author manages to tell the story in an interesting way and it was an interesting read.
December 8, 2021
Got confused after a while
The author did a good job but just didn't capture me
The author did a good job but just didn't capture me
July 3, 2015
Perfect time to re visit MAHABHARAT. I remember the days when I used to sit with my grandmother
and watch it on TV during my summer vacations. I think everyone should read it again.
Good attempt by writer at re-writing Mahabharat in a different context.
One of the best plot in this book was the Gambling one. Can you guess its modern version ?? Cricket spot fixing !!! Yes can you imagine that ??!!
I shouldn't elaborate it anymore as it would kill the fun. Read it to see how the story unfolds.
All the characters are just incredible but if I had to chose
someone as my favourite, it has to be Karl ( i.e. Karn).
Fresh ideas, nicely executed.
and watch it on TV during my summer vacations. I think everyone should read it again.
Good attempt by writer at re-writing Mahabharat in a different context.
One of the best plot in this book was the Gambling one. Can you guess its modern version ?? Cricket spot fixing !!! Yes can you imagine that ??!!
I shouldn't elaborate it anymore as it would kill the fun. Read it to see how the story unfolds.
All the characters are just incredible but if I had to chose
someone as my favourite, it has to be Karl ( i.e. Karn).
Fresh ideas, nicely executed.
January 1, 2016
Thoroughly repulsive(IMO) rendition of the Mahabharat set in Mumbai Underworld.Utterly simplistic portrayal of epic characters (krishna to kisehbhai?*shudders*) left me at a loss of words.The frequent use of the word 'dharma' by a bunch of criminals is almost ridiculous at best.Same can be said for those lines like "what do we tell the world?" etc.I was thinking,does the world even know these guys exist?I have to admit that those reviews in flipkart and amazon were fair warnings.But I was so curious...there is a reason they say curiosity killed the cat.:-(
February 26, 2013
A bite-sized "Mahabharata revisited" that takes the basic sub-text of the epic and tries to shoe-horn the characters into the specific neat roles. The writing is just enough to keep up a good pace. However, since it doesn't want to go into the layered approach to the text of the epic, the repeated allusions to "dharma" ring hollow.
This is probably aimed at the airport bookstore purchase crowd or, those who'd require a quick read during journeys. You'll not miss much if you miss this.
This is probably aimed at the airport bookstore purchase crowd or, those who'd require a quick read during journeys. You'll not miss much if you miss this.
February 4, 2014
A good book, comparing the old age epic of Mahabharta in modern day Underworld of Mumbai. Though I didn't like there concept and reference of Dharma too often. But towards the end when Author compared that even the bad side was following its dharma, it questions the whole good and bad paradigm. Overall a good read. Though become quite boring in pieces, but overall set in a good pace.
Notable Characters - Kishenbhai and Karl
Notable Characters - Kishenbhai and Karl
January 19, 2022
Some books do not get their due, and are lost in the publishing logjam. "The Lost War" recasts the timeless Mahabharata in a modern setting in a manner that does not seem forced or shoehorned. My favourite part is a set-piece about cricket match-fixing, set in the 1990s, with spot-on descriptions of betting venues, period appropriate technology, and settings that provide verisimilitude.
The salty language may be a turnoff to some. But the characters are alive, and multidimensional.
The salty language may be a turnoff to some. But the characters are alive, and multidimensional.
March 14, 2013
It's a nice effort combining Mumbai "underworld" with the epic Mahabharata... But I wasn't gripped ...
Once I start a book I can't put it down, but somehow this book took an effort to finish!!
I wish the author better luck in his next venture
Once I start a book I can't put it down, but somehow this book took an effort to finish!!
I wish the author better luck in his next venture
August 21, 2013
a modern day Mahabharata
set in the business of dons and the underworld in mumbai
while the movie Kalyug was corporate biz and sophisticated this is grunge
with an interesting twist at the end
enjoyed seeing the modern avatars of the characters and set pieces of the plot
set in the business of dons and the underworld in mumbai
while the movie Kalyug was corporate biz and sophisticated this is grunge
with an interesting twist at the end
enjoyed seeing the modern avatars of the characters and set pieces of the plot
July 9, 2016
Its a modern version of mahabharata. I just loved it.
May 26, 2013
Mahabharata in the Underworld!!
Read
August 13, 2018BASED ON MAHABHARATA, MANY BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN SIMILAR FASHION. THE LAST WAR IS A VERY SAD DEPICTION ON UNDERWORLD ENEMITY BETWEEN COUSINS IN MUMBAI JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN MAHABHARATA. STORY TELLING IS VERY ORDINARY AND HAVE TRIED TO MATCH COME CHARACTED FROM THE EPIC WITH THE UNDERWORLD. IT WASNT A GREAT READ AT ALL SINCE I KNEW THE OUTCOME.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews