Two of Lapierre's books – Is Paris Burning? (co-written with Larry Collins) and City of Joy – have been made into films. Lapierre and Collins wrote several other books together before Collins' death in 2005. There is no single passage in this profoundly researched book that one could actually fault. Having been there most of the time in question and having assisted at most of the encounters, I can vouch for the accuracy of its general mood. It is a work of scholarship, of investigation, research and of significance.” Betty gets arrested on murder charges, while her lover Jacob Varghese is on the run. Jacob tactfully misleads the police and flees with Betty, where they stay hidden for days. On their way to collect passports, Betty gets involved in a protest and is admitted to the hospital while Jacob gets arrested. In the police station, Jacob is ruthlessly handled by the police, and finds his inmates as arrogant and unsympathetic, where he decides to escape. Jacob shares his desire with another inmate named Simon, who initially disagreed and later agreed as he wants to meet his family. The advocate of Appachan, a rich businessman, questions Jacob about the location of a man called Charlie, but Jacob remains calm and tells that he doesn't know Charlie. Simon asks Jacob about Appachan and Charlie, where Jacob reveals his past. Readers in Pakistan may find it particularly off-putting as it gives a very negative portrayal of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and essentially is an argument against partition. The Sikh, Hindu and Moslem components of the Indian Army all gave heartfelt farewells to their comrades who would be moving to their respective countries at partition. Here is one example:

Perspective The perspective of this book is both fascinating and appalling. The author does not hesitate to criticise the Maharajas of India and Indian national leaders. However he also often paints Mountbattion in a favourable light. The one Englishman who thought only the good of India and guided her journey. Which is anything but true. Perhaps because Mountbatton is one of the main source of this book, he has attained a status of a man who made everything possible without making any mistakes. I was unaware of the painfully and heart-ripping things that the country and its people have to undergo. By that I mean the pain endured by the people of Punjab and Bengal, the problems faced by the migrants, the communal violence, and stuff. With the help of this book, I got an opportunity to learn a lot of things about my country. Brasted, H. V.; Bridge, Carl (1994). "The transfer of power in South Asia: An historiographical review". South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. 17 (1): 93–114. doi: 10.1080/00856409408723200.There is a description of Shimla, the British summertime capital in the Himalayas, and how supplies were carried up steep mountains by porters each year. Also covered in detail are the events leading to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the life and motives of Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Muslims who wanted a separate Muslim state went to newly formed Pakistan and the people who wanted a separate Muslim state went to the newly formed Pakistan and the people who wanted to be in a secular state remained in India or came to India, as simple as that. And I'm quite sure that the author would not be someone looking at some British aristocrat (or their Nehruvian acolytes) with swooning eyes. Wherever you go,” said Idriss in reply, “we shall always remain brothers, because we spilled our blood together.” Another fascinating aspect of this book is its characterization of Mahatma Gandhi, so real yet surreal at times. It shows you in clear light, the real essence of being the father of a nation. It shows you what it meant to be one M.K.Gandhi. You are bound to bow in humility and fall in love with this mahatma, whether you have read good or bad or nothing about him before. India at transition is truly an awesome entity that will have to be managed when the British Raj departs:There were the sepoys, Indian infantry men, at the siege of Arcot offering their British officers their last rice rations because they knew better how to endure the agonies of starvation; the Guides, galloping down to Delhi to assault the mutineers in 1857; the 6th Gurkhas swarming up the ridge from which the Turks dominated the beaches of Gallipoli, the sowars, or cavalry troopers, of the 11th Prince Albert Victor’s Own Cavalry, the 2nd Royal Lancers, and the 18th Lancers stemming the rush of Rommel’s armor at Meikili in the Western Desert, spurning the Field Marshal’s call to surrender, and perhaps saving all Egypt by their stand. At one point, the book talks of "millions of cattle who ate all the food that could have used to feed the Indian masses" but ignorantly decides to skip the tale of the famines caused by the Raj, that killed more Indians than Jews killed by Hitler. There are a lot of movies about the Indian Independence and the brave freedom fighters of India. But the authenticity of it is unknown, whereas in this book the authors had done a great deal of research and only based upon authentic materials they have come up with this book. Thugs OTT release: JioCinema confirms premiere date for this prison escape movie". OTTplay. Thugs is a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil Present: Simon and Jacob plans to escape and somehow makes the other inmates leave their cell. Meanwhile, a thief named Devassy and a migrant worker Ramu arrives, where they also plan to escape with Simon and Jacob. However, the police find marijuana in Simon's cell. Jacob digs a hole through the toilet of his cell down the drainage and into the compound, where he starts building the tunnel a bit-by-bit with the help of Devassy, Ramu and two other thieves, who are basically twins who initially hated the escape plan, but later agreed after learning that they have been falsely accused. A new inmate arrives on the charge of molestation, where Jacob and his gang somehow evade him. With whom Jacob had a fight earlier, Udayan arrives at their cell to foil their plan.

In reality, it was a crime. In reality, the perpetrators have still not been punished. In reality, millions of women and children are yet to be avenged. The quartet of Jinnah, Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel ( Iron man of India), along with Lord Mountbatten were the decision-makers for India's fate, which, to the chagrin of all Hindu leaders, was a 'Partition'. Later, Mountbatten described this partition as "sheer madness". The horror of partition was so animated in the book, you would flinch with revulsion. The plot of assassinating the Mahatma would make you restless. The struggle and stubbornness of political leaders to get their objectives would make you wonder, "Was the freedom really worth it?" 40s is the most important period in Indian history and the 40's India comes alive in every sentence of this book. The socio-economic conditions, the religious mindsets, the convoluted politics - you live the fight for freedom yourself throught this book. I am sure, after reading this book, you would look at our famous national leaders in a different light than before. The "rich indulgence of Indian kings" has been quoted in great detail, while the atrocities on Indian wealth and citizens by the British have been ignored. The most astounding achievement of this book is that it rips out the aura of myths that have agglomerated around our political figures associated with the freedom movement, and humanizes each and every one of them, while being totally neutral, and being absolutely honest with the facts.

Ironically, the one Indian leader who foresaw the awful dimensions of the tragedy ahead was the man who had tried so hard to prevent partition. Gandhi had so immersed himself in the lives of India’s masses, sharing their sorrows and sufferings, their daily existence, that he had a unique ability to perceive the mood of his nation. Until I read Freedom at Midnight, I really had no desire to visit the Indian subcontinent. Now, I really want to visit India and, if it were safe to do so, visit Pakistan. What a remarkable story these authors tell. So many great passages to read and note. Some humorous, some factual, some tragic: Freedom at Midnight' is a history book equivalent of 'In Which We Serve' a piece in which Mountbatten is centre stage as the last viceroy creating the new states of India and Pakistan and absolving both himself and the UK for the nightmare of bloodshed that Britain created. Mountbatten, and the whole British imperial establishment, are presented as somewhat ineffectual, but well meaning umpires out of depth in a situation they have neither control over nor responsibility for. It is wrong, it is grotesque, it is a shameful lie of a book. I can't give it more than a star and my sentimental associations with the book prevent me from shelving it as disappointing, waste of time or should never have been written as it deserves. Sanjith Sidhardhan of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Contrary to the film’s trailer, the violence is minimum in this taut action thriller, which prides itself in using the smarts; and that’s what makes this jailbreak movie an arresting watch." [6] Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost wrote "If Swathanthriyam Ardharathriyil still remains entertaining, it is because Pappachan’s adept direction, his cast’s appeal and his tech team’s sophistication keep the thrills going when all else falters. The atmospherics, the haunting ugliness of that prison complex and the suspense hold out enough excitement to make this a watchable albeit flawed film." [7] Remake [ edit ] The sad demise of young Britishers who died in India has been subjected to all the love, but not a drop of ink been wasted for the millions of Indians, who died pleasing their "memsahibs".

Three centuries of ruling India had its impact on the men and women who came to work and rule. The authors point out that getting young men to come to the “Jewel in the Crown” to make a name or a fortune was easy before WWI and hard after: Think this is one book which every kid in the subcontinent should read before he finishes high school. Glad that I've read it now, even if, 15 years too late.Dominique Lapierre was[ born 30 July 1931 in Chatelalaillon, Charente-maritime, France] is a French author. Two of lapierre’s books – Is Paris Burning? [ co-written with larry Collins] and city of joy – has been made into films. Lapierre and Collins wrote several other books together.