News
MINT
With Homebound, Puja Changoiwala
is a storyteller of history
Puja Changoiwala on her debut novel, ‘Homebound’, and having a front row seat to history
February 14, 2022
THE WIRE
'Homebound' Makes Sure We Don't Forget the 2020 Migrant Crisis
Puja Changoiwala’s new novel begins with the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown. It then makes real a 900-km journey by a migrant family from Mumbai to Balhaar, Rajasthan.
January 25, 2022
THE TIMES OF INDIA
Writing is hard, surviving as a writer is
harder: Author Puja Changoiwala
In an exclusive interview, Puja Changoiwala tells us about her latest novel 'Homebound', her writing and research process, the power of fiction and more.
November 12, 2021
OPEN MAGAZINE
The longest road
'[Homebound] is homage to the resilience of migrant workers... This is the story of people failed by the social, political and economic system of the country.'
November 26, 2021
THE WEEK
'Homebound' review: An elegy to plight of India’s migrant workers during the pandemic
Points to the need to view fellow humans with dignity and empathy
January 17, 2022
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THE QUINT
'Homebound': A Powerful and Humane Look at the Migrant Exodus During COVID-19
'Homebound' is a fictional account of the tragic migrant labour exodus that followed the COVID-19 lockdown in India.
December 15, 2021
BUSINESS STANDARD
A long march to impoverishment
'This is a book that must be read, if not for anything else but to understand just how many countries live within the borders of one India.'
November 24, 2021
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THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE
The perilous return to home
In her fictional work, Homebound, Puja Changoiwala, captures the pathos of this exodus through the deeply moving story of young Meher, living in Dharavi.
December 1, 2021
SCROLL
‘Homebound’ is non-fiction masquerading as a novel about a migrant family’s plight during Covid-19
Puja Changoiwala’s novel replays reality with a high dose of sentiment.
December 18, 2021
INDIA CURRENTS
'Homebound': Letters From a Migrant Indian Girl
A story of family, survival, and relentless hope, the novel captures the resilience and fortitude of those millions of migrant workers, who trudged hundreds of kilometres home, and those hundreds, whom the long walk killed.
February 15, 2022
PLATFORM MAGAZINE
Puja Changoiwala on Homebound
At the novel’s core are the 450 million internal migrants in India — humans who form the bulwark of our economy, while living in Dickensian tenements, mostly working as daily-wage labourers without safety gear, written contracts, job security, paid leaves, health care benefits, social security & fair wages.
November 25, 2021
THE PRINT
HarperCollins presents Homebound by Puja Changoiwala
“Homebound is a book that will hold your heart as you read it. After months of research and interviews, Puja Changoiwala tells a story of injustice and determination...”
October 12, 2021
eSHE MAGAZINE
Why India’s 2020 migrant-worker exodus needs to be recorded
Puja Changoiwala's new book aptly captures the stark reality of millions of migrant labourers who had to trudge hundreds of miles to reach their homes after India's 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
January 13, 2022
WOMENS'S WEB
‘One Had Used Leaves To Fill The Holes In Their Tattered Slippers, While One Had ‘Mended’ His Torn Shoes With Safety Pins’
'Homebound' explores the hope & resilience of migrant workers who trudged hundreds of kilometres during Covid lockdown in India, and those hundreds whom the long walk killed. An excerpt.
December 2, 2021
THE NEWS MINUTE
How a 15-year-old experienced migrant exodus in COVID-19 hit India
This is an excerpt from Puja Changoiwala's book 'Homebound', a novel about the COVID-19 migrant exodus in India.
December 29, 2021
SCROLL
This novel travels with a student walking home with her family from Mumbai during the pandemic
An excerpt from ‘Homebound’, by Puja Changoiwala.
November 9, 2021
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
‘Fear wasn’t his only weapon’
‘The one you’ve picked is a 0.45 mm revolver. This one’s called the “real man-stopper”. Beautiful range, gorgeous precision. We source these from the Indian military.’
September 30, 2020
OPEN MAGAZINE
Shooter to Runner: how to become a reformed gangster
"I’ve read plenty of putdownable pulp through my life as a lit-crit, but this scurrilously scandalous ‘how-to-become-a-reformed-gangster’ case study brought me much illicit pleasure."
October 23, 2020
INDIA TODAY
Run Jadhav run
"As a former crime reporter, Changoiwala provides an intriguing insight into the glorified fiefdom of gunmen and their fleeting dreams. "
October 10, 2020
BUSINESS STANDARD
Crime and Reformation
[Gangster on the Run] does not have a preachy, motivational tone nor is this a long, circuitous journey to drive home the age-old maxim, “crime never pays”. The author deserves credit for presenting like a racy thriller a real-life account of former gangster Rahul Jadhav alias Bhiku — his crimes, struggles and the ultimate transformation...
November 13, 2020
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
The True Story of a Reformed Criminal: Of hope and second chances
Independent journalist, Puja Changoiwala, has now chronicled his journey into a book, Gangster on the Run: The True Story of a Reformed Criminal by HarperCollins India.
October 5, 2020
THE NEWS MINUTE
The early years of Rahul Jadhav
A boy, who lost his innocence to the Mumbai mafia; a painter, who lost his art to the 9 mm pistol; a dreamer, who lost his ambition to cheap whisky; a romantic, who lost his love to dimly lit bars and brothels; and a son, who lost his ideals to hard cash – this is the story of Rahul Jadhav
October 13, 2020
REDIFF
When a terrorist and a hitman meet in jail
"As soon as he entered his barrack, Rahul noticed a group of seven inmates seated on their mattresses under the television set. They must be the terrorists, Rahul thought to himself."
A fascinating excerpt from Gangster On The Run.
October 1, 2020
FIRSTPOST
Puja Changoiwala's book delves into a hitman's reinvention as an ultramarathoner
The journalist, who has has previously authored The Front Page Murders: Inside the Serial Killings that Shocked India , writes a matter-of-fact, honest story.
September 29, 2020
HINDUSTAN TIMES
‘As a crime writer, I find Mumbai safe,
but the statistics disagree’
Puja Changoiwala’s second book Gangster on the Run follows the true story of Rahul Jadhav, a one-time hitman and feared extortionist who has come clean and is now a marathoner.
October 30, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
From dark alleys of crime to ultra-marathoner
At the very outset, the author makes it clear that ‘this is a work of non-fiction’, yet each page reads like a thriller that delves deep into the core of Mumbai’s underworld. Detailed and well-researched, the book narrates a tale of hope.
September 27, 2020
YOUR STORY
Journalist-author Puja Changoiwala's new book explores the life and transformation of gangster Rahul Jadhav
"We sat by the sea, talking for six hours, discussing his crimes, his inner demons, and his external motivations. That quarter of a day told me that the man was walking around with a book in his belly."
October 9, 2020
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Excerpt: Gangster on the Run
The story of hitman and extortionist Rahul Jadhav, Gangster on the Run reveals his descent into crime, his alcoholism and drug addiction. This excerpt focuses on an incident that’s both violent and funny and was the beginning of a reign of terror in the Mumbai suburb of Dombivli
September 18, 2020
THE ASIAN AGE
A gangster's first heartbreak
"Dina turned around and hugged him. Her brown, sunken cheeks wet with tears, she was trembling. She wasn’t shivering, no. She was trembling, as if it were freezing, as if she couldn’t breathe. Within seconds, she broke the embrace, climbed onto the well’s side-rail, and jumped."
September 18, 2020
DECCAN HERALD
A peek into the netherworld
This true story of a reformed criminal is eminently readable
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Podcast: In conversation with Puja Changoiwala
"Manjula Narayan, National Books Editor at Hindustan Times, talks to Puja Changoiwala, about her book Gangster on the Run. A book about a former gangster who turned his life around. Tune in to learn more.. "
September 17, 2020
THE PRINT
Mumbai gangster watched the film Satya 18 times to study how to become a real-life villain
Puja Changoiwala’s book 'Gangster on the Run' is about criminal-turned-marathon runner Rahul Jadhav, whose pseudonym ‘Bhiku’ was inspired by the 1998 film Satya.
August 30, 2020
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OPEN MAGAZINE
The Perfect Murder
"In India, strangely, if you step into any bookshop, true crime books have so far been stocked on the crime shelf—if there is such a shelf at all. But now, with The Front Page Murders, the genre is reaching a sense of literary maturity."
May 10, 2017
THE TIMES OF INDIA
Review: The Front Page Murders
"The mystery is bone-deep and the details penned by the author are visually graphic. The characters are exceptionally well painted with realism and emotions to make the readers look straight into the minds of those characters. "
December 19, 2017
THE PIONEER
Monster in the skin of a human
"Most Indian serial killers have largely been non-aristocratic, driven to multiple murders mainly for money. Their intentions have been to rob, and killing, in most cases, has been part of collateral damage.."
April 9, 2017
THE STATESMAN
True Crime
Changoiwala, who worked for the Hindustan Times in Mumbai, takes the reader along in the mad story chase, giving a good idea of the physical acrobatics as well as the mental calisthenics that enable a crime reporter to get ahead of the pack when a story makes the front pages of a newspaper
May 17, 2017
OUTLOOK
Who was the fifth victim?
A gritty, personalised reconstruction of serial murders in Mumbai proves to be fascinating
December 26, 2016
SCROLL
Remember the Bollywood serial murders that wouldn’t get off the front page of newspapers?
A journalist who covered the crimes has written a taut, tense book.
November 23, 2016
BUSINESS STANDARD
Anatomy of Murder
A page-turner with a Victorian writing style. Almost like re-reading an Agatha Christie novel, that has you frantically read through the night to cherish that "ah ha" moment.
January 6, 2017
DECCAN CHRONICLE
Puja Changoiwala: Murder she wrote
Puja Changoiwala explores the psyche of a serial killer who lived in a posh Mumbai apartment and attended glamorous page 3 parties. In an interview, she tells us about her book, the process behind writing non-fiction and more.
November 30, 2016
MUMBAI MIRROR
Bombay's Bonnie and Clyde
Four years ago, Vijay Palande and Simran Sood were
arrested in connection with the serial murders
that shocked India. A new book uncovers the
Oshiwara couple from hell
November 20, 2016
DAILY O
Behind the lives of the other Indian serial killers
"Mohan's modus operandi was simple - find an 'impressionable-looking' woman, befriend her, propose marriage to her, convince her to elope with him, take her to a lodge, have sex with her, and then get her to swallow cyanide-laced pills before fleeing with her jewellery. "
April 4, 2017
THE HINDU
Case Histories
A reporter takes us along as she probes one of the most chilling murder mysteries in recent Indian history
April 8, 2017
THE QUINT
Murders Most Foul: Inside Mumbai Killer Vijay Palande’s Mind
The new book The Front Page Murders by journalist Puja Changoiwala delves deep into the murders planned and executed by Palande over years, his links with the Mumbai film industry and underworld, his arrest and the media coverage of the entire episode.
November 22, 2016
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Book excerpt: How serial killer Vijay Palande planned the Tikku murder
"I Anuj Tikku son of A.K.Tikku is not happy with my life. So I am taking my own life because this life has given more Just sadness and depression and Failours. Nobody should responsible For my deth because going twords moksha. I am frecceing my soul from my body. This world is all fake."
July 20, 2017
THE TIMES
OF INDIA
Shelf Esteem: Interview
with Puja Changoiwala
"I am a guilty,
guilty, hoarder."
2017