NAEEM SHA
About the Author
Naeem Sha is an Indian writer of many renowned Hindi movies. He is the creator of the iconic ‘Jhakkas’ character which is considered a landmark in Indian Cinema. Currently living in Mumbai with his wife and two daughters and his Shih Tzu Murphy Sha, he has directed two feature films ‘Officer’ & ‘Tsunami 81.’ He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and is a trained Martial Artist. His debut fiction novel titled ‘Trikaalagya,’ a psychological thriller was greatly appreciated by the readers. His novel ‘Side By Side’ became a Bestseller on Amazon. He is extremely passionate about travelling, filmmaking and writing. “I am a healer” he says, “All storytellers are healers.”
1. What inspired you to write “Bombay Gold Heist 1944” and focus on this particular forgotten chapter of World War II?
In 1968, when I was ten years old my father once mentioned that Gold nuggets had rained in Bombay during World War 2. It had completely shocked me. For a young boy it sounded unbelievable – implausible actually. I was curious to learn more about it, but unfortunately our siesta session was abruptly called off as my father had to rush for some urgent work. Regrettably, we never picked up the ropes and life carried on. With time the memory of that story slowly faded and went into oblivion; but I guess it stayed alive somewhere in my subconscious mind. The fast-moving life, took my father, my mother and devoured five decades in a wink; shockingly time came to a grinding halt in 2020. The Covid 19 pandemic clamped a worldwide lockdown. People were imprisoned inside their homes for days and months as death lurked outside. It felt as if Time had stopped. Time passed a prison sentence on every human in 2020; all humans sentenced to home imprisonment indefinitely. The fast-paced world was motionless; the future looked uncertain. That’s when my wife Nazneen Sha inspired me to write English novels. Gold nuggets rained in my dream that night. My father’s story replayed in my mind; it was as though he was navigating me towards it. In the following days, I immersed myself in online research, began hunting and reading authenticated historical books, journals. I was stumped by the findings. Indeed! Tons of Gold bars had rained in Bombay in 1944. But the true facts were hidden by the British Empire. It was the forgotten chapter of World War 2 in the history of India.
2. Can you share more about the research process that went into uncovering the historical events surrounding the gold heist and the rebellion of Triple H?
To dig up the real truth of 1944, required extensive, exhaustive research and I took up the challenge and shockingly uncovered more hidden truth as I sank deeper into historical facts. Hundreds of hours of reading, cross-checking facts, made me sink deeper into the past decades. Like an obsessed archeologist, I continued unearthing facts for two years, while filtering piles of incorrect twisted and wrong historical facts. Somewhere in the mid of 2023 after I had released my second novel SIDE BY SIDE and it became the bestseller on Amazon, I found myself at a dead end. What should I write next? My first book Trikaalagya was a psychological thriller, the next, Side By Side, a Survivor story. What genre should I attempt next? That’s when I realized that the research on the Gold Rain of 1944 had secretly opened the door of a historical fiction for me supported by true facts; the story of the forgotten chapter of WW2 had to be brought to the world. I was overburdened with tons of information in my mind, at times I felt my head would burst with so much data and research. Lacing facts with fiction I created the anarchist rebels of Bombay named Triple H and integrated it seamlessly into the actual events of 1944. It was a volatile era, the country was burning in the flames of the Quit India Movement, World War 2 was at its peak, thousands of American soldiers and bomber fleets were deployed by the Allies in India, the seventy thousand mill workers of Bombay had become a formidable opponent to the British in Bombay. Toiling alone in my room for another year, with the passing of endless sunrise and sunset, finally I was able to accomplish the mammoth feat and my third novel based on historical facts and events was ready. Readers will be shocked and pleasantly surprised to learn so many varied facts of 1944, which were buried in time. Bombay Gold Heist 1944 – is a time travel experience.
3. The characters in Triple H are a diverse group. How did you develop the personalities of Fayyaz, Gopal, Notley, and Satpal?
The readers will be amazed to learn that during the peak of the Second World War, when India was fighting for Self-Government and Purna Swaraj, the people of India were spiritually united – like a closed fist, they were ONE in spirit. Pre Independence, people of varied religion lived harmoniously and stayed together like brothers, enjoyed each other’s culture, food, and festivals. Almost every Indian wanted freedom from slavery, and the British Raj. Religion, caste and creed stayed in the background. This brotherhood, this human bonding, was the driving force that consciously created the Triple H characters, Fayyaz, Gopal, Satpal and Notley apart from many others like Darius, Raymond and Murphy. The principal characters of Triple H are also inspired from Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and Chandra Shekhar Azad. They proudly admit that Bhagat Singh and his team were their idols. In fact, they had founded the Triple H organization in 1942, on the birthday of Bhagat Singh; 23 March, as a tribute to the great martyrs. Being born during the revolution of India, and the two World Wars, the Triple H brigade is much more politically aware and trained in guerilla warfare. In their twenties, each young man is ready to sacrifice his life for the country and for his squad. The stark truth which made a great impression on me during the research from 1857 to 1944 was that, men, women, boys, girls from different religion, caste and creed have given their blood, sacrificed their life for the freedom of India. There are thousands of Unsung heroes and freedom fighters. Our country truly belongs to every community who lives in India. Here I would like to mention a couplet of the famous fiery Urdu poet Rahat Indori; Sabhi ka khoon hai shamil yahan ki mitti mein – Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hain.
4. The backdrop of World War II and the British Empire is vast and complex. How did you balance historical accuracy with creative storytelling in your novel?
Well-done research is equivalent to arming oneself with the best arsenal; most crucial to win any battle. Research adds to knowledge. Knowledge gives power and guides you to authenticate the blue print you need to follow as a story teller. In order to correctly understand the political and social complexity of the Second World War and the British Raj of 1944, I had to travel a hundred year into the alleys of history. I read books and journals written by the Portuguese, British Officials, gazettes, memoirs and several rare historical books to understand the mindset of the Britishers and the local Indians. What prompted the Second World War? Who were the Allies? The Axis power? What was the actual intention of each nation participating in the World War? Why were thousands of American soldiers deployed all over India? Why was Japan hell bent on invading India? Why did Japan want to take over the port of Bombay? How were leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Jinnah, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and many others dealing with the Transfer of Power? Questions were endless. To correctly envision1944, it was vitally crucial to know the past events that had led to the pre-Independence turmoil. What events and sacrifices manifested to the Quit India Movement? Understanding the life style and the mindset of the people living in 1944 British India was a major task, because that would actually bring the characters alive. How they spoke? How they lived their daily life? What were their fears, aims and aspirations? To hear their heartbeats, I read a lot of personal letters, of students, soldiers, army officers, pilots, political leaders, activists, journalists, newspapers – it was highly exhausting, yet each heartbeat inspired me, drew me closer into the world that existed. And eventually the hard work paid off, I was able to recreate the world of 1944, which I feel was possibly close to my version of the narration. I must have gone up and down a hundred times to match dates and accuracy of events in which I have placed the story of the Gold Heist and the Triple H rebels’ movement. To be honest, I visualize the characters and the events as though they happened right in front of me, I was the eye witness – I had travelled to 1944. And that’s exactly what I would like the reader to experience, once they enter the world of Bombay Gold Heist 1944.
5. Alexander Patrick, the antagonist, is a ruthless character. What was your inspiration for his portrayal, and how does he drive the story forward?
Evil has many dimensions. The idea was to assimilate the entire evil of the Colonial British Empire in Alexander Patrick; the antagonist of the narrative. It’s a common fallacy that the British never spoke Hindustani; that is totally incorrect. Here I would want to make special mention about a very important observation regarding British officers who lived for more than a decade in India. To be precise the British officers had a good understanding of the Hindustani language along with many other local languages, depending on which province they had ruled in. Apart from pronunciation, gender and accent issue, they spoke extremely good Hindustani, and generally communicated with the locals in the Hindustani language.
Alexander Patrick epitomizes the sobriety and notoriety of the British Empire. He can be compared to the sadistic John Nicholson of 1857 and ruthless General Reginald Dyer who massacred thousands in the Jallianwala Baugh in 1919. Alexander is an authoritative character, who manipulates and controls people with his charismatic words and narcissist personality. Within seconds he could transform into the most devilish and demonic avatar. His intimidating presence silenced an entire gathering. Suave, charming, well read, he had the gift of the tongue. Being a linguist, he spoke English along with fluent chaste Hindustani and a bit of Punjabi, Farsi and Bengali. The towering blonde officer was well known to crush the Arab rebels single handedly in Palestine, by his ruthless methods and brutal punishment. “The Butcher of Palestine,” as he was called, had been commissioned from Palestine, to annihilate the Triple H squad which created terror amongst the British officers in the Bombay Province. By authorizing him with Supreme Powers, Viceroy Archibald Wavell was confident that Alexander Patrick would put and end to the internal disturbances in Bombay and other parts of India.
Alexander Patrick will undoubtedly become one of the most unforgettable antagonists’ characters in the world of villains. You will hate him and love him at the same time.
6. What message or themes do you hope readers will take away from the book, especially in terms of anti-colonialism and rebellion?
Apart from writing a compelling story around true historical events, subconsciously the attempt is to make the reader of today and the future, realize the aspirations and dreams of the characters who lived in the British Raj. In the pre independence era, young men and women who revolted against the Colonial Empire, never thought much about their own future. Secondly, Religion never surfaced; it stayed in their homes. Brotherhood, and the value for each Indian was primary. People from different caste creed and religion were ready to lay their lives for each other against the British Empire. Their prime concern was to get rid of the chains of slavery. Each and every freedom fighter known or unsung wanted a free country, a country in which their future generation could breathe freely, without the whip of colonial slavery, and a foreign invader occupying their land. Besides the Spirit of Freedom, what cemented them together, united them, was the Spirit of Humanity.
That Spirit of Humanity humbled me, and I have sincerely attempted to rekindle it in the novel. The present generation has unfortunately not much knowledge and insight into the Indian freedom struggle and the terror of the British Raj era. They can never fully realize what our forefathers and the generation gone by experienced. Today people don’t have time for their close and dear ones in the fast-paced digital age! So how can one expect them to understand, reflect and identify with those who lived decades back, who took the bullet, went to the gallows, for the freedom of India. It’s unfortunate but it’s the sad truth. Further, with the propaganda of fake news, adulterated information and corrosive perceptions of historical events on the online platform, it’s really tough to filter the truth from layers of deceit. The era I have written about happened almost eighty years back, yet to understand the people, to unearth the real truth, I invested more than three years of extensive research, only with the intention of bringing the real truth in front of the readers. When I was in school, I remember the fervour and the excitement of students, the people and the Indians around Independence Day and Republic Day. The freedom fighters of India and the nationalist leaders were remembered, we paid tribute and sang songs in their honour. But today it seems to be eroding, there’s a conscious agenda to either tarnish them or erase them forever. That’s a very dangerous sign. Never forget those who made your country free, never forget the blood they shed. Today we breathe in a free country, only because of the struggle and sacrifice of those soldiers of freedom. They died so that we could live in a free country. The famous song, Sare Jahan Se Achha, Hindustan Hamara, written in 1877 by famous poet Allama Iqbal encompasses the true spirit of India. Never forget it.
7. “Bombay Gold Heist 1944” mixes action, history, and adventure. What challenges did you face in blending these genres, and how did you overcome them?
Evey novel should hold the constant engagement of the reader; it’s a primary requisite. Being an avid reader of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, PG Wodehouse, Frank Herbert, Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bernard Shaw, Harold Robbins, Ken Follet, Robert Ludlum, Mario Puzo, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Sidney Sheldon, Sadat Hasan Manto, Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay, Munshi Prem Chand and many greats, I have realized that while narrating a story one has to be honest to the characters. The character drives the story, walks the path for the writer. To take the readers into a new world is a daunting task, no doubt, but if one focusses and gets into the skin of the characters and the situation, one can deliver engaging novels. Besides, because I’ve graduated from a screenwriter to an Author/Novelist, I guess at the back of my mind, I’m mindful that I grab the attention of the reader in this digital world instantly. Today people’s attention span has reduced, become shorter, hence to grab the audience and keep them glued into the narration is very challenging. I believe that one should never take the reader for granted – it’s getting difficult with each decade. My study of human psychology has helped me a lot in my story telling.
While writing Bombay Gold Heist 1944, I was blessed to have an array of colorful and culturally enriched characters, because Bombay at that time was a plethora of different cultures. The vast canvas of the Indian subcontinent, was brimming with varied cultures, with Armenians, Jews, Afghans, Chinese, Turks, Burmese, Japanese, Americans, British…it was a crazy mixture of art, color, music and rituals. Bombay was reputed to be the second-best city in the world after London at that time. The historical settings of the Second World War and the Indian revolution afforded a great opportunity to create incredible action and adventure sequences. Writing this novel was exhausting and draining, yet finally when I completed it, I felt highly rewarded. I feel I have done justice to this one. I’m sure, the readers are going to be pleasantly surprised. Take the trip to 1944.
8. Your previous works include psychological thrillers and bestsellers. How does “Bombay Gold Heist 1944” differ from your earlier novels in terms of writing style and themes?
“Trikaalagya,” my debut novel was born out of a great curiosity. Are we all living a prewritten life? If every event, all ups and downs of life occur because of a predetermined destiny, then what’s the contribution of each individual? Are we merely puppets controlled by destiny? Isn’t it our small and big actions, that we choose, change and alter our life path? Isn’t it our Karma, that controls and paves our destiny? Also, if an astrologer predicts the future, reading birth charts, then can a person change his / her destiny, alter it? It’s a complex debate! Yet this became the seed of my first novel, which was greatly appreciated by the readers. The next title Side By Side, was based on true events. It was a Survivor story; a young father and his seven-year-old son battle against all odds in 1991, and celebrate life in their own way. I wish to be honest here and admit that some events have been inspired from my own life struggle. The main protagonist’s mother is named Mumji after my own mother; many of her habits, her charm and her worldly wisdom is also reflected in the narrative. I thank the readers for their great response for Side by Side; for making it the bestseller on Amazon.
All my novels have been written in different style and approach because each belongs to a different genre. Besides the settings, the era, the characters, their emotional and social background, their dreams and aspirations, is never the same. A human mind is the most complex thing in the world; it can never be formulated – it isn’t two plus two four. One cannot generalize human emotions. What one says, one speaks, one thinks, one perceives can never be the same, even remotely. Too many factors, internal and external govern and act upon a living being. Bombay Gold Heist 1944, was much more challenging, I was writing about an era, which has not much visual history. To understand that world, the people, the political and social environment, and to make the characters alive, I had to travel into a labyrinth of written facts and figures, research and data collection: Books, memoirs, newspapers, gazettes, personal letters and historical data became my source. I was completely blown away by the writing style of that era and their amazing vocabulary; I guess a lot of that got ingrained in my writing. I have mindfully adopted a lot of that bygone style; the attempt is to take the readers to that time – Bombay Gold Heist 1944 is a time capsule.
9. With such a dramatic plot involving gold falling from the sky and intense battles, do you see this book being adapted into a film? If so, how would you envision it?
It’s every Authors dream that his story reaches as many people as possible. Cinema has been very instrumental in bringing alive so many books, plays, and stories to the big screen. Being a screenwriter, I had written successful Hindi films like Gupt, Yudh, Mohra, Officer, Tsunami 81, Dil Ka Rishta and many others. Graduating from a screenwriter to an Author, came with a lot of added benefits. Well versed with the craft of filmmaking, I’m seriously aware about the challenges of audience engagement, audience diminishing response and the dynamics of visual story telling in a narrative. As an Author I write for the readers, yet somewhere at the back of my mind, I know that they are the potential screen audience too. This responsibility makes me more conscious; more alert. The attempt is to narrate a story in an engaging way, keeping the readers power of imagination intact. At every word I am mindful that I keep the reader invested into the trials and tribulations of my characters page after page. Like The Pianist, Schindler’s List, Gone with the Wind, A Passage to India, Gandhi; Bombay Gold Heist 1944 has the heart and soul, of a high voltage drama; it definitely presses the right buttons to become an outstanding motion picture. In fact, even when I am answering this question, I have started getting inquiries from a few major film production houses for this novel. But I have to be careful to see that the right production company brings this book to life; because this novel requires a huge visual canvas and mounting. I envision that if made passionately, this historical drama shall be an unforgettable cinema experience, an experience that will move, entertain and stay in the minds of the audience for a long long time, because of its strong memorable characters and theme. The anthem coined by the anarchist group named Triple H in the novel, shall rage as an anthem not only in modern India, but across the world, where countries are being invaded and taken over. The world will resound with the anthem – Won’t give a Penny. Won’t Give a Brother.
10. What’s next for you as an author? Are you planning more historical fiction, or will you explore different genres in the future?
The hunger to learn and discover new things is my constant struggle. I never walk the same path as an author; the explorer in me is always inquisitive and curious to travel into new dimensions and destinations. That inborn trait in my personality subconsciously forces me to tread into different genre. The next idea of my novel has been lingering in my mind, since a couple of years. I’ve written many pages about that idea, however while researching for Bombay Gold Heist 1944, I was so overwhelmed with the collected factual data, that I honestly feel a sequel to Bombay Gold Heist 1944 is a must. The people of India can never thank the freedom fighters ever; young rebels faced the bullets of the British Empire, they shed their blood and breathed only for Freedom. It’ll be an injustice to the rebel warriors of British India, if their saga is left unfinished. They deserve it – their contribution will forever remain unparalleled. The present generation needs to know about the illustrious rebels. The further contribution of Triple H, from 1945 to 1947 leading to the division of Hindustan and the liberation of the country must be told. I’ve to pay my tribute to Triple H. I must humbly admit, the epitaph at the Kohima War Cemetery, got imprinted in my mind forever – “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
Order The Book by Naeem Sha: Bombay Gold Heist 1944
