The Cousins Thackeray

The Cousins Thackeray
on Nov 19, 2019

The book is about the relationship between Thackeray cousins. How they are in as the person and what are their personality traits. The main segment of book focus on the connection between Shiv Sena and the film Broken Arrow The 1996 John Travolta and Christian Slater-starrer film Broken Arrow has a mystic connection with Maharashtra politics. The on-screen feud between Travolta and Slater’s character might have brought in huge commercial success to the makers, but indirectly it proved to be a bad omen for one the strongest political family in Maharashtra, the Thackeray’s and their political outfit the Shiv Sena. Ironically, the party’s symbol happens to be Bow and Arrow. Author Dhaval Kulkarni is also a journalist with the expertise of politics. His ‘political story telling’ way has the answers of the connection between Shiv Sena and the film Broken Arrow. The characteristics and the equation of Thakeray’s is the subject of this book. Chhagan Bhujbal, who was then a senior Shiv Sena leader recall, “Uddhav was calm. Raj was naughty and would keep running around.” He has also narrated an incident in the book, where he mentions installing a grill over his well at Nashik because as a child Raj would peep into it during visits to the farm. Kirti Pathak, Uddhav and Raj’s paternal cousin recalls that Uddhav was extremely quite since childhood; he never shouted at anyone or lost his temper.” So much so, that he would not like sound of crackers being burst. “He has tremendous control over his emotions, which might have helped him as wildlife photographer.” Though the book is mainly about Uddhav and Raj, the author has taken liberty in expanding certain instances by getting into minute details, which could be seen more as a professional habit.