Book Review: Manasbhai Ka KRA - How organised crime became... more organised, by Gitanjali Chandrasekharan

I just finished reading this hilarious novella. Manasbhai, an old fashioned local goon who operates out of a Mumbai chawl, is forced to hire a HR person when two cleaners hired by him to clean up and dispose of dead bodies, go on strike. That’s right. A Human Resources person, who comes in the form of well-intentioned Sunil, a man hyper-focussed on learning and growth. Sunil would rather work for the mafia and be able to learn new things and grow professionally rather than work for an old-fashioned, staid, legally-run business enterprise where would stagnate. Sunil gels well with Manasbhai's associates and starts to put in place the sort of HR processes which any self-respecting enterprise would have and also rolls out benefits, such as insurance cover for the goons.

I read Manasbhai Ka KRA in a single sitting and it took me around an hour to read it on my Kindle. I’m not going to say too much and give away either the plot or the ending. However, let me say this. Manasbhai Ka KRA shines a light not just on the ways of Manasbhai and his mafia associates, but also shows the lighter (and at times ridiculous) side of HR practices and jargon – from KRAs to appraisals.

Gitanjali Chandrasekharan, is a former journalist who now runs Talered. Chandrasekharan’s language is simple, but elegant and the frequent use of Mumbaiya Hindi adds authenticity to the dialogues. I really enjoyed reading Manasbhai Ka KRA and highly recommend it.

You can buy Manasbhai Ka KRA from here.