By Saba Alam
A Case of Exploding Mangoes is a debut novel by Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif. The novel was written in 2008. The novel is about love, tyranny, family, and betrayal. It is full of queer and intriguing twists and turns. It builds upon the unique and exceptional character of Ali Shigri. Most of the story is narrated by him. The plot of the novel revolves around Ali but there is also a prominent character of General Zia-ul-Haq whose story is provided in a third-person perspective. The novel is based on the fictional theories behind the actual plane crash of General Zia-ul-Haq, the former president of Pakistan. Ali Shigri is a cadet at Pakistan Air force Academy. His father was also a part of the Pakistan Army. He has recently committed suicide which Ali believes to be murder. The whole novel revolves around Ali’s plotting for the murder of President Zia. The character of Ali Shigri is a complex one that reveals very few things about his personality on a surface level. On close observation, it can be concluded that the character of Ali Shigri is suffering from some severe mental illness which has clouded his perceptions. The laundryman of the academy, Uncle Starchy tells Ali that the nectar of the snake becomes poisonous when it is in touch with a metal. Hence, Ali intends to pin the sword to General Zia in the parade so that the poison can kill him, slowly and gradually, without anyone noticing.
Ali’s character is revealed in the beginning but his plot of revenge is disclosed after a few chapters. He has no other purpose in the novel except to take his revenge. In the course of his actions, he is arrested and interrogated by the army and the intelligence bureau. The authorities also torture him. However, after his release, he continues with his plans and is successful in carrying them out. His personality has a certain charm that makes others believe that Ali Shigri is very innocent and a compliant mountain boy. He is easily able to deceive others with his innocent act.
Loot Bannon likes him, Uncle Starchy is his friend and General Akhtar believes he is not guilty. His friend Obaid loves him and is always ready to risk his own life for Ali. Thus, generally, he is liked and loved by everyone around him. Ali Shigri is constantly sardonic and taunting towards the Army men, Squadron leaders, Officers in Command, Bureaucrats, Politicians, etc. He is always mistrustful. He never shares his exact plans with anyone. He gathers ideas from his surroundings and devises a plan to use his swordsman skill to take revenge without bringing it to anyone’s knowledge. Only two other characters in the novel are aware of his intentions of revenge, his friend Obaid and their squadron leader, Bannon. However, even these two characters do not know how he plans to carry out his vendetta against General Zia. He is mistrustful of authorities. The most obvious traits of his personality are his pessimism, distrust, anger, being out of touch with reality, depression, and self-deception.
General Zia, on the other hand, is suffering from paranoia. He has personal relationships with the Saudi Prince. He is depicted as an extremely religious person, who has fear of God. His character is shown as transforming from a strong, confident person to a scared man who begins to keep himself in his room because of his paranoia.
The novel talks about corruption and politics. It is
full of dark humor. The author has shown a satirical attitude towards the army
of Pakistan. With the help of the character of General Zia-ul-Haq, the author
has shown how global politics work. The novel is also a critique of the ruling
class of Pakistan, who are only interested in achieving their own
politico-economic goals. The novel also shows the significance of Islam in
Pakistan and how it is manipulated by the leaders of the country. In short,
Mohammed Hanif has made use of real people as fictional characters to document
the reality of Pakistani politics and the role of the army in public and civic politics.
