BC: W h a t h a p p e n e d w ith y our le gs ?
18
V R: I w a s 6 y e a r o l d , it w a s in
s e p te m b e r 1 9 8 1 i n Bha ndup, Mum ba i, I
w a s c o m i n g h o m e fr om s c hool, a tr uc k
s m a s h e d o v e r m e , I got dr a gge d a lm os t
1 0 0 m e te r s w i th tr uc k , the tr uc k driv e r
w a s d r u n k a n d m y le ft le g got c r us h e d
e n ti r e l y , I w a s a k id, c r ie d s o ha r d t ill
fa i n te d , c r o w d to ok m e to Ra ja w a di
m u n i c i p a l h o s p i ta l, doc tor s tr ie d to fix
m y l e g a n d th e y c ould do it but the y
a s k e d m y d a d to ta k e m e to a pr iv a te
h o s p i ta l a n d to b e tr e a te d, but it c ould
c o s t m o r e th a n 2 5 0 0 0 RS. My da d trie d
v e r y h a rd b u t c o u ld not r a is e 2 5 0 0 0 RS
a n d u l ti m a te l y , I l os t m y le g.
Do c to r s h a v e c h o p pe d m y le g in to
s i x p i e c e s to r e m ov e m y c rus he d lim b.
BC: I a m s o r r y fo r the tr a ge dy Vinod !
V R: (He s i g h e d ) I t's o k a y b r oth e r . .
w h a te v e r h a p p e n s .. ha ppe ns w ith
G o d 's w i l l . . s o I don't c om pla in..
BC: I t's e a s y to s a y this Vinod but I
c a n u n d e r s ta n d w ha t y ou ha v e gone
th r o u g h .
BC: Ho w w a s y ou r c hildhood ?
V R: Y o u m u s t h a v e h e a r d the w or d
p h y s i c a l l y c h a l l e nge d k id, this
c h a l l e n g e d w o r d s tuc k w ith m e w he n I
m e t th e a c c i d e n t, othe r k ids a nd
p e o p l e u s e d to b u llie d m e , the y us e d
to s n a tc h m y c r u tc he s , a nd us e d to
te a s e m e a s a l a m e . I us e d to ge t
fr u s tr a te d w i th th i s , the n did I ha v e
d e c i d e d th a t I h a d to be a pe rs on tha t
p e o p l e w o u l d b e a fr a id to s e e m e .
W h e r e I u s e d to l iv e , in thos e da y s ,
g a n g w a r s w e r e v e r y r outine a nd
c o m m o n , a n d th a t w a s the e a s ie s t w a y
w h e r e I c a n d i ffe re ntia te m y s e lf fr o m
th e o th e r p e o p l e a nd ins te a d of
th i n k i n g to b e c o m e doc tor or e ngine e r ,
I d e c i d e d to b e a g a ngs te r a nd a t th e
a g e o f 1 4 w i th s o m e c ir c um s ta nc e s I
s ta r te d m i x i n g w i th ga ng pe ople .
BC: S o w e r e y o u a ga ngs te r ?
V R: No I w a s n 't b u t I s ta r te d liv ing w ith
th e m w h e n I d e c i d e d to le a v e m y hom e ,
a n d th a t w a s o u t of fr us tr a tion a nd
h e l p l e s s n e s s , b u t it w a s m y one of the
worst decision.