Anita’s Story

Despite a huge disclaimer at the beginning of Passion India, Moro seems unsure whether this book is entirely fictitious. In a carefully worded statement, he says: “The incidents are real, a few conversations have been added after extensive research.” The book is peppered with amusing anecdotes and observations on the Maharaja’s style, and less on his tumultuous relationship with Delgado. For example, English doctors drew up a diet plan for the adolescent prince, when his first marriage wasn’t consummated because of his expanding girth. Finally, a mahout was invited to solve this problem since he’d worked out a successful reproduction plan for his elephants.

Passion India occasionally meanders into long descriptions of India’s poverty and rigid caste system. Those interested in just the love story can easily skip part two and part four of the book, which describe the wild, erotic parties of the Indian princes, their extravagant lifestyles and palace intrigues. Eventually, when Moro comes back to the maharaja and Delgado, he fails to evoke compassion for the Spanish outsider who’s battling loneliness and a crumbling relationship. Her own scandalous love affair finishes the marriage. Delgado heads back to Spain and the Maharaja continues in his favourite pursuit: European women.

The descendants of Jagatjit Singh have sued Moro for defamation and claim the incidents never happened. “Javier Moro has resorted to cheap, sensational lies to sell his book,” says Tikka Shatrujit Singh, great-grandson of Jagatjit Singh. “If its fiction, why has he used my great-grandfather’s name?”

Anyone who’s not overdosed on the excesses of erstwhile royalty, this is worth a read.