Vir Sanghvi's memoir an in-your-face account of Indian journalism

Every Sunday, I perk up in the morning, as I read my favourite column in ‘HT Brunch’ by Vir Sanghvi on the latest food trends.

My addiction to HT Brunch for almost a decade now is courtesy of this column. The riveting account of ‘the best Chole Bhaturein Delhi’ to the latest French Cuisine arriving in Delhi, is something I look forward to every week. I wish for Vir to write a little longer than the two pages, as the detailed and mesmerising comparisons of his brunch articles, always leave me yearning for more.

So, you can well imagine my excitement, when I received a call from Mithilesh- The Salve of book lovers of Bahrisons, Khan Market, informing me that he has kept a signed copy of ‘A Rude Life’, an autobiography by Vir Sanghvi for my savouring. I rushed to grab my copy!

Over the years, I have read a quite few autobiographies,  from ‘Roses in December’ by M. C. Chagla to a ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ by Nelson Mandela. But, Vir’s autobiography beats all stereotypes. One of the finest autobiographies, ‘A Rude Life’ reads like a juicy novel full of intricate details of the last five decades of our new India intercepted by hilarious chapters like ‘Were You Planning On Kissing Me?’, ‘Pondit Here But Cannot Hear’ and ‘Tony Never Forgets A Face’. This book has no comparison with any other  – at times a racy novel, suddenly an exciting story which has a slice of Vinod Mehta’s style and then blending into a curiosity of a political commentary which is normally seen in a Khuswant Singh’s book or column.

It has enthralling details of a Calcutta life as well as comparisons of the daily life of the 1980s and 1990s writer in three metros of India - Calcutta, Mumbai and finally Delhi. The captivating narration of minute details of the above cities and their public life transports the reader to those periods of modern history, which,  may have otherwise not been known to the mobile laced younger generations of a resurgent India.

For example, Vir goes into the details of the slow life in Calcutta and using expressions like “single file movement” for public protests in the 1980s, he draws a parallel to the present pandemic, saying that social distancing reminds him of the Calcutta protests.

A very in-your-face account of the journey of Indian journalism has also been captured by Vir in dramatic proportions. He leaves no one unscathed,  from Anand BazarPatrika to News X to Hindustan Times, as he captures his private conversations while working with the said publications.

The book also gives an insight into the political and personal lives of a few former Prime Ministers of India such as H. D. Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, strewn with several anecdotes from his personal interactions with them, the chapters completely engulf the reader. The awkwardness of a few Prime Ministers, the unconventional methods of P.V. Narsimha Rao and the grace of I. K. Gujralare are also very well articulated.

I was particularly touched by Vir’s interaction with the then Prime Minister, Mr Vajpayee. The book gives us a glimpse of Vajpayee’s family and home which Vir had the good fortune to observe during his numerous interactions on Deepawali and other social occasions. In fact, the book clarifies the many myths and doubts about Mr Vajpayee’s public persona as Vir categorically talks about how he, beyond a point,  was a ‘family man’.

To my mind,  Vir’s book will be appealing to journalists, political classes and socialites who will find many reference points and fact checks. It will also clear several misunderstandings with Vir’s vivid portrayal and blunt commentary on the political, personal and social space of our country and its people.

I just wish that Vir had written more about his early life, his real friends, his daily food adventures and favourite restaurants as well as his favourite cities.

If you consider Vir Sanghvi as India’s best food writer other than an eminent journalist, a reader like me, craves for more.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com.