It wasn’t any ordinary book launch. The presence of Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Union Minister of State for External affairs, raised the event status to a different level altogether.
However, Dr Tharoor made sure that the author Rudra Krishna received the limelight he deserved for his first book, The Onus of Karma. For Dr Tharoor, the book launch was special, as Rudra is the son of his dear friend, Dr Nanditha Krishna, honorary director, CP Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.
“It’s like a home-coming for me to be present at the book launch of a friend’s son,” said Dr Tharoor, who had a busy schedule on Wednesday, including a pre- Saarang lecture at IIT Madras earlier in the day. Dr Tharoor was all praise for Rudra and his book.
“The book has everything - the elements of myth and history - that will keep you going, not for a moment, will it drag. The book is a thriller and easy to read. This extraordinary talent should not be put to rest and Rudra should continue developing it.” The Onus of Karma is set during the reign of the East Indian Company, and traces the life of a person belonging to a family of temple priests, who joins the police force; and his subsequent tryst with destiny. “I originally started writing the book as a thought provoking satire, but settled for an adventurous novel.” The ambitious Rudra says he is still discovering himself as a writer and “exploring different styles to find out where his niche is.” He also said he would loved to have the book transformed into a film.