'An uncommon love' book review | Ordinarily Extraordinary
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s first non-fiction book on the early life of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and author-philanthropist Sudha Murthy begins with a quote by Greek philosopher Heraclitus— “Character is destiny”. There could perhaps not be a better way to begin a story about two people, who despite the challenges, managed to forge their destinies, thanks to their strength of character.
The book takes the reader back to 1974, when a young vivacious woman named Sudha Kulkarni, TELCO’s first woman engineer, met a serious and idealistic Narayana Murthy, who worked in a think tank called Systems Research Institute in Pune. From their courtship days to their marriage and parenthood; from the failure of Narayana’s first company to the inception and success story of Infosys—this chronicles the life of the Murthys.
Some of the most engaging portions of the book are dedicated to their respective childhoods, which take a deep dive into what made them the icons they are today. From Sudha’s bravery in the face of danger—as a young school-going girl, she once beat up a man with an umbrella because he was trying to steal her gold earrings—to her stubbornness— she refused to attend school for several months because she felt she had learnt all that was to learn—the reader gets to understand where she gets her resilience from. The support and encouragement she received from her parents and siblings helped shape the young girl into a confident, self-assured woman.
On the other hand, Narayana’s relationship with a difficult father, his family’s financial struggles and the loneliness he faced while trying to achieve his goals, turned him into a go-getter and idealist. Together, the couple faced circumstances that tested not just their determination to succeed, but also their relationship. The reader gets access into their minds and hearts, as the author lays bare their doubts, fears as well as trust and faith in each other.
The book also gives a glimpse into the relationship the Murthys share with their children—Rohan and Akshata— and the values they passed on to their next generation. It was not always smooth-going with Rohan being a restless, trouble-maker of a child and Akshata with her many questions, but the writer does not shy away from depicting the Murthys as regular parents.
Prior to this, no book has documented the early life of the multibillionaire co-founder of Infosys, and Divakurni does it with sensitivity and attention to detail. Perhaps, she is able to do it because of her familiarity with the Murthys for over four decades, but credit also goes to her adeptness at bringing out the smaller nuances and seeing beyond the obvious. Either way, this uncommon love story makes for an engaging read for its inspirational tale of two ordinary people who went on to do extraordinary things.
An Uncommon Love By: Chitra Banerjee Divakurni
Publisher: Juggernaut
Pages: 352
Price: Rs799