A Rude Life

 



Name : A Rude Life
Author : Vir Sanghvi
Year of Publication : 2021
Genre : Non-fiction, Memoir, Politics, Journalism
Rating : *** ( Three stars out of 5)

Vir Sanghvi's memoir is a rollercoaster exhibition of "access journalism" as his anecdotes and experiences segue into a tapestry of name-dropping. His pedestrian writing is all forgotten as his ringside view of famous personalities/events is alluring enough to keep us engaged. From Amitabh Bachchan to Sonia Gandhi, Tony Blair to George Harrison - every page is a treasure of intriguing anecdotes. He is unduly soft on those who gave him access (Vajpayee, Sonia etc) while he makes a mincemeat out of leaders who did not grant him the same. (He lays the blame of Kashmir unrest at the door of VP Singh while conveniently skipping the Original Sin of Rajiv Gandhi's 1987 rigging of polls in J&K). 

At the end of it all, what is the point of such Delhi-focused journalism which does not even acknowledge the issues faced by the Real India? With such access and such talent, Vir Sanghvi could have done some meaningful work but restricted himself to the high life and elite journalism. More than anything else in the 400 odd pages, it is this aspect which defines the title of the book to me.

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