“A beautifully written character sketch of an extremely complex man” is the best way to describe a biography titled “The Sanjay Story” written by the ever brilliant Vinod Mehta. This biography essentially talks about the complex life led by Indira Gandhi’s (ex-Indian prime minister) youngest son Sanjay Gandhi. Filled with dollops of great sense humor (Mehta’s trademark) this book is real page turner, especially for those interested in understanding the mystery that surrounded Sanjay’s personality.
What does this biography entail?
This biography basically focuses on the life of Sanjay Gandhi beginning from his birth, his school days, and finally his role as politician for the Congress Party. It also explains in details his actual role during the Emergency declared by Mrs. Gandhi (Indira) from 1975 to 1977 and the failure of his ambitious “Maruti” car project.
The author in this book has also very eloquently described the complex relationships that existed in the “Nehru” household. For example, the relationship shared between Jawaharlal Nehru and his wife Kamala, Indira and her husband Feroze, and more importantly between Indira and Sanjay. Furthermore, by fleshing out the complicated inner relationships that this politically powerful household possessed, the author shows us why Sanjay eventually became such a complicated human being. In addition, the author also provides useful insights about his school days in Doon thereby, providing the reader with a comprehensive character sketch of a complex and highly intriguing man.
Writing style, language, and tone used by the author
Similar to many of his other books (including his sparkling autobiography Lucknow Boy) Mr. Mehta uses extremely beautiful prose along with a great sense of humor to engage the reader. The language used by the author is highly stylized as is always the case with this author. He also uses appropriate quotes pertaining Sanjay by people who knew him well such as his friends, teachers etc wherever necessary, which helps give a clearer if not the exact picture of the man himself. The only real flaw in an otherwise brilliantly written biography, is the fact that the author was unable to interview the subject personally, which would have added another dimension to the writing.
In conclusion, it would be fair to say that the author has written a highly engaging and informative biography of man who was not only complex but, also belonged to one of most powerful political families in India i.e. the “Nehru-Gandhi family”.
http://newzfeaturez.com/the-sanjay-story-by-vinod-mehta/http://newzfeaturez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/download-19-1.jpghttp://newzfeaturez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/download-19-1-150x150.jpgBook ReviewsLifestyleBook reviews