New Delhi: Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, career diplomat and former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, had one of the most enviable book launches any author could wish for in the beautifully decorated Kamala Hall of ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Her new book, Swallowing the Sun, was hailed as one of the finest works of literature to come out of India in recent history by Kabir Bedi, and the book was launched to a packed audience of Delhi’s serving and retired diplomats amid heavy media presence.
Her husband, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas took a backseat on the day of the book launch, even surrendering his front-row seat to sit nine rows down from the stage. Puri sat on the edge of his seat, overseeing all the activities, ensuring things were in order and running smoothly.
The best part about the book launch was indeed that it was focused on Lakshmi Puri’s illustrious career, life, and writing skills. She wasn’t made to share the spotlight with her husband on the day, and her partner seemed completely supportive of her.
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An epic saga
Swallowing the Sun is part fiction, part biographical epic story of the life of Malti, a young girl growing up in Varanasi during the time India gained Independence. The book also has poetry by the author.
It has been published by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation and editor David Davidar was in conversation with Puri about her book at the launch event.
The author and editor discussed the journey of the book from its genesis to its conclusion at length and showcased a professional bond on stage.
During the conversation, Puri said she had started work on the book when she was posted as the ambassador in Budapest in the early 2000s. “The first draft of the book was actually written on an iPhone!” Puri revealed on the stage to everyone’s surprise. But the actual work started in the lockdown induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The book has been largely inspired by the life of Puri’s parents. It was also an ode to the many forgotten freedom fighters of the country. The book had in fact started as a biography. “What triggered my shift from biography to fiction was the discovery of 148 letters exchanged between my parents. These are the remnants of the many more exchanged between them when they lived apart. The discovery of the letters turned the novel into an epic love story,” she said.
One of the themes explored in the novel is caste, as the protagonist falls in love with someone who belongs to a different caste and then battles it out with the society in small-town India to stick with her decision. Puri seems to have crafted progressive characters who function without disdain for culture but blend the good parts of it into their modern lives. “My characters are the enlightened young people who blend the modern whilst being self-aware and proud in their Indianness,” Puri said.
After the discussion between Puri and Davidar concluded, actor Kabir Bedi took to the stage to recite one of the poems in the book. “The beauty of your prose is astonishing. I am in absolute awe of what you’ve created and wish you everything I can. You’ve written one of the epic poems of our time,” Bedi said of the book.
He then began reciting a romantic poem from the book. “Madhu Malti… you’re a goddess installed in my sanctum sanctorum,” as Bedi spoke, silence ensued, and the audience blushed and melted in their seats.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)