May 24, 2004 12:48 PM
14272 Views
(Updated Nov 15, 2008 10:01 AM)
I got introduced to Mrs Sudha Murthy first as a wife of Mr Narayan Murthy. But then came her interview in SAVVY where I could see equally potential personality as her husband in her. The first Lady Engineer from her college, The first lady to join TATA that too by fighting against the system (and JRD TATA) for her rights, A sensible decision maker in the birth and upbringing of INFOSYS, A great social worker through her INFOSYS FOUNDATION. She literally deserves the title WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE.
Sudha Murthy also holds a very good reputation for her literary work. Her weekly column in the marathi newspaper has shown her as a very sensible and balanced lady. So is her book named WISE & OTHERWISE.
But DOLLAR BAHU, the book I am talking about, is not worth her reputation. Although it?s a novel and so takes all its liberty to turn the storyline as per writer?s will; one might not get trapped in it.
The story revolves around a nuclear family where the younger son is a low profile chap working in a Bank. The elder one is academically superior and gets a job that opens his doors to the SILICON VALLEY. He loves a simple, talented but poor girl named VINITA but he can?t express his feelings before leaving the place. Due to the restrictions of Visa he can?t return to India so often and so misses the marriage of his younger brother.
Incidentally VINITA becomes his sister-in-law. Once he gets a green card, he returns for his own marriage, which is planned with a stinky rich family?s daughter named JAMUNA. It?s his mother who is behind all these plans, a lady who is totally materialistic by thinking, who gets carried away with the wealth of the family. Now she starts comparing Vinita with Jamuna and makes Vinita?s life a hell. It?s when Jamuna gets pregnant and the mother is called for taking care, she becomes face to face with her rich daughter-in-law, Dollar Bahu.
She understands the real colours of Jamuna, Vinita, US life, Dollar and much more. Thus returns home with a big guilt and repentance; but finds her true, simple and sincere Vinita on the verge of getting Depression.
The story sounds too familiar. It?s a story of all hindi movies, where the fight is between GOOD and BAD that ends into ALL WELL for the GOOD.
The PROs:
Sudha narrates the life and the struggle to survive in US for a common man that immigrates from India very well.
She also narrares well the hardships, tragedies and incurable wounds behind the apparently smiley faces.
The ecstatic emotions of a middle class family after the son gets a job in Dollar Nation are put vividly. The dreams, aspirations, hopes and above all a feeling of NOW EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
The CONs:
The characterization especially the main characters is either Black or White. There is no shade of Gray in any of them.
One might get a feeling that USA is a country of and for Hurted Souls to survive better than what they can do in India. So if you are hurt or tortured in India, go to USA and start a new life.
Human interpersonal relationships has remained the base of almost all novels and yet it has remained beyond our limits to understand it fully. We do face similar problems for years to come.
HUMAN MIND is something which no one has able to grasp even to 10% of its fraction. But one thing is sure. Each and every person has some negative as well as positive qualities. No one is totally perfect or totally useless.
If the characters in the films and novels too appear like the real people, that is in the various shades of gray, one can actually identify with one of them and experience the story within. But that has remained a chronic problem with the writers. Our film hero is always a COMPLETE MAN while the villain has nothing that one can appreciate. You never get such people in real life. When the characters will represent the real-life personalities, then only the story can touch your hearts, as then it doesn?t remain writer?s story but becomes your own.
Thus I will recommend this book but with a caution, read it like the way you see a Masala Hindi Movie.
