Life Imitates art......... Review on Mahaswetha - Sudha Murthy

Mahaswetha – Mrs. Sudha Murthy.

Internal Beauty holds a special place in the society than the exterior beauty.This wonderful fact has been brought out very well by this wonderful novel.

This book came into my interest when I read a small clipping in one of the newspaper dailies wherein the article explained how this novel changed their lives and helped the couple to unite.

This is a very simple novel by Mrs. Sudha but the message promoted is enormous. The novel also explains how women can achieve and lead a respectable life when the odds are against them.

Society ostracizes women when their external beauty is sometimes marred. The main character in this novel is Anupama, who is an accomplished beautiful girl…… whose beauty becomes a pain when she is affected by Leukoderma.

Leukoderma is a cosmetic disease but this has changed the lives of many in the society….caused a lot of hardships and injury in the minds of people who suffer from it.

The tough stance taken by Anupama who overcomes all odds and finds peace in the work she has always loved to do……. makes this novel an excellent reading.

The novel starts with a handsome rich excellent doctor Dr. Anand performing a delivery operation and how duty bound he is ….when he saves the mother and helps her deliver a beautiful girl.

After the tough delivery, he goes to his mentor’s house in order to return a treasured watch of his mentor Dr Desai. On entering his mentor’s house, he is asked to stay for lunch by the lady of the house Vasumathi, who is also his distant relative. As the work tiredness takes over, he rests at the guest room only to be awoken from his tired slumber by a voice which claims to love him unconditionally. Thinking, he’s hearing voices, but also overcome with curiosity as to know who the owner of the wonderful voice is, Dr. Anand, starts to look around, only to find that the wonderful voice has disappeared.

This incident which was forgotten was revoked again when Anupama, comes to the hospital in order to sell tickets for the play Mahaswetha, the proceeds of which was to go to the children with disabilities.

Dr Anand ….the man blessed by both Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati and who himself was born after a long penance by his parents is a person to be remembered throughout the novel.

The mystery behind the mysterious voice is unfolded when Dr Anand realizes that it was of Anupama’s who was present in Dr. Desai’s house on the same day and for this young doctor it was an instant attraction towards Anupama and there was an immense desire to marry Anupama, which was much against the wishes of his strict orthodox mother who finally yields in to the wish for her own satirical needs.

The novel then takes through the various twists and turns in Anupama’s life after she is married to Dr. Anand. The girl who always volunteered in every activity feels like a golden caged bird downed in riches and the pompous show of wealth at the Anand household.

She realizes that life is not full of roses, when the person whom she had trusted had married her taking her only for external beauty and deserts her when its found that she has Leukoderma.

The girl is shattered and how she brings herself to accept the reality and final remorse felt by Dr Anand who realizes that it’s the internal beauty of a person which adds meaning to one’s life. The entire story unfolds itself in twists and turns at every corner….. And the various events which happen in Anupama’s life make her stronger and bring out her inner beauty. The Strength of a Woman is enormous when it’s needed in order to survive the rough society.

The rest of the story is about how Anupama overcomes several hurdles on the way to become a woman who learns to not notice herself in the mirror, thus becoming a ‘Mahashwetha’ in every sense of the word – thus making Life imitate Art.

Only the beginning of the story is written in this review, but the triumph of Anupama against life and society which chastises for this cosmetic disease is to read by one all ……. A novel written by an author and the most admired lady from our very own State is certainly not to be missed.

A little information of Leukoderma:

Definition from the Medical dictionary - Partial or total loss of skin pigmentation, offer occurring in patches

What is Leukoderma?

Vitiligo is a disorder in which the body destroys its own pigment cells (melanocytes) in various parts of the skin. In affected areas, the pigment gradually disappears. Small or larger areas of skin then become white with sharp margins where they adjoin unaffected parts of skin. The condition is most noticeable in summer, when normal skin darkens. Because of the lack of protective pigment, the affected areas are also likely to burn and blister in the sun.