Written by Twinkle Khanna. Initially, I had come across one of her blogs in net. Having read that was intrigued by her writing for the way she portrays her thoughts in witty yet sensible manner. Then it sort of became a routine to wait every Sunday for her blogs to be published. That’s how was introduced to The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad.
The one thing that is remarkable about her is not only her perception on subjects she writes but the way she manages to deliver it subtly.
This book is a collection of four short stories each weaved around strong characters that will instigate you to think about the stereotypes surrounding it.
There is this character Lakshmi who has changed the entire village’s take on girl child from being considered a curse to boon! The author astutely plants the thought of how financial independence is a quintessential for every woman to live on her own.
The author then gives a glimpse of an aged widower through the eyes of Noni appa. The routine of a sixty year old, her thoughts on re marriage on how copes up with her loneliness and finding a companion is in depth and very nuanced. It also makes you think as to why there is always a taboo surrounding such issues and why complicate it when its as simple as that of finding the right person given the age or being a widow shouldn’t matter.
However my most favorite character is Bablu, as the author rightly describes him as the sanitary man from the sacred land! Bablu is a fictional character based on Arunachalam Muruganatham who has been listed in the TIME’s 2014 of 100 most influential people. Having based Bablu on a real life character one might doubt the creativity of her writing. But she has done all justice to his character having taken the bits and pieces of his real life. For a man with such optimism and perseverance his journey is not something ordinary. The author deserves credit for introducing him to us!
With every blog or book she proves that she can strike the right chord and The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad is no different. When you have a market where Love stories are the only genres most of the Indian authors are interested in she has maintained her individuality. She effortlessly drives her point home without coming around as Saint Baba which is refreshing! Cant help admiring her and her characters!!
My Experiments with pen 