From the diary of veteran political journalist, Kumkum Chadha, The Marigold Story: Indira Gandhi & Others unravels the hitherto unknown aspects of eleven men and women who remain a significant part of India’s history.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi hated the marigold flower, although in death it was strewn all over her body; her son Sanjay Gandhi was dictatorial, but also uncommonly empathetic; Smita Patil, who was synonymous with strong, women-centric films, was deeply insecure in her personal life; Ekta Kapoor, the television czarina believes that her unabashed faith in God helped her scale heights and earn her first big bucks; and Abhinav Bindra, who won India the first Olympic gold medal in an individual event confessed how he was a laidback child with no goals in sight.
Embellished with interesting nuggets, this book is a collection of fascinating profiles including, L.K. Advani, Smriti Irani, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rajiv Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan and Arun Jaitley.
Uncommon access, being privy to confidences and, above all, a willingness to tell the story, bring alive the people behind the headlines. The Marigold Story: Indira Gandhi & Others is not a gushing account of newsmakers; if anything it captures their weaknesses; goes beyond their achievements and examines what makes these individuals distinctive and unforgettable at the same time.
Kumkum Chadha was born in Delhi, and did her Masters in English literature from Lady Shri Ram College. She began her career with Hindustan Times, and went on to hold several editorial positions including Editor, National News.
An author of several books, Kumkum Chadha is an award-winning journalist and lives in Delhi.
Pub date: 30 January 2018 | Imprint: Tranquebar | Price: INR 699