My Review of Half Lion: How P.V Narasimha Rao Transformed India

A couple of weeks back a friend gave me a copy of Vinay Sitapati’s “Half Lion: How P.V. Narasimha Rao transformed India” and asked me to read it in order to get my opinion on the book. My friend, like a lot of other people I know, had found it hard to find a good autobiography/biography in the past and this book was one that had genuinely interested her. I always love to read books recommended to me so I was eager to read this as well. Before you read my review however, I would like you to know a few key points about me – 1) I have traditionally been a supporter of the Indian National Congress but my support can shift based on prevailing circumstances. 2) I have never been a fan of the Gandhi family (Indira, Rajiv, Sonia and Rahul). 3) At the time of Narasimha Rao’s term as Prime Minister I was about 4-5 years old so my knowledge of his policies etc is zero.

I had also asked my parents (traditionally Congress supporters) about what they thought of this man and their first reaction was a strong feeling of dislike. The main reason for this being the relationships that Rao was accused of having with various women. According to them he was largely low key and had an unattractive personality. That made me wonder, did a man who was at the helm when India transformed her economy, deserve to be treated the way that he was treated?

The author does very well in recognizing this very sentiment that the public has of Rao and goes on to talk about some of the major events that shaped the man and made him who he was. This extremely well researched book starts by giving readers a background of the young Rao, his time as Andhra Chief Minister, his time with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi etc. It spends a lot of time talking about the economic reforms that his government brought about, how Rao managed to successfully lead a minority government and about events such as the Babri demolition which was considered one of Rao’s biggest blunders. What the author does extremely well and what makes this book a great read is that the author assumes that the reader is not aware of any of the things he is talking about and then proceeds to explain everything in detail and in a story-like manner. It makes it easy reading for people like me who have no clue of the politics of that time. It is also a good read (I assume) for those who aren’t interested in politics at all. The book also succeeded in dispelling some of the preconceived notions I had of Rao. At the end of it the author was successful in not only removing the negative opinion I had of Rao but he also turned it into one that was largely positive.

Now for the criticism – We’ve heard of artists falling in love with their muse before and in this case it certainly looks like that. It looks like Rao could do no wrong in the eyes of the author. At various points in the book I felt like giving the author the benefit of the doubt but one sentence here or there used to keep bringing me back to the opinion that the author was slightly biased. Even when he talks of Rao’s weaknesses he ends up making it look like Rao wasn’t entirely to blame. You know how when in interviews they ask you your biggest weakness and you disguise your strength and present it as a weakness? That’s the feeling I got.

Overall this is a very interesting read. I love the fact it acknowledges readers like me who have no knowledge of the politics of the time and takes the pain to explain things clearly. If you’re interested in reading a good biography or you’re interested in reading about the man who was instrumental in transforming India’s economy then this is an absolute must-read.

My Rating: 3.5/5