The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad by Twinkle Khanna
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad – Book Review
An interesting compilation of stories on women centric subjects. They touch upon sensitive women issues which feminists have been raising voices for, but India has still a long way to go to overcome them.
The book has the Mrs. Funny Bones’ signatory fun and wit combined with strong sensibility and ethos. Twinkle Khanna has been careful in that all the stories have her quintessential sense of humor and piquant tit-bits, it doesn’t dilute the seriousness of the issue she is dealing with. She has chosen the subjects of her stories thoughtfully to highlight some of the most prevalent issues Indian women have to deal with in the present society. From the issue of dowry to the taboo associated to menstruation, each issue strikes a chord with Indian women.
Each story has a different flavor. ‘The legend of Lakshmi Prasad’ showcases how even today the girl child is unwanted in rural India since the poor parents can’t afford her dowry and how a married girl has to deal with the menace of dowry. The story takes off well with little Laksmi and her family leading a simple rustic life. It builds up with Lakshmi witnessing her parent’s burdened life and her sister’s woes. The climax with Lakshmi’s attempt to solve the problem in her own simple way falls short of the build up and disappoints me. To me, it doesn’t provide the justice that these issues deserve. Being the 1st story and the title one, it falls short of the expectations of the reader.
‘Salaam Noni Appa’ is quite impressive with its portrayal of the title character who has to deal with the loneliness that comes along with her widowhood. How she yearns for companionship in the prime of her life, but is forced to hold back her feelings since it isn’t permitted by the norms of our conservative society. It also touches upon subjects of abusive marriage and spinsterhood and how it isn’t always the female who is the victim in a marriage. The light hearted moments in the lives of Noni and Binni bring in instant smiles on the face of the reader. The narrative strikes a chord and one can feel the unsaid pain of Noni Appa’s grim loneliness.
‘If the Weather Permits’ revolves around another issue that women in India have to face , where being single woman is unacceptable and a man’s name must be attached to her to get due respect in society.
The ‘Sanitary Man from a sacred land’ is the star of the anthology and the author is smart to realize it and provide it the widest coverage in the book. Spread across 27 chapters is the story on Bablu Kewat based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a simple school dropout who has to his credit the invention of a low cost sanitary napkin manufacturing unit. It’s an inspiring tale and more so since it is a real one. It is also a great example that feminism has nothing to do with gender and that a man can also be equally concerned about the issues women in our society face. Though most of the story is real, Twinkle has added her own fictional bits like the subtle romance between Bablu and his English teacher.
The stories have a simple narrative and easy to relate to. The characterization is wonderful and brings the characters to life as the reader flips through the pages. All in all a good and quick read.



View all my reviews