An odyssey revisited

Hamish McDonald launches his second take on India’s most talked about business family in the presence of Sucheta Dalal, managing editor, Moneylife

"I don't see any men in black suits waiting for me outside," quipped Hamish McDonald, tongue firmly in cheek, playing down the fears of a backlash surrounding the India launch of his highly anticipated work on the life and times of Dhirubhai Ambani, the highly successful but controversial business tycoon. Mr McDonald, Asia-Pacific editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, was speaking on the occasion of the launch of his book Ambani and Sons at a Crossword bookstore in south Mumbai. Sucheta Dalal, managing editor of Moneylife, was in conversation with the author at the launch.

The launch of this book in India has been a patient struggle for Mr McDonald, who has had to deal with many vested interests in his quest to bring out the undistorted truth about the man who built a colossal empire from scratch, but not without the use of some questionable tactics. His first book, The Polyester Prince, was blocked before its release in India by the simple trick of filing a case and obtaining a stay order from a small court. Years later, at the height of the war between the Ambani siblings, the book found its way into the hands of Indian book readers in the form of pirated editions or through other surreptitious means. Mr McDonald reminisced the journey which finally led to the launch in India, as Ms Dalal engaged the author in an interesting discussion on the events surrounding the eagerly anticipated book.

Full report here Moneylife