The man of the hour...

He is the man of the hour. People either praise him or hate him. But they are unable to ignore him. His rise to political fame is a fascinating story which needs to be told. And that's what two recently published books by well-known journalists have tried to do… paint a somewhat complete portrait of Narendra Damodardas Modi, the charismatic Chief Minister of Gujarat whose sights seem to be set on the New Delhi 'throne.'

The books are:

The NaMo Story: A Political Life by Kingshuk Nag (Roli Books, Rs. 295), and
Narendra Modi: The Man, the Times by Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay (Tranquebar, Rs. 495).

Both bios talk of Modi's humble roots and the rise to political stardom via the RSS and BJP route. One of the truly enigmatic personalities in the contemporary Indian political arena, Modi has become a force to reckon with. From the moment Modi became Chief Minister in 2001, he has been a man on a mission – to make Gujarat a model State, both economically and socially. So far, he has succeeded, and what's impressive is that he is still at it, in his fourth tenure as Chief Minister.

Modi's mantra for change and development is gradually finding many takers. Yes, there is Godhra and its aftermath, and he does evoke vastly different reactions from people, but what is absolutely clear is that he is racing towards the Centre, making the 2014 General Elections likely to look more like a Presidential system of election, where you either vote for him or against him. And that, as they say, is the Modi effect.

Despite polarising Gujarat and India in more ways than one, if there's one thing that Modi does effortlessly, that is win elections, time and again. But will he make it to the top? Many believe he will. Only time will tell.

In his book, Kingshuk Nag, who's with The Times of India, paints a vivid picture of an amazing politician.

Mukhopadhyay's book is the result of extensive interviews, plenty of in-depth research and travels through Gujarat. His book too reveals many hitherto unknown aspects of Modi's psyche: a six-year-old selling tea to help his father and distributing badges and raising slogans at the behest of a local political leader; abandoning his family and travelling to the Himalayas in search of truth, and his initiation into the RSS, which was the beginning of a challenging and determined political journey.

... & a key player in the ad world

If You Can Dream: Autobiography of the Founder of Mudra and MICA – A.G. Krishnamurthy (Tata McGraw-Hill Education, Rs. 325).

One of the key players in the 1990s advertising world, Mudra was a name that was synonymous with several successful brand campaigns, such as Rasna, Godrej, McDonald's and Big Bazaar. The man behind Mudra is veteran ad man A.G. Krishnamurthy. In fellow adman Alyque Padamsee's words, "AGK is a man who knows advertising inside out." This book recounts his life story in his own words. And, yes, it does read like a fairy tale!

Colourfully detailed and peppered with surprising twists and turns, the narrative sweeps across three wide canvases. On the surface, this can be just another story of an ordinary small town boy who made it big despite the odds. It is the author's gentle humour and the almost self-deprecating story-telling style that together make all the difference.

The book reveals fascinating tidbits about AGK, whose journey from Hyderabad to every nook and cranny of the country and abroad is the stuff of dreams. And the creator of two of the country's most respected advertising institutions, Mudra and the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmadabad (MICA), argues that dreams can be realised.

Truly inspirational, AGK's life story is a great example of how to dream big and, more important, how hard work and determination can turn a person's life into the stuff bestsellers are made of! As fellow adman Balki puts it, this is "a simple man's quest for success through simplicity."