Sudha Murty, philanthropist and wife of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, has been facing a unique problem lately: people in the UK refuse to believe that she is the mother-in-law of their country’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
Murty, who is also an acclaimed author, has a simple appearance that can often deceive people.
During a recent episode of the Indian comedy show “The Kapil Sharma Show”, Murty, 72, shared an anecdote about an immigration officer who refused to believe her residential address when she wrote “10 Downing Street” on the form. 10 Downing Street is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, media reports said.
Akshata, Sudha Murty’s daughter, is married to Rishi Sunak, who currently resides at 10 Downing Street.
“Once when I had gone, they asked me for my residential address. ‘Where are you staying in London?’ My elder sister was with me and I thought should I write ‘10 Downing Street’. My son also lives there (in the UK), but I didn’t remember his complete address. But I finally wrote 10 Downing Street,” Murty recalled on the popular show.
Murty said that the immigration officer looked at her incredulously and asked, “Are you joking?!” She responded, “Nahi, sachchi bolti hu” (No, I am telling you the truth).
Murty’s experience is a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. It’s easy to make assumptions about people based on their appearance, but those assumptions are often wrong. Murtys simple appearance doesn’t reflect the achievements and accomplishments she has made throughout her life.
Murty was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India. She has also been honuored with numerous other awards for her contributions to literature and social work.
She has established several foundations that provide education and healthcare to underprivileged communities in India.
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