3 Review(s)

‘Mann Ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular and ubiquitous monthly radio address has developed into a tour de force in itself. The programme that began on Vijaya Dashami in 2014 (3rd October) has gone on for more than fifty episodes and counting! Given its stupendous success, there has been considerable curiosity about the origins of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the idea behind it and the mind of the man behind the inspiring voice that has been reaching millions every month. In times when visual content dominates communication, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has become one of the most popular programmes in the history of radio, not just in India but also worldwide. How did this happen? What are the behind-the-scenes stories that made this happen? This book answers these questions and more. This book displays the common thread of positivity and optimism that Prime Minister Modi has woven through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and how this thread has been picked up by common Indians and turned into a mass movement. This is a rare and exclusive opportunity for readers to discover the unknown facets of the Prime Minister’s thinking and beliefs related to ‘Mann Ki Baat’, revealed by him to the authors of the book. The insights that emerge from the transcripts of the radio address are the most important contribution of this book. The interesting anecdotes shared by the members of the Prime Minister’s core team and people from All India Radio and MyGov quench people’s curiosity about the minute but interesting details of how the idea of a radio programme came up, how the name and frequency were decided and how the format was chalked out, among other things.