It is said that when in Bengaluru, a visit to the city’s iconic south Indian restaurant Vidyarthi Bhavan is a must, and that is precisely what Rishi Sunak, UK’s first prime minister of Indian origin, did.
Vidyarthi Bhavan (VB) posted a picture of Sunak at their restaurant when he visited them in 2019.
Rishi Sunak was accompanied by his wife Akshata, two children, and the senior Murthys who are among the several high-profile patrons of the restaurant, recalled Arun Adiga, the managing partner at Vidyarthi Bhavan.
Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy, who stole his heart at Stanford University. Like Akshata, Bengaluru’s Vidyarthi Bhavan also found a special place in Sunak’s heart during a visit to India three years ago.
Sunak shared a quiet yet wholesome array of snacks including VB’s iconic Masala Dosa, Rava Vade (a typical Kannadiga deep-fried semolina snack), and Kesari Bhaat (a sweet dish). The Sunaks were in town to attend the wedding of Rohan Murthy, Narayana Murthy’s son.
For the uninitiated, Vidyarthi Bhavan, with the name which literally means ‘Student’s Home’, is not an eatery, but an emotion. Established in 1943, it has now evolved into a crucible where the big names from the world of the arts, politics, journalism, business, and technology converge routinely to exchange views and news over a plate of delicious masala dosa and piping hot south Indian filter coffee in an old world informal setting.
“Sunak came to our restaurant just once and that was the time we took this picture of him. Narayana Murthy sir introduced Rishi Sunak to us and we only knew he was an economist and was connected with the UK parliament. They had come as a family and we believe in giving our patrons their privacy. We managed to take just one photo at the end of the meal. As you can see in the photograph, his plate is empty which makes us happy that he loved our food,” said Arun to News18.
The food apparently impressed Sunak so much that his parents who were visiting Bengaluru two months ago in July were once again seen at Vidyarthi Bhavan, trying the very same dishes.
“When the race came down to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss a few months ago, I dug out this photograph from our archives and kept it ready so that we could wish him the very best. I was slightly disappointed when Truss took over as the PM but now Sunak has created history. It is our absolute honour that he visited us,” added Arun.
Arun, who took over the day-to-day running of the business from his father Ramakrishna Adiga in 2005, owes it to Narayana Murthy for his shift from being a telecommunications engineer to the businessman he is today, shouldering his family’s legacy.
“I owe it to Narayana Murthy sir who told me just one thing and that one message hit home. He said that there would be hundreds of engineers who would readily step into my role as an engineer, but there is only one person who can step into my father’s shoes and continue the legacy that he built with his sweat and blood. Narayana Murthy sir told me this in March 2004. I quit my job in April and was behind the cashier’s desk at Vidyarthi Bhavan on May 1. He turned my life around and I am very grateful,” the second-generation Adiga said.
Sunak’s Bengaluru connection firmed up when he met Akshata while studying at Stanford University, USA, and decided to marry her. Known to be an extremely private family, 42-year-old Sunak married Akshata at a private function in Bengaluru on August 30, 2009, which was attended by celebrities across industries.
Akshata, the First Lady of the UK, was born and raised in her mother — author, educator, philanthropist, and India’s favourite ‘grandmother’ — Sudha Murthy’s hometown Hubballi, Karnataka.
After her initial schooling in Bengaluru, Akshata moved to California to pursue her education at Claremont McKenna College and graduated with a dual major in Economics and French. She later obtained a diploma in fashion designing from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and joined Stanford to complete her MBA. This is where she met Rishi Sunak and the couple have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka. Akshata and Rishi have ensured they keep their family firmly rooted in India, especially Bengaluru.
The Murthys and Sunaks’ bond is beyond familial ties. It is one of mutual admiration and respect. Sunak is a big fan of his parents-in-law and has often been seen quoting NRN Murthy’s words of advice to him during his campaign.
“My father-in-law came from absolutely nothing, just had a dream and a couple of hundred pounds that my mother-in-law’s savings provided him,” Sunak said in a television debate earlier.
In a 2015 interview with CNBC-TV18’s Shereen Bhan, Sunak narrated how Murthy wholeheartedly supported his move into politics and would ensure he flew in to be with his son-in-law as part of his campaign team. Sunak was contesting for the Richmond (Yorks) constituency at the time.
“He has been my No. 1 supporter. He flew in just in time for the elections. They gave him a bag and some leaflets and (he gave those) leaflets to everyone without engaging in too much debate… which he managed admirably well,” Sunak told Bhan.
Narayana Murthy was among the first to congratulate Sunak after it was clear that he would be the newest resident of 10 Downing Street.
“Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and we wish him success. We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom,” Murthy was quoted saying by news agency PTI.
Sunak’s leadership campaign in August ran into rough weather when he faced severe criticism from UK media on Akshata Murthy’s family wealth and her previous non-domiciled tax status.
Standing solidly by his family, Sunak spoke out about how incredibly proud he is of his parents-in-law and what they have achieved. “They built one of the world’s largest, most respected, most successful companies that by the way employs thousands of people here in the United Kingdom…” Sunak said, highlighting how his extended family’s fortunes were not about money but the economic growth Infosys provided across the globe.
Akshata was not spared by the British social media when she was seen serving hot tea and biscuits to journalists waiting outside their London home in fancy £38 (Rs3,600 approximately) Emma Lacey mugs. Twitterati called her move “tone deaf” at a time when the country was battling a cost-of-living crisis and the price of one mug could feed a family for two days.
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