In this eposide of The Hindu on Books, we are sitting down for a chat with Nirupama Subramanian where she talks about her latest book "Murder on the Menu: The Sensational Story of the Tycoon who founded Saravana Bhavan"

Twenty years ago, the murder case of Prince Santhakumar, a young tutor-turned-insurance agent, created a sensation in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere as it pointed to the involvement of P. Rajagopal, founder of what was once considered an empire in the field — Hotel Saravana Bhavan. Till the discovery of the murder, Rajagopal, who entered the fray with limited resources, was regarded as a model restaurateur as his chain of hotels became a byword for quality vegetarian food and employee welfare. At the same time, his story is an illustration of how a man, however successful he may be, can get caught out because of his own shortcomings.

Through the book, Nirupama Subramanian tells the dark reality of the much-beloved vegetarian gormet empire.

Host: Soma Basu, Deputy Editor, The Hindu

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