View Sandhya Mendonca’s interview with NDTV-Hindu here
Sentinel House experienced a fabulous reception in Chennai, where the intelligentsia has always been welcoming of path-breaking efforts. The Madras Book Club rose to the occasion magnificently, and members thronged the Ballroom of the Taj Connemara on Saturday, March 27th.
Speaking at the launch, renowned journalist and historian, Mr. S. Muthaiah, said that the Sentinel House was the most relevant book of its times. “The concept that it’s not an editor but a manager who is needed in a newspaper has taken hold and the exploration of this concept is the significant contribution made by the author,” he said, praising Allen Mendonca.
Eminent theatre personality Mithran Devanesan and Mahitha Suresh did a dramatized reading of passages from the book, donning multiple roles and bringing alive the characters of the executive boardrooms and bedrooms.
On a bright Sunday morning, at the Madras Gymkhana Club, members of the Gym 3S read out excerpts at a cosy and warm session attended by Club President Arvind Ramrathnam and MD of Odyssey chain of book stores TS Ashwin among other worthies. The colonial aura in the Island Lounge added to the drama of the historic passages from the book.
Both launches were followed by Q &A with audience showing a lively interest in the story line of the novel.
Piroja Belgamvala, S. Muthaiah, Sandhya Mendonca and Mithran Devanesan releasing the book
T. S. Ashwin, MD of Odyssey, with Sentinel House