May 17, 2023
SINGAPORE – Believe it or not, the mother-in-law of Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak once faced an awkward situation when she flew into London and provided “10 Downing Street” as her address at airport immigration.
Mrs Sudha Murty, wife of Indian technology giant Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, said on an Indian comedy show that the immigration officers at the airport refused to believe she would be staying at the Prime Minister’s official residence, reported business daily Mint.
Known for her impeccable sense of humour, the philanthropist and book author told comedian Kapil Sharma on his show that most people could not believe that she was the mother-in-law of Mr Sunak, who is married to her daughter Akshata Murty.
Blaming her modest appearance for the disbelief she drew at the airport, she said the immigration officer looked at her and said: “Are you joking?”
“I told him, no, I’m telling you the truth,” Mrs Murty said during the show.
“No one believes that I, a 72-year-old simple lady, can be the mother-in-law of the Prime Minister.”
In April, Mrs Murty was conferred the Padma Bhushan – the third-highest civilian award in India – at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the official residence of the president of India. She is the founder of Infosys Foundation, an organisation that supports underprivileged sections of society.