Sudha Murty reveals how her relationship changed with Rishi Sunak as UK PM, quotes Shakespeare

Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty opened up on her equation with son-in-law Rishi Sunak, which has not changed due to his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

"Whether he is the prime minister or not, he is our son-in-law, we love him the same way," Murty said on NDTV's 'India Through the Eyes of Its Icons' show.

While quoting the third daughter from Shakespeare's play King Lear, she said, “As the third daughter in King Lear said: 'I love my father as much as a daughter should love a father'. Similarly, whatever may be Rishi's position, I love him like a new son. In no way it has affected us; it would have been the same if he lived in the same country.”

Changes after Sunak became UK PM

Although her relationship with Sunak remained the same after he became UK PM, the Rajya Sabha MP accepted that people treated her differently.

"When you get a lot of money, people view you in a different way; new friendships will come, new acquaintances will come," the author said. She also claimed that people started asking for favours due to her son-in-law's position, which she declined.

“When Rishi, our son-in-law, became the prime minister, people started asking me for a lot of favours in England,” said Sudha Murty.

Living in 10 Downing Street

Apart from favours, people asked her about life in 10 Downing Street, the residence of the UK PM.

"People started asking: 'How is life in 10 Downing Street?' because they want to know," she said.

Sudha Murty shared that she stayed at 10 Downing Street a few times. She offered to stay outside due to security reasons.

Rishi Sunak served as the UK PM and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. After his defeat in the 2024 elections against Keir Starmer's Labour Party, he became Leader of the Opposition from July to November 2024. He is married to Akshata Murty, daughter of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty.

Sudha Murty's relationship with Narayana Murthy

She also spoke about her husband and Narayana Murthy, calling him a "simple man".

She appreciated his simplicity and said, "We could do the same activity ... with money or without money."

"If he wanted different and I wanted different, it'd become so difficult," she said.