India, June 19 -- June 19 marks the 79th birthday of Salman Rushdie, one of the most influential and controversial literary figures of the modern era. Known for his bold imagination, magical realism and sharp political commentary, Rushdie has spent decades exploring themes of migration, religion, identity, exile and freedom in his works.

His 1988 novel The Satanic Verses sparked global outrage, was banned in more than 20 countries and led to the declaration of a "fatwa" against him by the Supreme Leader of Iran in 1989. Even decades later, Rushdie remained a symbol of radical artistic freedom, surviving a brutal stabbing attack in 2022 while preparing to deliver a lecture in New York.

Yet amid the grand themes and political storms that ...