India, May 16 -- Padma Vibhushan KK Venugopal needs no introduction. A colossus of his profession, he continues to be regarded, at the age of 95 years, as one of India's finest legal luminaries. To review his autobiography An Accidental Lawyer: My Adventures in Law and Life is not an easy task. A life such as he has led is difficult to encapsulate in a book, much less do justice to it in a book review. Yet, I endeavour to take this liberty, having known him for nearly four decades and having enjoyed the deep privilege of calling him a friend.

The former Attorney General of India is simply "Venu" to his friends, his seniority and celebrity status notwithstanding. I first met him when he joined the batch of pilgrims that I was chaperoning ...