Interview with Amish Tripathi

It was a pleasure to interview Amish Tripathi, the author of 'The Immortals of Meluha' (reviewed here), who seems to have aced the art of story telling and captivating the attention of the readers right from page one of his first book. The second book of the trilogy - 'The Secret of Nagas' is already in the bookstores.

'The Immortals of Meluha' is among the shortlisted books for Vodafone Crossword Awards 2010.

1. How did the plot originate? Was it an iterative process? Was it inspired by any particular thought - the Hindu trinity or the current state of affairs in our country and the whole world at large?

It all began as a pure philosophical discussion while I was watching a TV program with my family. In the program it was shown that in ancient Persia, Gods were known as Ahuras and Demons were called Daevas, contrary to what Indian mythology is based on. Obviously, if the ancient Persians and the ancient Indians had met, they may have called each other evil, because one person's God was another person's Demon.

While having a discussion over this topic, the first obvious question arose - 'Who is right?' - Both? Neither? The answer is neither is evil. Its just that the thinking is different. Which then led to other questions - 'What is evil?' and 'How to identify the evil?' This triggered the idea to write on the philosophy of evil. But later, following the suggestions of my brother and sister-in-law, I transformed the philosophical writing into an adventure, a thriller. The hope was that along with an engaging story, I may be able to better communicate the philosophy as compared to a pure philosophy treatise which may be boring for many.

While writing, there were instances when I felt that it was going nowhere but a timely sane advice by my wife - 'Don’t approach it with the arrogance of a creator but with the humility of a witness' brought peace in my mind and I started experiencing the story coming to me rather that me searching for it. I could feel the blessing of Lord Shiva while progressing on this journey.

2. What all research went into this project?

For the historical parts, I did not specifically read any book. But I have been a voracious reader throughout my life,so another way of looking at it is that I have been doing the research for the past 25 years. I love to read history books, even the ones which people find very dull and drab.

For the mythology and religious parts, I learnt mostly from my family. My grandfather was a pundit and a teacher in BHU, my parents are very religious people. My family has always encouraged very liberal perspective on issues - religious or non religious. The interesting discussions and debates in my family educated me a lot about religion and the logic and reasons behind many beliefs.

3. What prompted you to pick Shiva and not any other God? What was it about Shiva that influenced you to make this choice?

I see it as Lord Shiva picking me rather than the other way round. I wanted to write on the theory of evil and who better to be the hero than the destroyer of evil Himself - the Mahadev, Lord Shiva.

4. There are many instances in the book when the readers experience the 'Wow!' feeling and personally for me one of those was - Har Har Mahadev episode. I am sure you must have received great appreciation for this particular part. Could you please share your experience of writing that scene? Did it invoke the similar kind of euphoric feeling when you were penning it down?

Thank you! I was searching for a good war speech, something that could convey the philosophy of Lord Shiva and at the same time, be rousing. Nothing apt was coming to my mind. One day while taking a shower, the Har Har Mahadev idea occurred to me and I actually started crying. I came out and immediately wrote it down. And this part was not written sequentially in the book when it actually happened. The idea just came to me and I wrote it down and I knew this conveyed the essential message of Lord Shiva - Har Har Mahadev - Har ek mein Mahadev - All of us are Mahadevs.

5. The second book of this trilogy is already in the market and I have read some very nice reviews of the book. Which of these two has been more fulfilling and satisfying experience for you and why? In your opinion were there any lacunae in the first book which you tried to improve in the second?

For me - both the books were satisfying. It is essentially one story and just for the convenience of the readers, it has been separated into three parts. The books are not independent by themselves. But I hope I have improved in the second book.

I have no qualms in accepting that the portions which are satisfying for readers are the ones which are blessed by Lord Shiva and the ones which are not upto the mark are due to my inability to do justice to that blessing. So I hope I have been able to overcome some of my shortfalls, which would make the second book, perhaps, a better experience for readers.

6. Some people have natural flare for writing, in your opinion how much of this skill is acquired and how much is it a derivative of the basic nature of an individual? (I love to ask this question to the authors and enjoy varied takes on this aspect)

I believe that every skill can be learnt. But there are two parts to it:

The 'What' part - the idea/philosophy that you want to convey. This is not in the hands of the author. He doesn't control it. It's a blessing. Some authors call it the product of their muse, some call it the generosity of a superior force. In my case, I call it the blessing of Lord Shiva.

The 'How' part - which can be learnt, the words, the phrases and the language that are used to give form to the 'what' part. The mode of conveying the idea can certainly be polished and refined. This is certainly in the hands of the author and regular practice will help him improve.

I think, specifically for fiction writing, no author can be so arrogant to claim that everything is a result of his genius/creativity. Because if that were so, we wouldn't have cases of writer's block.

7. Who does Amish want to be recognized and remembered as - an accomplished author, a mythologist, a historian or any other title?

As a Shiva bhakt and a good family man. That is the core of who I am. I am lucky to have a good family and should do all to keep them happy. Everything else is secondary.

8. What was your reaction when you came to know that your first book is among the shortlisted books for Vodafone Crossword Awards 2010. Which is your favourite book among the competitors?

It is nice to have a book shortlisted for the Crossword awards. I am quite happy. Personally, I really liked Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi and Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal.

9. What next after trilogy?

I have many ideas. I want to write on Lord Rudra, Lord Manu, version of Ramayana, version of Mahabharata, on Akbar, on Egyptian mythology, on Anatolia.

I enjoyed reading Banker's version of Ramayana. He has gone to the source and has narrated it with modern perspective in an engaging manner. Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik is an interesting commentary on Mahabharata. 

Event Invite for Crossword Book Awards 2010

Book Review : Simply Fly

This book is among the shortlisted books in 'Popular Category' for Vodafone Crossword Book Awards 2010.

Title : Simply Fly

Author : Captain Gopinath

Publisher : Collins Business

ISBN : 978-81-7223-842-1

'Simply Fly' is a story of a small boy hailing from a remote village, who went on to don multiple roles and became an iconic figure, an inspiring personality, a true entrepreneur, a fighter and a true karma yogi.

In his autobiography, Captain Gopinath takes the readers through the journey of his life beginning from a very humble setting, joining Indian Army, quitting Army for pursuing some unknown dreams, becoming a farmer, going into silkworm rearing, foraying into hotel business, venturing into a series of other businesses and finally assimilating his experience of years to establish the biggest business venture - Air Deccan. The dream behind Air Deccan was to give wings to a common man. Captain Gopinath is the person responsible for making air travel accessible for masses. As is obvious, the path was not free of impediments, be it in the form of nature's uncertainty, redtapism, bribery, lack of funds or political machinery delays.

But Captain's indefatigable courage, energy, passion, fighting spirit and determination to take an untraveled path and to achieve the goals are exemplary. He is a live example of the fact that no problem, no roadblock, no hurdle is big enough if it is up against strong perseverance and grit. His unfettered resolve to leave a task only when the goal is accomplished was the burning fire which helped him achieve whatever he aimed for.

This book is suitable as a guide for budding entrepreneurs and could be prescribed as a supplement in senior classes at school level and management institutions. It is sure to stimulate the young minds with hope that nothing is impossible and there are innumerable avenues waiting to be tapped by efficient people. Sky is the limit if conviction is strong.

I really liked the flow of the autobiography, however at some places too many unimportant details could have been edited out. These portions just increase the volume of the book rather than giving much to chew on.

Personally for me, what distinguishes an autobiography from a biography is the personal touch and warmth lent to it by the author. This is one significant aspect which makes a good autobiography stand apart from many others. I found the above mentioned pre-requisites somewhat lacking in Simply Fly.

Captain Gopinath has quoted many great people throughout his book which shows how well read the author is himself.

Some excerpts from the book:

Your energy, you passion, your ability to lose yourself in the entirety and the nitty-gritty of your venture to the exclusion of everything else is more important than capital. Thinking is the capital; enterprise is the way; hard work is the solution - APJ Abdul Kalam

A true entrepreneur is one who creates wealth where it did not exist earlier by creating a new market and a new customer. They create something new, something different, they change and transmute values and on a size and scale that will impact the society.

All great businesses involve two things - One is having great idea. Two is having great people around you. The third is the ability to retain good people is what will count most.

Happiness is a mirage if you look at it as a destination to arrive at. If you take joy in the everyday things of life, you will never need to embark on a journey towards an elusive destination. If work is your joy, you never need to toil at all in life.

A Brief About The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards:

Exclusively Indian, inclusive in every other sense, the Vodafone Crossword Book

Award brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers & publishers – like no other awards.

These are your awards - join us in celebrating Indian writing.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Award is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in India that not only recognizes and rewards the best of Indian writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards are given out in the following categories:

1. Vodafone Crossword Fiction Award.

2. Vodafone Crossword Non-Fiction Award.

3. Vodafone Crossword Translation Award.

4. Vodafone Crossword Children’s Award.

5. Vodafone Crossword Popular Award.

Click here to know more about the awards.

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Book Review : Way To Go

Title : Way to Go

Author : Upamanyu Chatterjee

Publisher : Hamish Hamilton (an imprint of Penguin Books)

ISBN : 978-0-670-08352-7

I must say, I was impressed by the very first sentence - 'For not having loved one's dead father enough, could one make amends by loving one's child more ?'. This sentence beautifully captures the philosophy, the essence of life. Can the wrongdoings in one relationship be rectified by compensating it at some other place?

The main protagonist Jamun is in his 40s and is in search of his 85-year old, half paralysed father Shyamanand, who mysteriously disappeared one night.

Many subplots in the form of tributaries join the main flow of the story as we go along. Jamun's brother Burfi, who had long severed ties with his father and Jamun, returns home. Jamun's former love interest Kasturi and the mother of Jamun's only child comes back too with a clear motive behind this move of hers. She wants to capture the melodramatic moments of Jamun's life into a Hindi Soap - Cheers Zindagi. A crafty builder Lobhesh Monga eyeing the property that belonged to Jamun's father is making all possible attempts to buy it out.

I consider it an achievement of the narration that the readers get to clearly experience Jamun's thoughts, emotions, apprehensions, fears and dilemmas as the story progresses. The story focuses on one relationship predominantly - between a father and a son. The supporting characters are etched out beautifully by Chatterjee whether it is the maid, her son, the neighbour Naina Kapur or Mr Mukherjee.

Like previous Upamanyu Chatterjee's books, the narrative is peppered with sarcasm, dark humour and intelligent witticism. The story deals with perils of old age, agonies, despairs, inevitability of degeneration and death. The story is capable of pushing the readers into introspective mood on many occasions, questioning the meaning of life, imperfection in the world, the futility of existence and where does the exercise of living leads us to. There are some portions which are completely power packed with a lot of substance while some go without creating any ripple. At some point while reading, the darkness, the negativity, the bitterness and the gloom become too much to handle and readers may feel it a challenge to sail through such parts. I firmly believe that sometimes, brevity wins over garrulousness and the author needs to experiment with that a little more. However, the wise selection of metaphors and analogies would surely make readers fall in love with the author's writing style.

A Brief About The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards:

Exclusively Indian, inclusive in every other sense, the Vodafone Crossword Book

Award brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers & publishers – like no other awards.

These are your awards - join us in celebrating Indian writing.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Award is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in India that not only recognizes and rewards the best of Indian writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards are given out in the following categories:

1. Vodafone Crossword Fiction Award.

2. Vodafone Crossword Non-Fiction Award.

3. Vodafone Crossword Translation Award.

4. Vodafone Crossword Children’s Award.

5. Vodafone Crossword Popular Award.

Click here to know more about the awards.

Book Review : The Immortals of Meluha

Title : The Immortals of Meluha

Author : Amish

Publisher : Westland

ISBN : 978-93-80658-54-4

The book is based on the belief that perhaps the actions, the deeds and karma are the only deciding factors in transforming an ordinary man to Mahadev - God of Gods.

The book begins with a tribal leader Shiva in a dilemma over an enticing offer from Nandi, who hails from Meluha (the land of pure life) inviting Shiva and his tribe of Gunas to relocate to Meluha. The Meluhan King of Suryavanshis - Daksh, invites various tribes to stay in his country in desperate pursuit of a sole savior Neelkanth for them.

Meluha is a near perfect empire created many centuries ago by Lord Ram whose reign was exemplary in many ways. But now the country is struggling against many issues - the aggression by Chandravanshis who apparently have allied with Nagas for terrorist attacks on Suryavanshis, shortage of somras and slow extinction of revered Saraswati river. But the Meluhans firmly believe in the ancient legend which gives them a glimmer of hope - when the problems become insurmountable for ordinary men, the Neelkanth will appear. It turns out that Shiva is the Neelkanth when his throat turns blue on partaking the Somras (the drink which reduces the oxidants in the body and makes the people of Meluha enjoy longer lives).

Shiva finds himself responding to the call of destiny while finding love of his life, forming brotherly associations with some and leading a whole country against evil. But are they up against evil?

I could see glimpse of Suryavanshi-Chandrvanshi disputes being analogous to the ones between India-Pakistan - having the same origin and at one point the argument between the Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi seemed very similar to the ones that we have witnessed many times between India and Pakistan.

What I liked the most about the book:

• Using the same characters, places and names which are associated with Lord Shiva -Mansarovar, Sati, Nandi, Daksh, Gunas, makes the whole story very believable and easy to relate to.

• Many euphoric moments throughout the narrative, especially the episode when Neelkanth inspires the Suryavanshi army to believe in 'Har Har Mahadev' - each and every person is Mahadev.

• The climax and the final revelation to Neelkanth. His inner struggle, turmoil, frustration and desperation to find the answer, the solution and the final realization. The brilliant portrayal of duality of life and of our existence takes the book many notches higher.

• Interweaving the sub plots of Saptrishis, Vasudevs, brief history of Devas and Asurasa and Rudra in the narrative without confusing the readers anywhere.

• The detailed description of places and situations which helps the readers in understanding the story and moving along with it.

• A completely original plot brilliantly amalgamating mythology, history and fiction to create a mesmerizing saga. I would like to give 10/10 for the imagination of the author.

• The author has fictionalized and simplified the mythology to such an extent that it can easily be followed by all, thereby increasing its reach extensively.

A few irritants:

The abusive language used by Shiva and his chillum are some of the aspects which may be objectionable to many, but Shiva is shown as a tribal, so I guess in order to bring the authenticity the author decided to retain them. However, I personally did not like these portions, could have been easily done away with, without losing anything on the plot and the impact of the whole story.

Language is very simple, can easily be followed by young adults too. A little refined language and tighter editing can definitely help the book positively.

Some excerpts from the book :

• Whether a man is a legend or not is decided by history, not fortune tellers.

• A man becomes a Mahadev, only when he fights for good. A Mahadev is not born from his mother's womb. He is forged in the heat of battle, when he wages a war to destroy evil. Har Har Mahadev - All of us are Mahadev.

• A person's ethics and character are not tested in good times. It is only in bad times that a person shows how steadfast he is to his dharma.

After reading this book, I was wondering, perhaps the 'page-turner' term was coined for such books. This book completely lives up to the term.

I feel really happy that the literary scene in India is in good hands as long as people like Amish are present on the literary firmament, with their out-of-the box thinking and wonderful plots.

Definitely one of the stories which will remain with the readers for a very long time and I am sure Shiva/Neelkanth/Mahadev will be in their hearts forever.

I am glad to have read and reviewed this book which is one of the shortlisted books for Vodafone Crossword Book Awards 2010.

A Brief About The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards:

Exclusively Indian, inclusive in every other sense, the Vodafone Crossword Book

Award brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers & publishers – like no other awards.

These are your awards - join us in celebrating Indian writing.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Award is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in India that not only recognizes and rewards the best of Indian writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards are given out in the following categories:

1. Vodafone Crossword Fiction Award.

2. Vodafone Crossword Non-Fiction Award.

3. Vodafone Crossword Translation Award.

4. Vodafone Crossword Children’s Award.

5. Vodafone Crossword Popular Award.

Click here to know more about the awards.

Interview with Anushka Ravishankar

Anushka Ravishankar, a mathematics graduate and a software professional is a prolific children's book writer now. She is lauded as India's answer to Roald Dahl as she brilliantly excels in nonsense verse. She believes that children should read for fun rather than as learning exercise and hence her aim has been to entertain the children through her books. Surely her writings are devoured by kids as well as their parents. Having more than 17 books and 12 awards to her name, she is among the well known names in the children's writers of her generation.

Her book 'At Least A Fish' (reviewed here) is among the six shortlisted books for Vodafone Crossword Book Awards 2010.

1. How did the journey of being an author of children's books begin and how has been the journey so far? Which of your stories is the most fulfilling experience for you?

It started with the realization, many years ago, that there weren't enough Indian books for children which told contemporary stories. So I thought it might be fun to try writing for children. So I wrote some stories and sent them off to a magazine and they liked them. So I decided to switch careers. I was in software before that.

Every book is satisfying in its own way, but the books Moin and the Monster and At Least a Fish were especially satisfying because they were completely mine, as opposed to my picture books, which have been collaborative. But collaborating with different illustrators has also been very exciting. To Market, to Market and Today Is My Day are two picture books that I really enjoyed working on.

2. Do you believe in writer's block and what is your way of deriving inspiration and getting fresh ideas for your books?

Ideas come from everywhere - things you see, hear, imagine, live.

As for writer's block, it's a mysterious phenomenon. When you stare at a blank screen and start typing random keys maniacally, you know it exists, whether you believe in it or not.

3. After having read many of your books, I feel the narrative amazingly captures the ramblings of a young mind, how do you transport yourself to feel and experience the emotions of children so aptly?

To be able to write for children, you have to be able to remember what it was like to be a child. They say about a lot of children's writers that they never grew up. I suspect that's true.

4. What are your next projects? When can we expect the next book in the series of Ana and Zian?

The next Zain and Ana (it's called Ghosts Don't Eat) has been written and illustrated and is expected to be out by September first week. The third Zain and Ana will be out next year, so I will be starting on it soon. There's also a picture book in verse that is in press. There are a couple of other books I want to write after I finish Zain and Ana 3.

5. Which kind of books excite Anushka? Which are your favourite authors ?

I love nonsense verse, especially Lewis Carroll and Edward Gorey. Also Dr Seuss who combines music and meaning so well, and Shel Siverstein's poetry for children. I like Roald Dahl because he thinks up the most bizarre stories. The other authors I like are Hilary MacKay, David Almond and Philip Pullman. I'm talking only about children's books here, of course.

The books in general that excite me vary with my moods, but I like reading books which have been thoroughly researched and are set in times and circumstances that I don't know much of. I also like books which have the Chekhovian quality of being light on the outside with a deep undertug of meaning and emotion.

6. Some people have natural flare for writing, in your opinion how much of this skill is acquired and how much is it a derivative of the basic nature of an individual?

I've found that one's writing improves when one keeps at it, so that seems to argue against the 'born writer' idea, but I think it might be like any skill - you can improve with practice, but to be really excellent, you probably need a gene for it.

7. How has the scenario changed in recent past in terms of kidlit in India?

There's been a quantum leap in the level of activity in children's literature. There are more publishers, creating more books, read by more children. But what we really need are more writers, because until we have a large number of writers, we're not going to have a high percentage of truly good books.

8. Any special incident or anecdote associated with a particular book that you would like to share with your readers?

9. Any suggestions to the budding authors aiming to write interesting children's books?

Read a lot, keep writing, and enjoy yourself. And never write down to a hypothetical child. Write for yourself, and the child who is like you will read and enjoy your writing.

10. Finally what are your feelings on having one of your books being shortlisted for Vodafone Crossword Book Awards? We wish you all the best!

It makes me happy of course, but most of all I'm happy that the Awards now include children's writing. As children's writers we're usually on the margins of the publishing world, but a prestigious award helps to give respectability, as it were, to the business of writing for children.

Book Review : Koni - The Story Of A Champion

'Koni - The Story Of A Champion' is among the six shortlisted books for the awards under children's category.

Title : Koni The Story of a Champion

Author : Moti Nandy (Translated by Sumana Mukherjee)

Publisher : Hachette India

ISBN : 978-93-80143-55-2

Koni - The Story of a Champion, is an English translation of Bengali novel 'Koni' written by the sports writer Moti Nandy. This is a saga of a spirited tomboy Koni Kanakchampa Paul hailing from very impoverished background and her swimming coach Kshitish Sinha who recognized the sparks of potential in Koni and took upon himself to transform her into a swimming legend.

Sinha noticed Koni for the first time in the Ganges while she was jostling with other boys of her age to grab the mangoes thrown in the river by the devotees. This was followed by another chance meeting where Koni had participated in 20-hour nonstop walking contest for a meager prize packet for her family. Incidentally during this time, Sinha was forced out of his club and he was all charged up to prove his point that he had what it takes to make champions. Thus began the alliance between a reluctant swimmer and a coach of undefeatable perseverance, the journey of grit and determination of Koni under the guidance of temperamental coach Sinha. The coach backed his unflinching resolve with strict regimen of diet and exercise for Koni while struggling against the unfair sports bodies at every level, Koni's poverty and his own familial issues.

The feisty young girl fights all battles against hunger, exhaustion, personal loss, poverty, rivalry, abusive team mates and disgrace and yet comes out of all these to finally display her mettle in the decisive round.

Sumana Mukherjee has very effectively brought up the issues of club rivalries, the frustration of experiencing talent being deprived of fare chance and eventually completing the journey from nadir of inadequacy to glory of reaching the goal. Despite facing a huge number of impediments, story of Koni rises above all to motivate and inspire many young aspirants who dream to make big in sports. At some level, the talent does speak for itself, the road may be tough and full of roadblocks but nothing can stop the indomitable spirit to reach the destination. The narrative is simple and can easily be followed by children of 9+ years.

A couple of one liners from the book:

Nonstop events help identify people with endurance as well as stubbornness.

If one didn't push oneself beyond one's limitations, one would never overcome them.

A Brief About The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards:

Exclusively Indian, inclusive in every other sense, the Vodafone Crossword Book

Award brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers & publishers – like no other awards.

These are your awards - join us in celebrating Indian writing.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Award is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in India that not only recognizes and rewards the best of Indian writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books.

The Vodafone Crossword Book Awards are given out in the following categories:

1. Vodafone Crossword Fiction Award.

2. Vodafone Crossword Non-Fiction Award.

3. Vodafone Crossword Translation Award.

4. Vodafone Crossword Children’s Award.

5. Vodafone Crossword Popular Award.

Click here to know more about the awards.