Ruchir Gupta is a graduate in Medicine and is a practicing doctor in USA. He has authored various books that deal with the topic of anesthesiology. His interests include reading, traveling, learning history and blogging. His book 'Mistress of the Throne' is the story of Mughal queen Jahanara (reviewed here). It is pleasure to present his views here for the readers of Literary Sojourn.
- Dr. Ruchir Gupta or writer Ruchir Gupta, which role gives you more pleasure and satisfaction?
Both roles provide a different method of
satisfaction. Medicine is a very gratifying field but one that doesn't
allow much creativity. As a writer, I have the chance to create new worlds and
give life to different characters. It is this act of creativity that I
feel keeps me young.
- What motivated you to write 'Mistress of the Throne'? What is so mystical about the Mughal period in your opinion?
The Mughal period has often been thought of as
India's golden age. Unfortunately, current communal conflicts have caused
many of us to view Mughal culture as foreign, even though it was a blend
of muslim and hindu traditions. At the height of the mughal empire, 1/4
of humanity lived in its dominion and its economy was 50 times greater than
that of Great Britain. Thus, the mughal empire has always
fascinated me for its ability to unite people and build an entire
civilization.
- Why do you think, historical fiction genre is attracting more and more readers these days?
I think people are now reflecting more on their
past. As Indians, we were often given a distorted view of our history for
the purposes of furthering British propaganda. I think people are now
realizing how advanced and admirable our history was and in that past lie some
of the answers for the present time.
- Which authors do you admire and like to read the most, who have written historical fiction, focusing more on Mughal period? How would you compare the works of Dalrymple, Eraly, Alex Rutherford, Indu Sundaresan?
With the exception of Eraly, I have read all of
the aforementioned authors. Dalyrymple writes nonfiction so my book is of
an entirely different genre. I rely on his work for much of the facts for
my mughal projects. I have emailed him a few times and I am a great
admirer of his. Both Rutherford and Sundarasen deserve a geat deal of
credit for launching bestsellers in this genre and thus bringing the Mughal
story to the masses. I, personally, like Sundarasen's style a little more
than Rutherford's, but this is just my opinion. Sundarasen spends a great
deal of time describing the imagery of the scene so that one feels as though
they are in the Mughal palace itself. She also writes often from the
female perspective. Rutherford, by contrast, spends more time on
describing action and battle scenes. His books have been from the male
perspective. My book differs from theirs in that I think I delve
more into character development and creating an emotional dimension for my
characters. Again, all of these books are great, but the writing
style is different.
- Do you have a dream story that you would like to work on?
My focus right now is on my series, The Mughal
Intrigues, of which Mistress of the Throne is the first book. I am
working on a sequel and have not yet decided if this series would be a trilogy
or have 4 different books.
- Why do you think Mughal period is becoming the focus of more writings compared to other periods in Indian history?
Mughals are royalty and are the premier royal
family for India. The 1857 rebellion had the aging Mughal Emperor as the
standard bearer for the cause; the flag is raised every August
15 from the Red Fort of Delhi. Thus, the
Mughals have been intricately tied to India and its opulence.
Additionally, the Mughals are inherently Indian. Most Mughal Kings
married Hindu princesses. At a time when a marriage between a hindu and a
muslim is considered taboo, it is sobering to realize that centuries ago, this
was common amongst the royalty. In fact, Shah Jahan was 3/4 Hindu, though
he followed Islam. Even Aurengzeb, who is known for his fanaticism and
his destruction of Hindu temples, married a Hindu princess. Thus, it's
this plurality that has attracted the attention of the masses.
- In your opinion, which is the safest and surest way to the hearts of the readers?
Character development. Readers wish to
connect with the characters and be able to share in their trials and
tribulations. Thus, good character development is a great way to engage
the reader.
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