This had to be an interview, which had me
smiling throughout. Just as Anuja Chandramouli says that her book, ‘Arjuna - Saga of a Warrior Prince’ is humorous,
she herself is one for a sense of humour.
When I began reading and reviewing ‘Arjuna’, I noticed the
similarities, it had with most of the stories, I had already read. Still, it had
something, which I had always wanted to see. She managed to put the Mahabharata
together, in solid sentences. I remember reading it as a child in the comic book
format, but here it was, in story book format.
And guess what? Her next book is based on Kama,
somebody who I am quite curious about, since I have read nothing about him,
ever! A spinner of yarns, this one is.
So, let us be led on by Arjuna, in this one…
How did ‘Arjuna’ happen? What kind
of research did you put into it?
‘Arjuna’ happened when I was
wrestling with a writer’s block. Conventional wisdom has it that authors do
their best work when they write about the things they know really well. And
from that point of view, ‘Arjuna’ was the logical choice, because I have known
him nearly all my life.
There was considerable research involved of
course, but the foundation was already in place for this venture because I have
been greedily devouring any and all things related to the Mahabharata from my
youngest days.
Why did you choose Arjuna, considering the numbers of mythological characters and stories open to you?
Arjuna has a very special place in my heart
because other swashbuckling historical characters may come and go, but he is
forever.
How do you think your book is
different from everyone else’s?
I think my book is very
passionate and humorous. Enough said! I’d rather not do odious comparisons, because I am
sure everyone who has written on the Mahabharata has left their special stamp
on it and I applaud them for that.
Who was it that told you that you
could become the storyteller, you are?
I think the credit goes to my grandmother who
forced every one of her visitors to listen to her precocious granddaughter’s
rendition of Krishna’s tale, while preening with pride and urging them to ‘ooh’
and ‘aah’ over my brilliant storytelling abilities.
My buddies in school were also firm believers
in my storytelling skills and would even beg the teachers, to let me narrate
one of my stories if a free period presented itself. Their
fondness for my stories made my heart sing although I usually feigned
reluctance to spin them a yarn :),
just to get them to plead with me.
How would you relate the life of
Arjuna to the lives today? Any similarities?
Certainly! One of Arjuna’s most enduring
qualities is that he is eternally relevant. While it is true that he had divine
origins and he hobnobbed with divinity, unlike mere mortals his life was not a
bed of roses. What we can learn from him is that in
good times and bad, he never stopped believing in himself and worked hard to
achieve his aims.
Then as it is now, life sucks on most days.
Like him we need to believe in ourselves and be unafraid of good, old fashioned
labour to make the most of our existence on this planet.
Who is your inspiration?
There are lots of people who inspire me.
Mostly, I adore those who are amazing at what they do and I have always wanted
to be included in their ranks.
I was supposed to be working on this
interview, but got distracted watching Rafael Nadal thrash Roger Federer at the
semi-final round of the ATP World Tour Final. Nadal
is a huge source of inspiration because he simply refuses to give up whether he
is battling his gifted contemporaries or debilitating physical injuries.
Either way, he is a fighter and I want to be like him.
Any advice to writers that would
like to be published today? How tough is it to be published in India?
It is not easy to be published in India or
anywhere else for that matter. Aspiring writers
just need to roll up their sleeves and get cracking on their novels, before
steeling themselves against rejection, shoring up on patience as well as
persistence and never giving up on what they have so painstakingly created. The
rest will take care of itself.
Who are your favourite authors and
why?
Veda Vyasa, Agatha Christie, George R RMartin, Terry Brooks, Jane Austen and Stephen King. As for the why, if you have
read these guys, there is no need for an explanation and if you haven’t, what
are you waiting for? Go read them… ASAP.
Which book are you currently
reading?
A collection of short stories, edited by
Alfred Hitchcock called, ‘Alfred Hitchcock’s
Grave Business’.
What book is coming from your
stable, next? When do you see it released?
My next book is about Kama, the
God of Desire.
It will be released in 2014.
What else do you do on a day to day
basis?
I raise my kids, grumble about household
chores, work out and attend my classical dance classes religiously, dream
endlessly, read and write.
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