From the desk of Ashwin Sanghi, comes another thriller Keepers of the Kalachakra. There is the usual statutory blurb in place on the cover, warning the reader: ‘More than a million copies of Ashwin’s books sold’. I plunge into the inch-and-a-half thick book—liberally illustrated with exotic black and white sketches—and handsomely bound between its covers.
Look out! Dan Brown, and for that matter, other writers from the West. Our own brand of Make in India has come of age. Henceforth get ready for fresh competition on the block.
That said, under a tepid winter’s sun, I snuggle down comfortably, book in hand. After the first page, I am not disappointed. Soon after, I am lost in a world of intrigue, where the ‘Kalachakra’ or the Wheel of Time helps the believers evolve a sixth sense. The author packs a powerful punch, coming as it does after the success of his earlier books. This is one to contend with, spicy and saucy, a survey of the past and present, full of lively anecdotes from history, eccentrics, Mad Hatters—everything that makes this book unique—without a dull moment, without a dull page.
I try to put the book down, but feel like the fish that’s taken the bait—hooked on to a roller-coaster ride. Sometimes the cellophane between fact and fiction fails. There are no prizes for guessing who ‘had won the elections against all contrary predictions by pollsters and media pundits, leaving each of them with more than egg on their faces. He was arrogant, brash and politically incorrect, and those were precisely the reasons why he had won’.
And then the plot unravels as characters begin to fall, one by one—like skittles on a beige top—biting the
dust. The front line of world’s liberal leadership from Britain to Japan keel over like ninepins. And no one has a clue of who is behind this mayhem. How does one hasten the end of a man’s life without leaving any tracks as to how they died?
You do not have to be a genius in political science, a mere smattering or a nodding acquaintance with world affairs shall suffice. Kalachakra involves an overly simplistic mingling of mystical symbolism which cannot move to the next level, as the author seems to be happy to turn the screws on the rack to keep the tension going.
At times, the veil slips simply because it is too thin: ‘The hard truth is that there isn’t one America. There are many. And there are Americas the press never speaks about—unemployed America, disillusioned America and xenophobic America. An America that is angry with immigrants taking American jobs…. All I need to do is tap into that groundswell of dissatisfaction.’ And we all know which way that cookie crumbled!
Then to calm your nerves, you find yourself in Uttarakhand’s Kalimath, wandering in the Garhwal Himalayas, endowed with immense natural beauty, surrounded by the mountains, walking trails, deep forests, snow-clad summits, thermal springs, meadows, waterfalls and springs. Beyond this, I’m not telling. To find out more, you will have to go and pick up a copy of the book.
‘To be Compared to Dan Brown is Flattering’
Author Ashwin Sanghi believes that we tend to compare English commercial fiction with vernacular literary fiction and that comparison is misplaced. He says that despite writing in English becoming bigger, the ‘Surendra Mohan Pathaks’ of the world continue to sell amazing numbers. What needs to change, he tells Medha Dutta, is the marketing approach of vernacular publishers. Excerpts.
Tell us about your new book.
Keepers of the Kalachakra is a thriller that examines the overlap between spirituality and quantum physics. It is a fast-paced novel that, in particular, looks at the ‘Kalachakra’ or ‘wheel of time’ as a means to attaining a higher spiritual realm.
Your books are a mix of science and mythology. How do you strike a balance?
This latest one is actually a mix of science, religion, mythology, history and current affairs. I don’t go out there trying to achieve a balance. I simply decide what elements work for my fictional plot and then go with that.
You have often been hailed as India’s Dan Brown. Your views.
I am one of Dan Brown’s most ardent fans so I have no problems with the comparison. Frankly, to be compared to a writer who has sold well over 200 million books is flattering. Having said that, the comparison is primarily due to the fact that both Dan Brown and I deal with that delicious question “What if?”. Answers to that question fall in the genre of conspiracy fiction.
What inspired you to take up writing?
My grandfather was an avid collector of books and would share a book each week with me. This tradition carried on for almost a decade. The end result was that I became a voracious reader. However, I did not know that I would ever write a book. Almost 10 years after joining my business, I visited Srinagar. The town has a tomb in the old quarter dating back to 112 AD. There are two bodies buried there, one from the 14th century—an Islamic burial in North-South direction—the other of much greater antiquity, buried in Jewish tradition of East-West. The popular folklore surrounding the tomb was that Jesus had survived the crucifixion, travelled to India and lay buried there. I was utterly fascinated by this incredible story and spent the next 18 months reading everything about the subject that I could lay my hands on. At the end of this hectic research period I had mountains of information swimming inside my head and my wife suggested that I pen it down. My journey into the world of writing had begun.
One book that is close to your heart.
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda is my all-time favourite book. It taught me that what I cannot understand is no less real than what I can understand.
Are you thinking of anymore collaborations?
Sure. All my books in the 13 Steps series will be collaborations going forward. Of the existing three books in the series, only one was solo.
What advice would you give to budding writers?
Don’t just think about writing… write. Imagine yourself as a storyteller rather than writer. Be prepared for rejection and plod on. Become thick-skinned as far as criticism goes. Don’t lose the day job… it would be a while before your royalties will be anything meaningful. If you attain success, be humble and remember that those are not your words but the words placed in your head by Goddess Saraswati.
Is Indian writing finally getting its due?
Sure. Indian-origin authors began receiving international recognition much earlier owing to literary greats such as Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Vikram Seth and Amitav Ghosh. It was English commercial fiction in the Indian subcontinent that lost out to international commercial greats such as Jeffrey Archer, Sidney Sheldon, Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, Dan Brown and John Grisham. This has changed over the past decade and we see Indian commercial fiction writers dominating the bestseller lists.
What are you working on next?
I am at that moment when I am tossing around ideas in my head. I currently have three. I will whittle them down to one by March and will start writing in April.