In this exclusive interview with The New Indian Express – Keralam, renowned Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia opens up about his decision to abandon his ambitious project of writing a biography of Jesus Christ.
Zacharia explains why the project became restrictive, time-consuming, and intellectually exhausting, particularly because of the challenge of explaining every miracle attributed to Jesus. Describing Jesus Christ as a man who has been "misrepresented for 2000 years," Zacharia shares his thoughts on religion, literature, and the challenges of writing about historical and spiritual figures.
The celebrated writer also stands by his controversial statement about intellectuals, reiterating that they serve no purpose and calling them "dangerous people." In this candid conversation, he discusses the creative freedom of writing novels in English compared to Malayalam and reveals that he continues to enjoy reading Dune by Frank Herbert.