Kim comes out in a new shade. Perhaps that would be the closest you can get to describing what Timeri Murari picked up from what Rudyard Kipling had left behind. "Rudyard Kipling will be spinning in his grave," quipped Murari. "I wanted to make Kim more adventurous and more Indian. That's why I took liberties with the character," he pointed out. He was speaking at the launch of his novel, The Imperial Agent at The Park.
In the book, the author traces the genesis of the Indian revolution through the eyes of Kimball O'Hara, the untried, free-spirited hero of Rudyard Kipling's tale, Kim.
To the 100-odd people who had gathered at the event, it was an unconditional evening treat, as Karthik Kumar and Karthik Srinivasan from Evam theatre read extracts from the book, followed by a question and answer session between historian S Muthiah and the author. The discussion brought to light the attribute that Murari holds closer to heart, the art of storytelling than the philosophy in a book. "I have been brought up by story tellers. For me, the storytelling part is very important. But you can tell a story, at the same time intellectualise within it," he noted. About the supernatural and spiritual inferences he has brought out in the book, Murari said, "The supernatural still lives in India. I have to admit that I've considered rewriting my book. But the editor left it like that. Well, you can skim a few pages and go on."
Catching up with Murari after the launch, he disclosed that he worked from seven in the morning to one in the afternoon on the book until it was completed. But how do stories come to him? "I am inspired by people around me. Sometimes it’s from newspaper articles. I have a good collection of newspaper cut-outs with me. They all set a train of thought," he said.
Fans of Murari's writing can watch out for part two of the book, which is slated to be out in October. Pointed out the author, "My editor said 700 page-books are becoming more expensive. So he suggested I break it into two."
elizabeth@epmltd.com