CHENNAI : Jugal Hansraj, author of the book The Jewel of Nisawa, talks about the process of crafting the nuances of this children’s book, his sources of inspiration, and his way of creating visual imageries through words. The author takes a deep dive into enchanting world of adventures, far from the the clutches of the current life, hovering over the themes of friendship and values.
You had a prominent presence in the film industry. How did the thought of writing come to you?
My first professional tryst with writing was the story/screenplay/dialogue for my first film as director — Roadside Romeo. After that, I had written the script of a second animation film that didn’t get made. Some years later, I decided to attempt rewriting that script into a novel and it found a publisher. Boosted by that and the fact that my son had just been born, in January 2018, I started jotting down my thoughts for another book, which then formed into The Coward and The Sword. Much to my pleasure, HarperCollins found it good enough to publish. And now here I am with the sequel The Jewel of Nisawa recently released.
Could you tell what nudged you to choose children’s literature?
The birth of my son inspired me to write something for children. An entertaining and engaging tale, but with a positive message of peace and courage. Something that would make my son proud of me when he is older.
Does the plot have connections to the stories you grew up hearing or reading?
I have always loved fantasy fiction as a genre. New worlds, unique characters and settings really fire up my imagination. So, it was only natural to lean towards something on those lines.
How do you carve out time for writing. I would like to know about your craft of writing. Is it spontaneous, or is there a lot of thoughtfulness involved in it?
I’m not formally trained as a writer. My process is more instinctive. I find my inspiration for my stories mainly from my study of Nichiren Buddhism and the writings of Daisaku Ikeda. Once a theme strikes a chord in me, it slowly flowers into a story and I let it brew in my mind. And then I start writing. The actual writing is sporadic, but thoughts about the story, plot, characters, setting continue to constantly brew in my mind, especially when I go for long walks in the morning.
At every juncture, you have enticed the readers by invoking curiosity. How did you manage to do that?
Perhaps because I myself have a very curious mind, a seeking spirit so to speak. If something invokes curiosity in me, I start writing it down, or like book three in the series that I’m currently writing, I satisfy that curiosity by researching that topic I’m writing about.
I am eager to know about the peculiarity of the characters’ names: Kadis, Shonin, Nanji, and others. How did you pick the names?
Again, I allow my imagination to fly. The name Kadis is actually my son’s name spelt backwards. His name is Sidak. As for the other names, once again, I find inspiration in my study of Nichiren Buddhism and more generally in older, East Asian culture.
The book is interspersed with illustrations to substantiate the plot. I was amazed by them. In your opinion, how important are these illustrations to visualise the imaginary world vividly?
I must commend our illustrator Ruchi Shah on her wonderful work in both the books. She has really added an evocative, magical feel to the story with her work. They help in creating that world in the minds of the readers, taking them into another realm almost.
There are tinges of adventure, friendships, dreams, and mysteries in the book. Was this concoction brewing in your mind before writing this book?
I allow my thoughts to brew and form before I write. So, in the case of each book, the story, characters and the world of the story constantly play in my mind, changing form and shape until I feel it’s ready to put down on paper.
Can you talk about the setting and time you had chosen to craft the novel?
The time is not exact but obviously set in medieval times, before the industrial age. Since we as a race are way past that stage, going back to those times evokes a romanticism and magic that our age of high technology lacks.
Is creating stories, weaving words and scenes organically a process that also is an escapade for you from the real world?
Definitely. It is a form of escaping into a world which I am creating — characters and settings, which are based on my perspective of the world around me. And as you said, mine is a very organic process.
The book also touches upon the themes of virtue and perils of greed. Could you shed light on the significance of these motifs in the story, and the underlying messages you want to convey?
In my observations of the field I am in, and of the world in general, I have observed a heavy leaning towards materialism and perception of people based on materialism. Often people are guilty of forming judgements of people based on what someone is wearing, what brands they wear, the wealth or status they possess, or the lack of these things. In the process, they tend to ignore the true value of the real person. Even in my story, some characters give credence to the perceived value of a jewel, which in reality, is just a shiny stone found under the ground, and ignore the hearts of the people.