Tell us about your new book Rise of Kali.
Rise of Kali is about an unanswered question. Was the war between Pandavas and Kauravas one between good versus evil and if it was the good that triumphed, why did the Kali yug—the evil age—rise after the defeat of Duryodhana? Should it not have been appropriate for a golden age to rise, if the war was all about good vanquishing evil? Rise of Kali is Mahabharata from Duryodhana’s perspective. It is also a debate on dharma or what we understand as dharma.
Even the Gita is explored differently in this book. Was that something you always wanted to do?
I had always been intrigued by the characterisation of Krishna and Balarama. Both brothers are considered to be avatars of Vishnu. But why did only one avatar get prominence? Balarama, in many places, argues against Krishna’s philosophy. Balarama refused to participate in the war and when his attempts to stop the bloodshed failed, he went for a pilgrimage. This avatar of Vishnu and the philosophy of peace he represents makes him similar to Buddha or Gandhiji, but unfortunately or deliberately, Balarama is played down by the same people who tell the tale in the traditional way. My attempt is to see how one avatar of Vishnu, who opposed the war, will see Bhagawad Gita of the other avatar of Vishnu who advocates war, arguably with some reluctance.
Your book is also a severe indictment of the patriarchy and caste system prevalent in that period. What sort of research did you put into the Ajaya series?
One has to read Mahabharata many times to read between the lines and a hidden world opens up. And when we correlate it to various social evils that came to haunt our country, we can see their roots hidden in ancient texts. It also shows there were resistances to the development of such biases in those times too and the prominent side which was capable of writing the history wrote it to suit their needs. I have given the list of books, which is not exhaustive, that I had referred. But this is a work of fiction rather than a research paper and imagination has to play an important part while writing such books.
Asura and Ajaya: Roll of the Dice were both shortlisted for the Crossword popular award. Was there pressure to match expectations while writing this one?
A book’s commercial success, though always desirable, should not be a chain that binds a writer’s creativity. It is natural to be scared about the expectations, but most successful writers succeed in suppressing such fears and prod on with writing, expecting the best. Going by the first week’s numbers and substantial numbers of pre-orders, this book also seems to do commercially well. Though it may be a bit too early to start celebrating, it has relieved me of some pressure.
What is your typical day like when you are working on a book?
Morning 4 to 7 am is my writing time. Since I am writing for Star TV also, there is no day which I can afford not to write. This has become a habit which is difficult to break off now. I do not write after that designated time, unless there is timeline pressure from TV.
What great books/book or new author/s did you discover in 2015?
The Blind Lady’s Descendants by Anees Salim and Children, Women, Men by Sundara Ramaswami.
What are you working on next?
My daughter Ananya and my son Abhinav who are 11 and 8 are ardent Harry Potter fans. My daughter feels Indian mythology is boring. My next one is Devayani, which is set in the magical world of Asuras and Devas. I have taken this as a challenge to show that stories set in Indian mythological world can also be interesting and appealing to the younger generation, just as the Harry Potter series or the Hunger Games trilogy could be. We have a much richer story world and if Indian writers are not able to tap this, it is our own fault. Only time can tell whether I will be able to succeed in this challenge or not. But then, I always dream audaciously.