Sidharth Singh, who studied English Literature at Hindu college then moved to Mumbai, where he works as a writer and director in the film and television industry, has brought out his debut book, titled Fighter Cock. Published by Penguin Random House, the book is set in Shikargarh, Central India, and is about the rivalry between a dissolute raja with a passion for sex, drugs and cockfighting and Teja, his bastard son.
We understand that the raja’s Karianath fighter cocks are the undisputed champions of the area, but when Aseel fighters are imported by Teja, tension arises between the two. And when Sheru enters this world to work for raja, he gets entangled in the events that threaten to derail his destiny. Eventually, we understand that Sheru had a dark past and is dangerous. An interview with author:
Could you give us an insight into the book?
Fighter Cock is a satirical, Western-noir set in the rugged wilderness of an erstwhile principality called Shikargarh, in central India. It tells the story of Sheru, a reticent man on the run from the Bombay underworld, and how he negotiates the decadent, patriarchal hinterland.
What is the most challenging aspect of creating character sketches, especially for this book?
The challenge in creating characters for this book was to make them believable and retain their flaws, yet make them larger than life. The story employs absurdist humour and exaggerat i ons , and the characters had to reflect that without looking fake.
Has reading English Literature impacted you in any way?
I have been reading ever since I can remember and studied English literature in college, though many of the books I have admired have been translations from other languages. Books have certainly shaped my worldview and I am always reading one.
Comment on writing for the screen and novels.
When you are writing for the screen, every word needs to propel the dramatic action forward and you have to write visually, in a sequence of shots, whereas in a novel you can meander and play with the language and narrative in various ways.
Could you also tell us about your projects in Bollywood?
Nothing concrete, but I have written a story for a long-form web series that I will start pitching now.
FIGHTER COCK
By Sidharth Singh
Publisher:Penguin Random House
Price : Rs 299
Pages : 256