BHUBANESWAR: There are not many admirers of crime fiction in India, said celebrated writer Surender Mohan Pathak in a candid session at the 11th edition of Odisha Literary Festival here on Saturday.The art of writing crime fiction might appear tough to readers, but for Pathak, it isn’t so. With an abundance of humour in his repertoire, he explained his art and his works, and also spoke on why crime fiction is not very well-received in India, while it is lauded in the West.
In reality, crime takes place first and the investigation comes later, which makes it tough for the real investigators to track down the culprit. But for a writer, the problem, clues and solutions are all his own, said Pathak.It makes the job of a writer much easier. He also mentioned that murder mysteries across the globe have the same story, in which a murder takes place, there are four-five suspects and the detective, through a method of elimination, finds the murderer, and his works are not an exception.
Steering the discussion to his style, Pathak said, “I might not be a good writer but I am a sincere writer,” while emphasising how he ensures his work appeals to him first before reaching the audience. Speaking on the challenges of writing crime fiction in a country like India, where it is not as popular as in the West, he admitted recognition takes time.
Asked if in today’s OTT era crime fiction is getting sidelined, the veteran author said both OTT shows and fiction draw inspiration from the same source - crime in real life. “Originality is the art of concealing the source,” he commented.
Writing since 1963 without a break, with over 270 published books to his credit, Pathak shared from his experience the key reason why more Byomkesh Bakshis or Feludas are not emerging from the pens of Indian writers. He said there are not many admirers of crime fiction in India. “The Indian audience is inclined to finding faults,” he said drawing laughter in the crowd.