BHUBANESWAR: History is always shaped by a narrative and has the narrator’s bias in it, opined renowned author Ashwin Sanghi on Saturday.
Speaking to senior journalist and session moderator Kaveree Bamzai, on ‘Myth and Mystery: Journeys Into the Past’ at the 13th edition of the Odisha Literary Festival here, Sanghi said dealing with historical facts remains a challenge.
“If we talk about the Great Rebellion of 1857, that’s the way we learned about it in our textbooks. However, if we go to the UK, it is probably not taught at the school level and when it is taught at the college level, it is referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. In that sense, history is always shaped by a narrative and a narrator’s bias is bound to come through,” he added.
Quoting George Santayana’s famous lines, Sanghi said, “History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren’t there.”
Known for penning bestselling conspiracy thrillers, Sanghi said whenever he write something, he approaches the subject with a deep sense of respect. “I also take adequate time needed to get the fact for the story correct and try to make sure that there is enough material in the work so that the readers can go back on the journey if it interests them,” he said.
“All of this is important as it makes readers realise that you are not trying to be sensational and not attempting to sell books,” the author said. He further noted that as fiction writers, they know to present lies with a straight face.
“But the key is to shape the lie so it clings closely to truth, making it all the more convincing. That’s exactly what I do with my stories - spin a tale built upon a solid foundation of careful research and reality,” Sanghi added.
The author of the Bharat Collection, a series of adventure thrillers, said one of the greatest advantages of writing a book, at least for him, is that he is able spend a lot time in doing research on the subject and in the process uncover insights and knowledge that he never knew before.
On his latest novel, ‘The Ayodhya Alliance’, Sanghi said everything in nature is a duality of energy. “What happen if you combine these two energy forms? That’s Ayodhya Alliance,” he pointed out.