Prolific and articulate, Amish Tripathi continues to weave rich mythical tales with a contemporary appeal. As the second book in his Ram Chandra Series is about to hit the stands, the banker-turned-writer visited The Hindu office and took some straight questions on his re-imagining/ retelling of the life and times of gods and goddesses. Excerpts:
From tales of Shiva to the avatar of Vishnu, isn’t it quite a mythical leap!
Lord Ram is also a Shiv bhakt. If you read 1008 names of Lord Shiva, one of the name listed for Lord Shiva is Vishnu. If you go through ‘Vishnu Sahasranama’, one of the thousand names listed for Lord Vishnu is Shiva. They are manifestations of the same source. So the fight is silly.
Are you re-imagining the mythical tales or retelling them?
I would venture to say that this was the tradition in India. It is only that we forgot this tradition of reinterpreting and re-imagining in the last 100 to 200 years. May be the colonial experience destroyed our self confidence.
The question remains...
I don’t know because it is a question of degree. For example, is the Ram Charitra Manas 16th Century modernisation of the original “Valmiki Ramayan”? Is it retelling or re-imagining because there are many differences between the two. There is no Lakshman Rekha in Valmiki’s Ramayan. There is a concept of Sita mata going into the fire before the kidnap and her shadow coming up in Ramcharitmanas. It is not there in Valmiki Ramayan. Similarly, the Ahilya story is quite different. The respectful approach is the same but there are changes and differences.
Have you taken Tulidas’ role in the 21st Century?
I am nowhere in that league. Tulsidas was a god among writers. My books are small contributions to a culture that I am very proud of.
You also add episodes...talk about using anti-aging drugs during vanvas
As I said, the soul is the same but we add some things of the modern world so that it appeals to the new generation. That happened in Kamban Ramayan as well. In one episode, Lord Ram praises Ravan and Ravan praises Lord Ram.
What does it say about us?
That is the beauty of Indian culture. That’s why we are the only culture that is alive even today when most ancient cultures like Egyptian, Chinese, Greek have vanished. The lazy analysis is that our stories were better or our people had more faith. But, if you study, you will find that their myths were as engaging and philosophical. I think one strength that we have is the ability to reinterpret our stories again. The new generation gets attracted and they become part of everyday narrative again. We have been doing it repeatedly.
So, now the times demand that Sita is seen in a feminist light?
My point is Sita mata being seen in feminist light is truer to the ancient version. It is in between that it changed. It happens. In Adbhut Ramayan for example, there are two Ravans. The elder Ravan is killed by Sita mata when she takes the form of goddess Kali. So she is a warrior in that version. In the Gond Ramayani, she fights a battle to save Lakshman . Even in Valmiki’s version, she is a strong character. In those days, maryada (dignity) and dharma had to be respected but you didn’t have to sacrifice shakti (power) for that. And that was the balance that was understood. Like I said, times change, versions change. Ancient versions become relevant again. This is our culture’s strength that we change but are still able to hold on to the old in some way. It keeps us alive!
How do you see her?
I see her as a strong, powerful woman. Sita maa and Lord Ram work as partners for the land that they love.
But that goes against popular perception, which sees her as an obedient wife. Isn’t it?
It is the 1980s television version. Like once upon a time from Amar Chitra Katha’s perspective asuras were all green skinned with horns. I feel there is lot of strength in Sita maa. We should find it and celebrate it. There is a story when she was a little child, she lifted the pinaka, Lord Shiva’s bow. The modern theory assumes that in order to respect Sita maa, one has to disrespect Lord Ram. I don’t agree with it. We can idolise both. In my interpretation, they work together for dharma.
What is your interpretation of Ram’s family life?
You have to wait for my interpretation till the fifth book of the series. Having said that our approach to judge gods is not right because god doesn’t judge you. You suffer the consequences of your own karma. You are incharge of what happens to you. If this is the perspective, gods are the archetypes whom we can learn from. We learn from them about different ways of life. So Lord Ram is the archetype of the ideal follower of laws. If you have a leader like that, society benefits but life of laws is generally not good for the family. There are other gods and heroes that belong to the same archetype. Look at Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.
The language of your novels has come under scrutiny of literary critics?
Yes, most of them have been kind on the philosophy and storytelling part but there have been concerns about the language. Some feel that it should be more classical. I feel you write as it comes to you. I don’t come from an upper class background. My family’s English was the language of school. For me writing in British English will require effort because that is not the way I speak at home. The writer should write in a language that comes naturally to him or her. I don’t deny there is benefit. Most Indians don’t come from an upper class background and they speak the language that I speak.
Some feel you humanise gods while others suggest that you are bringing them down from a pedestal.
If you write with respect in your heart, it will show in the book. The best way to understand it is a lovely line from Vedas: truth is one; wise men speak of it differently. I think most Indians are comfortable with multiple truths. It is something that comes to us instinctively. Lord Kartikeya is considered bachelor in north India while in the south he is believed to have two wives. If you actually know all these stories, the comfort of living with multiple truths come instinctively. I always say that bring all these texts in our education system, liberalism will come automatically.
But debates on social media suggest that we are not as liberal as we tend to believe. Take the recent Sonu Nigam controversy on azaan.
Twitter is not India, let’s be honest. Ideally, you should not have vivaad (contention); you should have samvaad (dialogue). That’s why, I don’t want to participate in panel discussions on TV. That’s the American way. If we were as crazy, we would have become Syria by now.
How do you see youngsters’ increasing interest in mythological fiction?
It reflects return of our historical self confidence. They are approaching past from a position of confidence.
Because of financial security?
The root of power in modern day is artha (economy) and post 1991, I can say from my family’s experience, things have changed financially. We were on the outer edges. There is still poverty, but it has come down drastically. We are going through a process of change. And if you look at Samundra manthan in an allegorical way, some poison will come out. There is some dislocation, but amrit niklega ! (elixir will flow)
Karan Johar recently alluded that the present atmosphere forced him to let go of the rights of The Immortals of Meluha...
Yes, the contract did expire. I don’t think there is too much to read into it. There is another contract on the cards and we will announce it in a month or two.
Is it because of the budget that the novel would require in cinematic adaptation?
The very nature my works will lead to big budget films. However, the success of Baahubali has opened up the mind of many people
Marketing is an important aspect of your writing...
The way I see it, it is a fallacy that a good book sells on its own. You need a good book as well as good marketing. Both need to serve some purpose in a reader’s life.
Around the launch of the book, I focus on marketing but between books, I go under the radar. I don’t visit too many lit fests. My belief is that you should read at least 100 pages for every page you write. Only then your page will be rich.
But when you launch teaser videos before the release, there is hardly anything left to imagine...
This is one way of looking at it. What I tell writers is that you should not think about marketing when you are writing a book. The writing has to be pure but once the book is done then you have to look at it in a pragmatic way and for that you have to plan as the world is, not as it should be. And that’s the lesson from Ravan; put your ego aside. Why should the publisher make a loss because of writer’s ego?
What’s the connection between banking and mythology?
(Laughs) If you take American banking, they indeed sold us myths.
Do certain political parties find you ideologically close to them? Any offers?
I never support any political party publicly. I believe you should do your swadharma even if you make mistakes while doing it rather than doing somebody’s else’s swadharma even if you do it perfectly.
What’s next?
The next book is on Ravan. I have ideas for the next 20-25 years, all based on mythology. I have left clues of all my subjects in the Shiva trilogy itself... Lord Parshuram, Lord Rudra, Brahma....
Instinctive writer
“I never write in first person. There are multiple characters with multiple voices. I am an instinctive writer. I discover the story as the reader does. I have a beginning and the end. The middle, I genuinely discover while writing that’s why I don’t write character sketches. That’s far more fun. I tried once, it didn’t work for me.”
