Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, who wrote and edited an anthology of short stories, ‘14: Stories that Inspired Satyajit Ray’, is known for his work as a translator. It came as a surprise when he chose a crime thriller for his first novel. ‘Patang’ (Hachette; Rs. 350) has words of praise by Sriram Raghavan, director of Badlapur , and lives up to it.
Edited excerpts from an interview with the author who keeps his readers guessing till the very end:
What made you choose a crime thriller for your debut novel?
All my previous books had been translations, but I wanted to tell my own stories too, although I had not figured out which to tell first. ‘Patang’ happened at the request of someone from the Mumbai film industry. So, the genre was not really my choice.
Chandrakanth Rathod and Aditya Mathur are intriguing characters. Tell us how you shaped these characters and to what extent did they emerge from personalities you have observed?
One writes one’s characters based on experiences of meeting different people. It is a lifelong experience, and seldom does it so happen that you write a character based on any one person. The characters of Rathod and Mathur are no different. Rathod is a detective who has dedicated his life to solving crime. He’s the seasoned, weathered detective. Mathur is fresh, has an imagination, is a tad nervous and yet, will speak his mind — sometimes a bit beyond what is necessary. He is a ‘rookie’ cop, the quintessential sidekick, always excited, raring to go. Characters have a way of setting off on a journey of their own. That’s what happened in ‘Patang’.
What are the Indian characters/writers in crime fiction that have appealed to you?
Over the years, I like the character of Byomkesh Bakshi a lot, and of course Feluda. I like Byomkesh because he is believable. Feluda stories are more of ‘adventures’, although Satyajit Ray’s writing is extremely sharp. I always read Byomkesh for a good mystery and Feluda for a good time. I’ve always been a big fan of detective fiction, so I created my own detective. You’ll meet him soon in my next novel ‘Penumbra’.
The description of crime in ‘Patang’ is rather brutal. Were you concerned that it may not appeal to a few readers?
I was very concerned. I’d never written anything like that ever before, never used that kind of language. Honestly, not just the crimes, there were other aspects of the story which were brutal and hard-hitting. I’m a father of two lovely children, have a loving wife and a caring mother to go back to after I wrote those brutal, gruesome pieces. It was a struggle, every single time. I hated myself, and sometimes I would sleep in my den, not wanting to face them. One might say, what was the big deal, you were writing fiction. But I was already lost in the streets of Mumbai, climbing tall towers, in construction sites, in abandoned steel mills, in deserted churches. For me, Rathod, Mathur, Tony and all the other characters were people in flesh and blood. So I had to give them a solid reason to do whatever they were doing. After a lot of internal battles, I told myself — you either step out of your comfort zone and go all out, or don’t write the book.
Was there a reason for choosing kite as a symbol for the crime?
Funny you should ask, because I just don’t remember. Perhaps it must have flown into the narrative organically. I remember thinking that I needed a calling card, or a symbol, a motif. The kite just happened.
Going by your narrative, you seem to be familiar with Mumbai and its police. Have you lived in Mumbai?
I have never lived in Mumbai. Before I wrote ‘Patang’, I had visited Mumbai only twice in my life. The first time, I spent 3-4 hours in the city, and the second time, around 24. The story is purely a product of my imagination, and some amount of research.
You have done translations before ‘Patang’. Do you intend to do more?
Oh yes, I have a few translation projects coming up pretty soon, and I’d love to do more. I love translating, and I haven’t forgotten that it gave me my first break. There’s tremendous joy in translating.
What’s next and which genre will it be in?
Crime, again. It’s a series of detective novels, and the first one will be out soon. I’m giving finishing touches to the second one as well. Then, I’ll move on to the third one, which I have already plotted. I also have a few exciting ideas in the thriller space, and perhaps a short story collection as well. Translations will always be there.
The cover of ‘Patang’ mentions director Sriram Raghavan’s appreciation. Do we see a film soon?
Sriram read and loved the book, and it was gracious of him to give the cover quote. I am amazed at his encyclopaedic knowledge around crime, noir and pulp — he is the hands-down authority in that space, and it’s great to be associated with him. As far as ‘Patang’ is concerned, stories written for the screen usually have a long journey to make it to the screen. As the writer, my job is to tell a good story, I’m not worried about the rest. Will there be a movie adaptation of ‘Patang’? Only time will tell.
