In his new book Under The Night Jasmine, actor-author Manav Kaul weaves a story within a story, centred on Rohit, a struggling writer. Translated by Vaibhav Sharma from the Hindi original Antima, the story unfolds against the backdrop of the pandemic, as Rohit navigates the challenges of completing his short story collection. His personal experiences in love and the creative process intertwine, shaping the very story he endeavours to tell. In a Zoom interview, Kaul says his stories are drawn from reality yet filtered through the lens of fiction. Edited excerpts:
Actor and author Manav Kaul
In the novel, Rohit suggests that writing is painful, echoing the belief that pain fuels creativity. Do you agree?
I used to believe this, but later I realised every art form is an extension of your life, so the life you’re living is important. I started writing a lot because I was living peacefully, so all these people have lied. It’s happiness that stimulates amazing work. I wrote a story about death, ‘Titli’, when I was the happiest.
Does your intimate storytelling blur the lines between you and your characters, especially when your protagonist is an author? Do you weave parts of yourself into your stories?
My stories undoubtedly reflect aspects of myself, drawn from reality yet filtered through the lens of fiction. Labelling the work as strictly autobiographical undermines the craft of writing. My ability to create 14 books that feel personal stems from my skill as a writer rather than the colourful nature of my own life.
In the book, you express a sense of helplessness at changing a broken world, particularly amid the pandemic. Do you still feel pressured to enact change with the ongoing influx of bad news?
I am doing enough through my art. I live in the fictional world, because the real world is too much for me. Moreover, I tell this to people, that we’re very fragile, that these things we’re fighting for — space or religion — are very insignificant because 50 years from now, we won’t even be here. I am just a lazy writer, all I can do is make people smile, and hope that they pass it on.
Do the three female characters (Verma Madam, Antima and Aru), all vying for Rohit’s attention, reflect your non-linear perspective on love, contrasting with Bollywood’s “love happens only once” trope?
I am the wrong person to ask this, because I don’t understand love. I am more inclined towards having fruitful friendships all around me. I am married to my work, to my writing, so it’s unfair to say that I love someone. I can’t give them the time I give my reading or travelling.
You claim not to understand love, yet your portrayal suggests otherwise.
I create worlds, and do things that I don’t have the capacity to do in real life. In life, I live in my head, so I go places with my stories, and I’ve been told that I am more romantic in my writing, than in real life. I like to miss love in my life, so that I can achieve it in my writing.
The interviewer is a culture and entertainment journalist.
