On the first page of Juggi Bhasin's new book are a few lines about the author; concise, short lines that tell you about his career as a television journalist. It seems too little, so before my scheduled lunch with him, I decide to dig a little deeper, and discover that Bhasin is one of those rare people for whom a third successful novel in three years is only one of his many achievements. It seems that every few years, Bhasin has recreated and reconstructed himself, experimenting with different mediums and opportunities and art forms, and learning, each time, a new language to speak in.
And so, when I reach The Royal Plaza’s Lutyen’s restaurant, I am already curious about Bhasin. In front of me is the first reason for the interview – Bhasin's new book “Blood Song” (Penguin India). But by now, I also have other questions for him. As an author, Bhasin is already impressive, and his first two books have earned him a reputation as a talented writer, known for his thrilling, fast paced, real and contemporary plots, crafted with precision and brimming with minute, careful details. The fact that he has consistently and continuously taken on new roles probably adds to the richness his books contain.
I wait till we've had a little chat with the chef, who recommends the restaurant's specialities – a non-vegetarian kabab platter and a portion of mutton rogan josh, and then, I ask him to start at the beginning, when he was among the first group of correspondents hired by Doordarshan News. “It was an exciting time, nothing like how it is today. We were just starting out, experimenting with things. In fact, I was there with my camera crew when the Babri Masjid fell. That experience, from that close, changed me completely.” Bhasin tells me that he stayed with DD News for about a decade, enjoying every bit of the journey. Between bites of the chicken tikka and mutton seekh, both spiced to perfection and succulent, he says, “I loved it, but then I quit to start my own business, and I suppose you could say that just when the wave of change came, I didn't end up riding it.” Instead, with 10 years of experience as a journalist behind him, Bhasin decided to move on, and his new venture, revolving around marketing services, event management and corporate trainings was another successful one.
Sipping his green tea, which he says he has started enjoying immensely over time, Bhasin talks about the decision to leave journalism. “I do sometimes look at the TV and wish that I was still a journalist, but even without that, I’ve been deeply interested in political and current affairs, and followed them closely.” It is this keen interest in current affairs that is underlined in each plot Bhasin writes. “I like weaving fiction and reality together”. In his new book, Bhasin writes a strong female protagonist, and includes snippets of everything from Operation Bluestar to race and identity crises in London’s Southall, Punjab’s drug problem to the booming number of godmen.
While he was running his company, Bhasin also decided to become a counsellor with Sanjivini, a mental health counselling organisation. Today, he believes that his time as a counsellor is one of the prime experiences that shape him as a writer. It was also during his time at Sanjivini that Bhasin met Feisal Alkazi, the well known theatre director, who was also a counsellor with the organisation. “One day, he said to me that he’d like me to act in his play. I was in my forties then, and I first said to him that I had never done anything like this.” Of course, Bhasin’s innate desire to try new things took over, and soon, his stint as an amateur theatre artist began. “I have done a number of plays, a few smaller roles in movies and serials. It is a passion or me, acting.”
Once the main course arrives, Bhasin takes a small serving of the rogan josh, and says that at home, it’s his wife who’s the gifted cook. “I would love to say that I make a great omelette, but my wife will disagree.”
Till recently, Bhasin says that he was a big foodie. “I am a Punjabi, and I loved my tikkas and tandoori chicken. There is nothing like a plate of mutton curry, rice and chilled beer. But I have reached my fifties, and I need to start watching what I eat.”
It was his wife’s work as a banker that took Bhasin to Bombay. “When I got there, I told her that I wanted to write, and she asked me what was stopping me from doing exactly that.” And so, with a supportive spouse behind him, Bhasin quit his job and decided to pursue writing full time. “But before I started, I had a few empty months, and suddenly, I found myself signing up for Anupam Kher’s acting class. Everyone else in that class was in their twenties.” Kher, Bhasin remembers, asked him if he'd be able to fit in. “He said that this would be my real test”. Bhasin went on to do a number of plays in Bombay after the class, and is still deeply involved with theatre.
The time he got to write though, was valuable, and finally, Bhasin had the opportunity to sit back and only work on his book. “Someone told me that I should write a synopsis, and I did that. After which, I sent it to Penguin. People had told me that it takes ages to hear back from publishers, but they mailed back very fast, and said that they were interested.”
Today, Bhasin has three books published, and has also been writing scripts for movies. “I have just finished a movie script based in Bihar, with a very strong female protagonist. Though he is now taking a break from writing for a few months, admitting that it’s become important for an author to also spend time promoting his/her book, he intends to return to writing soon.
“This time, I am planning a mystery series, centred around a wacky couple.”
I wonder aloud if he will discover even more roles to play and mediums to dabble in, and he nods.
“Why not. I believe that life is rich, and has a lot on offer, a bit like having your pick of great food laid out in front of you. Wouldn't you want to taste a bit of everything?”
