Film and theatre personality Pankaj Kapur has marked his debut as an author with Dopehri, which was published earlier this month.
Dopehri is a novella revolving around an elderly widow who lives in a deserted haveli in Lucknow. Her life takes a turn when she invites a young woman to stay with her as a lodger.
Focus on marginalised
Mr. Kapur said, “I wanted to focus on the neglected section of society. I wanted to write about those people, who are often talked about, but never cared about. Sometimes, these people are also our relatives, that we do not keep up with. I wanted to give them a voice.”
The actor recently performed a dramatised reading of his book at the 10th edition of Tata literature festival, which was held in the city last week. While speaking about the genesis of his novel, Mr. Kapur said he had originally intended to write a film script on the subject. “I wanted to write it as a film, but as it was completed, it appealed to me more as a piece of literature rather than a film. Friends and colleagues told me that I should publish it in the form of a book,” Mr. Kapur said.
On his plans to bring out a movie adaptation of the book, he said he would like to direct the film himself.
‘A wider audience’
Dopehri was originally published in Hindi and has been translated into English by Rahul Soni. Mr. Kapur said translating a piece of literature ensures that it reaches a wider audience. On his writing, the actor said, “I am not a person of schedule when it comes to writing. It all sort of dawned on me and I started writing. I completed the novella in four days. It was all in a flow.” On the idea of writing an autobiographical novel, he said he has not considered it yet.
Mr. Kapur is widely known for his roles in Indian sitcoms such as Office Office and Zabaan Sambhalke. He has been a part of Indian cinema and the theatre industry for more than 30 years. His book is set for a formal release next month.
