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When deities turn ubercool...

Amish Tripathi talks to Poulomi Banerjee about the Oath of the Vayuputras and life beyond the Shiva trilogyhology...


After Immortals of Meluha was released, you had said, that you had the other two parts too planned in your mind… writing the second (The Secret of the Nagas) and the third (The Oath of the Vayuputras) books must have been easy then.

As far as I am concerned, the Shiva trilogy is one continuous story and not three separate books. But it is difficult to bring out such a long story as one book, and hence the format of the trilogy. Even before the release of the 1st book, I had the complete story in mind, right down to the last line. But when you are in the actual process of writing, characters and sub-plots get introduced and the challenge then is to blend them with the main storyline.

Also, since the Oath of the Vayuputras was the final book of the trilogy, I had tie up all the loose ends. But the fact, that the story is one uninterrupted thought would be evident to anyone who has carefully read the book. In each of the books, I have left clues about what was going to happen in the next one.


As a writer, what was the most difficult decision that you had to take in the Oath of the Vayuputras?

Some characters had to die, and to kill them was the most difficult task I had to perform.


You have said that you were an atheist and the Shiva Trilogy was for you a blessing that changed you as a person. Having spent so much time telling this story, are you in anyway sad that the book is done with the release of the
Oath of the Vayuputras?


The book is done, but my relationship with Lord Shiva continues. I have become a believer for life. So there is no sadness at all. There is a sense of completeness.


The last line of the Oath of the Vayuputras mentions the Mahabharata and says that story too will be told some days… Is that a hint to your readers? Is your next book going to be on Mahabharata?

No. I have many ideas for my next book series, but I am yet to finalise the one I will take up. The Mahabharata, is one of the ideas under consideration. All the ideas that I am toying with are again based on history and mythology for that is my area of passion.


The Immortals of Meluha is being made in to a film. Tell us about the progress on that front.

Well, as you know, Karan Johar has acquired the film rights for the book and his team is working on the script. Once the script is ready, they will start work on the cast and other details.


And you have not involved yourself with the script?

No, it was a conscious decision on my part to not get involved in the script-writing, since I have felt that I can’t do justice to it and write my book at the same time, and I had to complete the Oath of the Vayuputras.


With the Shiva Trilogy you have created not just a successful story, but also a successful marketing model. What was the vision that you had when you started marketing the book and why did you often choose smaller bookshops for launches and events rather than bigger bookstore chains?


I’ve always believed that it is a fallacy to assume that a good book sells itself. That’s not true. A bad book and good marketing doesn’t work. But then, a good book and bad marketing does not work either.

Both the book and the marketing need to be good. My team and I have implemented a lot of innovative ideas to promote my books and I’m glad that they have been well received.


In book, you have often included modern issues such as widow remarriage, caner… then what would you say is evil, a subject that you dwell upon in detail in the Shiva trilogy, in today’s socio-political scenario?

I’d love to answer this question, but then I may end up giving away the philosophy that is to be explained in the 3rd book. That may spoil the book for those who haven’t read the 3rd book. Perhaps I’ll answer this question six months later.
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