Gurucool for Generation X
29 Jun 2013 5:31 AM IST
So let’s begin with the impetus – what made you write the book?
In 2011, while on a tour, I stumbled upon an ashram in Rishikesh, where I met a Swamiji. He imparted some very practical and unconventional life lessons, which struck a chord. And no, it wasn’t a colossal organisation where Swamiji sat on a pedestal with a halo behind his head and mikes in front. He wasn’t flanked by attendants or any kind of media either. It was an unusually pure and gratifying experience and I wanted to transfer those mind-transforming ideas to the world. Being a fiction writer, I entwined his teachings with a racy and interesting story of a 21-year-old college student and how he wriggles out of challenges of love, drugs, life and death using the gyaan he learnt there.
Let’s delve a little further into the title and the plot of your narrative.
It is ironical how people today want peace but don’t have the time or patience for it. In the book, the three main characters have their own disparate problems and are running against time because of their own reasons. It is tricky how one has to balance work and peace of mind in today’s world and that is where the book helps the reader gain insight into the process of striking equilibrium. Most of us have read the Gita and we know what it is about. Gita is a small part of one of the longest works ever written in the world and we understand it fully because it has context, it’s a part of a gripping narrative. Similarly, it was important to embed the teachings of Swamiji in a story because it helps people relate to it, appreciate and assimilate it in a better manner.
Has the response to the book been satisfactory so far?
The book is very different from what I have written till now, both in terms of language and content. I have attempted to move away from the genre of quintessential chick-lit amorousness, our country has lapped enough of that in the past couple of years. I was a little worried about how my readers would take it but within two weeks of its release, the response has been phenomenal. The warm emails, positive reviews and responses on the social media, its number one spot on credible bestseller lists etc. have been overwhelming.
Congratulations for that. Any more titles that will be this year?
Yeah, a novel, which, again, barges inevitably into the realm of non-fiction. Inspired by true life stories, it is a dedication to the people whose lives are hard to believe. It is titled Revolution.
In 2011, while on a tour, I stumbled upon an ashram in Rishikesh, where I met a Swamiji. He imparted some very practical and unconventional life lessons, which struck a chord. And no, it wasn’t a colossal organisation where Swamiji sat on a pedestal with a halo behind his head and mikes in front. He wasn’t flanked by attendants or any kind of media either. It was an unusually pure and gratifying experience and I wanted to transfer those mind-transforming ideas to the world. Being a fiction writer, I entwined his teachings with a racy and interesting story of a 21-year-old college student and how he wriggles out of challenges of love, drugs, life and death using the gyaan he learnt there.
Let’s delve a little further into the title and the plot of your narrative.
It is ironical how people today want peace but don’t have the time or patience for it. In the book, the three main characters have their own disparate problems and are running against time because of their own reasons. It is tricky how one has to balance work and peace of mind in today’s world and that is where the book helps the reader gain insight into the process of striking equilibrium. Most of us have read the Gita and we know what it is about. Gita is a small part of one of the longest works ever written in the world and we understand it fully because it has context, it’s a part of a gripping narrative. Similarly, it was important to embed the teachings of Swamiji in a story because it helps people relate to it, appreciate and assimilate it in a better manner.
Has the response to the book been satisfactory so far?
The book is very different from what I have written till now, both in terms of language and content. I have attempted to move away from the genre of quintessential chick-lit amorousness, our country has lapped enough of that in the past couple of years. I was a little worried about how my readers would take it but within two weeks of its release, the response has been phenomenal. The warm emails, positive reviews and responses on the social media, its number one spot on credible bestseller lists etc. have been overwhelming.
Congratulations for that. Any more titles that will be this year?
Yeah, a novel, which, again, barges inevitably into the realm of non-fiction. Inspired by true life stories, it is a dedication to the people whose lives are hard to believe. It is titled Revolution.
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