Writer's block: Inspired by mythology

Bangalore-based Nilanjan P Choudhury’s first novel, Bali and The Ocean of Milk, is a rollicking good read. It’s funny, it’s serious and it is a thriller. The writer tells DNA what gets him up, what pulls him down and what keeps him going.

Why do you write?
It would be more appropriate to answer why I wrote Bali. Like in the murder mysteries, the answer has three parts: motive, opportunity and means. I wanted to write a black comedy or a political satire, let’s say the literary equivalent of a Dr. Strangelove, or a Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron which I thought wasn’t really available in Indian literature. I had time on my hands during the recession a couple of years ago and long commutes in Bangalore in the backseat of a chauffeured car with my faithful laptop.

When did you discover you could write?
Several years ago, I wrote a short piece about the chaos that happened behind the scenes during the performance of a play which I was a part of. It got people chuckling and set me thinking that I probably could take a crack at writing. The novel started taking shape during a three-month period during the recession a couple of years ago when work was at a blissful low.

Who or what inspires you?
Good writing across the spectrum - Vikram Seth, R K Narayan, Satyajit Ray, Hemingway, Steinbeck, John Mortimer, JK Rowling, Conan Doyle, Tolkien, Tintin, Asterix and so on. Bad writing too - in a perverse sort of way (if this stuff can get published so can mine) Theatre and films are also major influences.

What have you sacrificed for your writing?
Time with the family, weekend movies, siestas, doing theatre and social life.

Why do you like Indian mythology?
Indian mythology with its heroic yet flawed characters,  human conflicts and moral dilemmas has a timeless, universal appeal. For example, the Churning of the Ocean episode, where opposing forces come together for selfish gain is a recurring theme in modern politics and provides the basis of Bali and the Ocean of Milk.

Some myths about writing.
One: It’s  difficult — you have to be born a writer.
Two: It’s easy —anyone and his uncle can write.
Three: It pays.