‘Raavan is the darkest book I have written’: Amish

Ever since Sita: Warrior of Mithila, the second book in the Ram Chandra series was released two years ago, fans of writer Amish have been waiting for him to come out with his next in the five-part series. “I have apologised at least a thousand times to my readers who had been waiting for the third book and now finally, Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta is ready,” he says. Ask him what caused the delay, and the bestselling author cites personal problems as the cause. “From Sita to Raavan, it has been a very long time, I admit, perhaps the longest break I’ve ever had between two books. There were various reasons for it, including personal ones. Emotionally and mentally, I was not in the right space, so it took longer,” he shares. Over to Amish...

Raavan is often looked upon as a villain in popular culture. Was it more challenging to write a character like that?

In the modern world, he may be looked upon as a villain, and we use that word because of the limitations of the English language. But Raavan was also a complex character. He wasn’t just a thug, or a man who was violent. He was also a scholar and a musician. As a character, it takes a lot out of you because his persona itself is so dark. My personal mood was in a dark space, too, and maybe that went into the writing. The things that define him are his anger and his ego. So, that reflects in the story. 

What about the treatment of the book?

It’s probably the darkest book I have ever written. It’s to do with his character. 

How do you keep your personal opinions away while writing certain characters or the storyline?

I think that would become a problem if an author is under the illusion that he’s creating a character. It won’t happen if the author realises the truth — that the character already exists in a parallel universe and the author has just been given a privilege of entering that universe and record what he sees. I don’t have a control over the story or the characters. I record what I witness. I will, of course, have an opinion but as an author, I’m just recording what I see. What is a constant in my life is the worship of Lord Shiva. He’s the anchor in all these stories. If you think about it, all the characters I have written about are devotees of the Mahadev.

Do you have the storyline clearly etched in your mind before you begin a series?

I know it will sound strange, but I get flashes of the story and I actually see it. Normally, I have the beginning and the end before I start writing. Even before the Immortals of Meluha was released, I had the last paragraph of the third book of the Shiva trilogy in my mind.

It’s just the pathway to the last paragraph that I had to discover. It’s the same with the Ram Chandra series. I have the last chapter of the fifth book in my mind. Even the words of the last paragraph are very clearly there. I don’t make notes, it just remains in my head. But I will discover the pathway to the last chapter as I write.

Amish

Do you want to write on other genres as well?

I do plan to get into non-fiction as well. But my first love will always be fiction. Even my fiction books begin with some non-fiction philosophy or premise that I want to convey. So, the non-fiction premise at the heart of the Shiva trilogy is the answer to the question, ‘What is evil?’ The non-fiction premise at the heart of the Ram Chandra series is an explanation of the debate that ‘what is an ideal society?’ I try and present my point of view on the subject through a fictional story.

What’s the update on the rights for the film adaptation of the Shiva trilogy?

The rights have come back from Karan Johar, who’s still a friend. We are going to make an announcement soon. We have signed with a Hollywood producer for a series based on the Shiva trilogy.

Have there been any queries regarding the rights of the Ram Chandra series?

I didn’t want to have any deal before the release of Raavan. I have used a complex structure of the multi-linear narrative. The first book was about the birth of Lord Ram until the kidnapping of Goddess Sita. The second book was about Sita’s birth until her abduction, while the third is about Raavan’s birth till he kidnaps Sita. Fourth book onwards, it’s a common narrative. It’s only fair that the person who buys the rights sees how the story goes, which is why I wanted to do a deal only after the third book.