Author's Photo by Ajlai Basu
“From 1998 till now, I have written practically every day of the year, for ten hours a day at least. Indistinguishable from thought and instinct, it is something I couldn’t do without. Even passion seems a weak word to describe it; it is truly what I live for,” reveals acclaimed author Kunal Basu. He has the exceptional propensity for producing written oeuvre that is powerful and perceptive, no matter which genre or language he chooses to channel his voice. As his highly-anticipated new novel, titled In an Ideal World, releases today, we decided to connect and converse with him. In an insightful interview, the author enlightened me with his creative process and quirks, why he has no comfort zone when it comes to writing, his new book’s compelling context and more.
Some excerpts follow:
What led to In an Ideal World’s inception?
The deep division in Indian society that has emerged over the past few years troubles me greatly. The rivalry between the idea of a liberal and secular India, pitted against a strongly nationalistic Hindu Rashtra, has led to a fracture that threatens our fundamental unity as a nation. The conflict has exposed dangerous fault-lines and released unspeakable hatred. One simply needs to browse social media for evidence. The assault on institutions and silencing voices of dissent have reached frightening proportions. ‘In an Ideal World’ is set in the backdrop of this fractured land with a fractured heart.
What is at its core?
A family saga in which liberalism clashes with nationalism through a deeply disturbing event. It unfolds almost like detective fiction to lead the reader to his or her own conclusion about the tragedy that is about to engulf us all. It points to the fact that we are at a pivotal point in our history, where personal truths must face up to societal chasm.
Did you encounter any roadblocks with this book?
There were no external blockages but I found myself anguished by the story that I was telling. It wasn’t simply a figment of my imagination but drawn quite closely from eventsaround us. It made me afraid for the soul of our beloved country.
Do you find yourself writing with an audience in mind? Was that the case with this book?
I believe that if I can please myself as a reader, then I would succeed in holding my audience too and elevate them to a higher level of understanding of the human condition. In this novel in particular, I hope to address a reading public exposed daily to the extreme rhetoric of hate through television and social media and alert them to the fact that India cannot be stronger unless its diverse fabric is protected at every level including the highest one. I hope the readers will see that the current landscape of hate needs to give way for the sake of our coexistence and for democracy. I wish them to see that in the end there are no winners or losers; everyone loses when hate and suspicion are given sanction by the State.
This excerpt is an all exclusive from our latest Bookazine. To read the complete article, grab your copy of the Bookazine here.
Text Nidhi Verma
Date 24-01-2022