Here I bring to you, author Rituraj
Verma, who stormed his entry into the world of literature with his debut work ‘
Love , Peace & Happiness : What More Can You Want ? ‘, a thought provoking,
insatiable and thoroughly enticing collection of stories interwoven into each other.
With the book receiving warm accolades both from the critics and readers alike, I was prejudiced while approaching him for the
interview fearing that i would be welcomed with a half hearted response . But I was in for a surprise when,
instead of basking in the glory of his success , he tried his humble best to contribute
as much as he could about his book which blossomed in the foray of literature on August 2012. We see him at his excited best while he talks about his supportive family and the achievements of his kids on similar fortes . Having etched an
exceptional career life with the inception being in IIT, he has switched paths several
times varying from retail agency and heading the consumer rights division of
Future Group to his latest venture as a freelance real estate consultant. Wishing
him greater success in his tryst with words, let me move onto the questions.
 |
| Rituraj Verma |
Q 1 . Tell us something about your new book ‘ Love
Peace & Happiness : What More Can You Want ? ‘ . What
was the inspiration behind selecting modern India as the central theme of your
stories ?
Well, there are several inspirations behind
the book - I could list them all in a small paragraph - Facebook, Hemingway,
Inception, Mumbai, Catch 22, my own kids, friends, acquaintances, Kurt Vonnegut.
The list goes on, but most importantly I found the human condition a very big
driver to words that came into my head.
Q 2 . You have switched roles several times in your
professional life . How did the ultimate transformation from an IITian to a
writer happen ?
I
always was a dabbler in writing, but once I crossed forty, I decided I would
get serious about it. I guess everyone has a book in him or her but few people
are able to cross the threshold. In my case, it was a friend who egged me on
and I wrote the first draft in four months.
Q 3 . . Is the
process of having the book published more tiring and demanding than coming up
with the writing itself ?
Yes it
is. My publisher is a young man so he is slightly better than the rest but the
industry is in trouble with readers preferring to read messages on facebook and
twitter to words in a book. The world of publishing is changing fast. I wonder
how the world I am writing about in my next book will change by the time I
finish writing it.
Q 4 . What would your advice be to youngsters who get caught
in the process of choosing between their passion and profession as their future
path , given that both travel different paths
?
Ideally
you should be 'combining passion and profession into one helluva life', but you
have to be 'really good to pull it off'. So while a safer bet would be to
'stick to your day job while following the passion as a hobby', I would choose
'Give it your best and don't give up' as my preferred cliche.
Q 5 . In the story ‘
The soulmate Theorist ‘ you sketch the life of a person who frequent a brothel
after a failed marriage . Do you think
moral degeneration plays a part in the instability of marriages and personal relationships of the
present generation ?
Morals and degeneration are two sides of the
same coin and the story points towards the hypocrisy of our times. People make rules
for others that they can't keep up with themselves which is the reason why
relationships are so unstable.
Q 6. Is there an author or a specific work which has left an
indelible mark in your mind ?
Hemingway for his ability to show , rather
than tell a story and Franzen for exactly the opposite, but with a great deal
of texture.
Q 7 . Have you ever encountered Writer’s Block ? Is there
any particular writing habit that you adopt to get over it ?
I don't encounter writer’s block very often. But I do use meditation as
a technique to immerse myself in the character's souls. That works best
for me when I don't really know the character's next move.
Q 8 . With suicide
rates shooting up amongst younsters what would
your advice be to younsters who are forced to juggle their personal life
and professional life at equal pace ?
For
all those who find life dreary and impossible, remember to read Catch 22 before
you pop that pill or slash that wrist. Seriously, don't kill yourself over
something small.
Q 9 . What are your interests apart from writing ? Who is
the Rituraj Verma the mass doesn’t know of ?
I
play the guitar, read books, go for workouts, almost all at the same time. Or
close to it.
Q 10 . There is a
general notion that authors get too stuck in their work that they spare little
time to interact with their family. What has been your experience regarding
that ?
One
can overdo anything. I try to keep a very disciplined approach to writing,
limiting the good work to the early hours when my mind is the freshest.
Sometimes I do tend to overdo the publicity bit which can bother my wife, but
mostly she and the kids love reading the reviews and they swell with pride when
the good ones come in and act all unconcerned and arrogant when the bad ones
come in. We are a very literary family as a result. My daughter just won second
place in a national essay writing competition. My son is part of literary
societies at IITK and if I could convince my wife to write she would win many
prizes.
Our hearty congratulations on their success !
Q 11 . Moving on to the 'lighter' side :
A . Your DOB : 28th June 1967
B. Favourite band : BB King
C . Favourite quote : In the end, there is only one catch - Catch 22.
D . Favourite city : Mumbai- For its constantly
increasing energy levels
E . What keeps you going : A small dynamo fitted in my head.
Q 12 . What is your next step as an acclaimed author ?
I
don't deserve the pedestal you have put me on. I'm just a beginner learning to
write better. So , hopefully I will write a better book soon. I will post some
stories on my fan page in advance.
****************************
Maybe the readers would want to disagree with
him for once , when he said he didn’t deserve the pedestal we have put him on
.An author who has churned out a widely read piece of work after months of mind
wrecking moments and hours of toil , sans doubt , deserves every bit of the awe
and admiration readers shower him with .
****************************
To know more about the book or to buy it visit Rituraj Verma’s
Website www.riturajverma.com
To read my review of Rituraj Verma’s debut novel ‘ Love , Peace & Happiness : What More Can You Want ? ‘ click on the link Book Review
Compiled by Maliny Mohan ,writer at www.colouredbydreamz.blogspot.com
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