SACRED LANES, SINFUL TREATS

Writer Varun Grover unleashes his travelling soul in this chatty exchange about his love for Benaras, Egyptian baklava and the Calcutta of his childhood

- Lubna Amir

Varun Grover dons many hats—satirist, writer, lyricist, comedian—but through all of it, one thing is assured, his mastery of language. His stories have enthralled in Masaan and Sacred Games, lyrics have resonated in Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Gangs of Wasseypur, and his comedy? It’s a hot knife slicing through butter.

“You can’t be a writer if you don’t observe,” Grover recounts in a telephonic interview. Whether it be his insightful comments as a part of the satirical collective Aisi Taisi Democracy or a poignant scene of two lovers sharing pizza at Assi Ghat in Masaan’s Benaras (a city Grover considers home), his writing reflects a searing intellect. In a conversation that extended well beyond the half an hour I had asked for, I learnt that Grover seeks out good food with a passion that warmed my foodie soul, and is always happy to swap travel tips, as can be seen in these edited excerpts.

How does travelling affect your writing?

Writing is all about observing and living through different experiences. If I observe well and stay open, stories are born in my mind. Ultimately, being a writer is about having a world view and understanding how people tackle both the political and the social.

Which place has always captivated your imagination?

Benaras. I lived there and studied at IIT-BHU for four years. The city’s culture and chaos has stayed with me. Everytime I go back, I discover something new about Benaras—a different place or a new ritual that has been followed for hundreds of years. Three years ago, on my last visit in October, I discovered a centuries-old travelling Ram Leela. It is staged in different parts of the city. For instance, the university gates of BHU are a stand-in for Lanka in this version. The city has many, many layers and the foremost one for me is food. It is also the first thing I explore in any place I visit.