The author, who shot to fame by recreating Lord Shiva as a human who comes to the plains of Meluha, has since rearranged the Indian mythological space. He has made his own timelines, interpreted characters in refreshing ways and spun fantastic narratives. Who can forget his sci-fitake on somaras?
In the UK, he is called the Indian Tolkien. An Indian Paulo Coelho. But Amish is no desi adaptation of anyone else, even though he does not pretend to be the original in a space where he is a rock-star. What he agrees is that the “Marvel-like universe” he created of mythological India, in which every story is connected through prequels and sequels, is capitvating and has ensured his success as the fastest-selling author in Indian publishing history.
Speaking with THE WEEK from London, where he is now director, Nehru Centre, Amish takes this correspondent on a racy time travel through India, pausing every now and then to elaborate on an ancient text or to pick up an economic document to emphasise a point. Amish’s world is between the pages of books, not just his. And, he is only too happy to pull others around him into the land of words. Excerpts:
Q/In your universe, Ram predates Shiva by 1,500 years. How did you arrive at this time sequence?
This story is from the September 18, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the September 18, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
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