“Delving into the Mind of a Literary Maestro: Kushal Singh Unveils the Intricacies of his Latest Masterpiece”

Kushal Singh, an enigmatic wordsmith and author extraordinaire, is a luminary in the literary realm. With a penchant for weaving tales that captivate the imagination and stir the soul, his works resonate with readers on a profound level. His latest literary offering promises to be no exception, as he delves into uncharted territories of storytelling prowess.

1. What inspired you to write your latest book?

Ans:- My latest book is ‘Samanantar’ (Short Story Collection) which has been published after “Launde Sher Hote Hain’ and ‘Money Katha Ananta’ (Novels), actually the positive reactions from friends and strange silence of so called literal wisdoms compelled me to confront with the stormy thoughts inside my inner heart and the result is ‘Samanantar’.

 

2. Can you provide us with a brief overview of the themes explored in your book?

Ans:-Many worlds run parallel to the world in which we live. One of these is the virtual world of our dreams and thoughts in which we want to become what we are not, what we have not been able to be. Apart from this, today’s science has also started believing that the parallel world that runs within us, is governed more by our thoughts and feelings than by our actions. A three-dimensional picture of our energy is formed around us, which keeps changing according to our thinking and the steps we take, the choices we make in life. This invisible parallel world influenced not only our thinking but also our destiny and future.

Almost every person experiences premonitions in his life. You have started a work for the first time, but sometimes you feel that you have already experienced that work before. When you arrive at a new place, sometimes you feel that you have already visited that place before. We experience such forebodings in our lives. So what is the secret behind these forebodings? Parallel universe? A universe in which everything is like our universe, even you and me. According to experts, in that Parallel universe you have already performed the work which you start doing here. Sometimes some memories of the Parallel universe come to our mind due to which we feel that we have already done that work. 

There is no direct evidence of these things but the continuous explanations from the parallel World makes the people believe in it. Our dreams and desires are also part of this principle somewhere. However, how much truth there may be, it is certain that beyond this colourful world of ours, there is a world of grey shades between black and white. Everything gets delimited within this grey shade, including our inner thoughts, hidden characters, dreams, desires or personality. ‘Samanantar’ is a bundle of stories with such grey shades.

In fact, I have not written these stories myself but some invisible voices in my mind made me write this. These stories came down on paper just like fever goes down from the body, every time after writing each story I felt light and refreshed.

Life is a game of choices and it rolls accordingly. The weaving of your world will start around whatever you want, but choices and desires are not always right, ‘Samanantar’ tells you the story of this.

In its characters and plots, readers will find the disorientation of the society, painful madness, obsession, expectations, depression, horror of the mind and those restless searches which we observe happening around us but are unable to understand the exact story behind it. Every story in it is unexpected, strange and unimaginable. In this bundle of different stories, you will find a variety of flavours which will leave a smoky flavour on your lips.  

 

3. Kushal, could you share some insights into the inspiration behind ‘Launde Sher Hote Hain’? What motivated you to delve into the lives of these backbenchers and their adventures?

Ans:- By the blessings of my father, I had a good premise of reading as my home was filled with literary books but I was not having the company of Writers, where I can sharpen my writing skills. I used to write stories but my circle was not paying interest on that. So I tried to write such stories in which my friends can find themselves and can enjoy. I was always a back bencher along with my friends so I decided to write the perspective of them. Many incidents in the book are inspired from real events. This book is a tale, the story of our post teenage years where nothing seems impossible. This is the roller coaster ride of adulthood.   

4. ‘Money Katha Ananta’ sounds like an intriguing blend of comedy and thriller set against the backdrop of demonetization. What drew you to explore this particular theme, and how did you infuse humour into such a significant event?

Ans:- Every situation in life always has different kinds of comedy. Rather I should say that life itself is a comedy. Notebandi has its own chaos and wherever chaos is, humour always exists. I found a lot of humour in small towns, Mohallas, lower and middle class life. A struggling life is always full of scarcity and humour flourishes from this scarcity.

The colour changing humour related to Notebandi at that time was not only funny but also very painful. The uncertain situation, hurried aimless people of gali-mohallas, and the opportunistic activities of society wounded me deeply. Infusion of humour in Money Katha Ananta is simply an endeavour of healing of that pain. 

 

5. For readers who are curious about your writing process, could you walk us through how did you develop the characters and plot for both ‘Launde Sher Hote Hain’ and ‘Money Katha Ananta’?

Ans:- I like to develop my characters from real life and from small towns. I spent my childhood in Aligarh and Agra and I grown up in a very colourful ambience of gali-mohallas where you will find every third person as a Fanney Khan. Usually characters are not just good or bad, but they are multiple layer personalities. I used to analyse a lot on the name, personality, behaviour, their get ups, voice tone etc of a character and try to put up them according to the situation and location.

6. In today’s digital age, accessibility is crucial for readers. Where can enthusiasts find your books for purchase, and do you have any plans for audiobook or e-book versions to cater to a wider audience?

Ans:- Yes…I have a lot of plans. In fact my First book ‘Launde Sher Hote hain’ is available in audiobook on Storytel and ‘Money Katha Ananta’ just recently launched on Amazon Audible in audio book. ‘Launde Sher Hote hain’ has also been staged many times in Delhi Mandi House Theatre. I also have a plan to make short films. Let’s see what life is seeking for me.   

 

7. What challenges did you encounter while crafting this particular narrative?

Ans: Time is one of the biggest challenges for me as I am working on a key position in an industry which never sleeps. It is very hard to steal time for writing and the toughest time comes when the story is half baked and needs more brainstorming and imagination. In this situation, the slow development of the plot in the mind of the writer needs a lot of spare time with a free and calm mind.  

It is very difficult to get freedom from official life. So I am bound to spare the time which belongs to my family and for which I will be thankful always to my family specially my wife and my lovely daughter Gaura.

Further, a writer needs proper research on the characters, place, location and minute study of the situations for the plot. For me the only option left is the internet and my social group who are aware of the places and situations. Due to the constraint of time, a number of projects are left unattended and ultimately they are waiting for me in the pages of my diary to be completed.  

8. Are there any personal experiences or influences that have shaped your writing style?

Ans: A writer is an exorcist of the ghost jumping inside his mind. He always had the influence of the situations and the environment which he faced along with his family, relatives and company. A writer has the influence of other writers and the stories he encounters. Some stories, characters and situations are left in the deep consciousness of the writer which take shape during the thought process and plot development. I have read a lot to Acharya Chatursen, Devki Nandan Khatri, Satyajit Ray, Dr Narendra Kohli, O Henry, Kafka, Kashinath Singh, Khushwant Singh, Om Prakash Sharma and Surendra Mohan Pathak etc. I love to dive into the mystic world of Osho also. Due to this you will find a lot of references from Indian legends and modern science inclined towards Indian Philosophy and Vaidik Indian Knowledge in my writing.

I am fascinated with the life of Ghalib, Gurudutta, Sahir, Manto and Shiv Kumar Batalavi. I am highly influenced by the work of Gulzar, movies like Pyaasa, Devdas, Izaajat, Guide, Zakhm, Raincoat. I love the way Priyadarshan creates chaos in his cinema.

It’s good that today’s filmmakers are making cinema which is talking about very serious social issues and taboos with dark humour. I like to explain complex to complex situations in a funny way in my writing. I like to watch dark and black comedies which directly or indirectly influenced my work.

   

9. What message or emotion do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Ans:-I always pull the strings of nine human states of emotional empowerment which we call Navrasa. Also, I like to write about the five vices of human which are called as Panch Vikar i.e. Kaam(काम), Krodh(क्रोध), Mad(मद), Lobh(लोभ), Moh(मोह). Because, all human behaviours drive from these elements. How one behaves and reacts in a situation, it depends upon these emotional states. My stories explore the meaning of life in the complex tragedy of death.