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There are writers and then there are writers. 🙂 Usha Narayanan belongs to the second category. Transcending across every genre she brings to her readers not one, not two but three novels, in such a short span. The Madras Mangler, Pradyumna, Love, Lies and Layoffs. The uniqueness of this is that each novel of her is unique. Each belonging to a different genre and each of them – Bestsellers. I am very fortunate to know this personality whom I ‘met’ under unusual circumstances. She contacted me to congratulate on a small winning of mine. Such humility in a writer of such a stature will always be cherished in my inward eye.
Over to Usha Narayanan.

Congratulations on the success of Pradyumna. Till now every reviewer is full of praise. Why Pradyumna? What attracted you to make him your central character?
He is the son of Lord Krishna, yet no one knows anything about him. He is Kama reborn as Pradyumna, but not even he is aware of this. The mantle of the avatar awaits him, but he is too burdened by his past karma to take up the challenge. The world waits to see if he will be the saviour or the destroyer prophesied by Narada, and even he is not sure which one he is. Will he win the battle within and emerge as a worthy son of Krishna and as the defender of dharma in an evil age? Will he find the music within him and make the world hear it too?
A troubled soul, a warrior in the making and a reflection of you and me ― how could I not write about Pradyumna, once I discovered his existence? We too are surrounded by corruption, vice, greed and a bottomless lust for wealth and power. Should we sell our souls and do whatever will bring us success, fame and luxury? Or should we follow Pradyumna’s path ― a tougher path that only heroic souls can tread?

You will find answers to many questions in ‘Pradyumna: Son of Krishna’ and in the exciting sequel that is now in the making. Read the book to find out what so many readers are talking about!

One of the dicey topics is the love or rather the complexities of the relationship between Vama and Mayavati. Was it difficult to handle keeping the Indian audience in mind?
I was clear when I began writing that my first loyalty was to my book and my reader. So if my hero was Kama reborn as Krishna’s son, I knew that I must be heedful of the fact that both of them are regarded as divine lovers. If Vama has Mayavati, his father had his tryst with Radha. Now, who decides what is acceptable or not acceptable, as long as it is written in a tasteful manner and not to provide cheap titillation? Also, we must keep in mind that what is too risqué for one reader is too tame for another and that social mores change with every generation. My role then was to paint my canvas in bold colours, laying out my overall vision, and then fill it in with the extensive detailing that holds the reader’s attention.

Coming to the relationship between Vama and Mayavati, it is clear in the book that they are blessed by Shiva, Parvati and Krishna. Who are we to question what the gods have ordained and what our puranas have sanctioned? The characters who question them are shown as being mean, lewd and envious, which is perhaps why readers have shied away from objecting to their relationship!‘I was born for you, my love. And I will die for you,’ says Mayavati as she pledges her life to her Kama, time and again.

Theirs is the poetry of a love that transcends time and death, and overturns societal mores that are sometimes more menacing than demons! Their love transforms our imagination and brings us the hope that tenderness and devotion can still prevail in an age distorted by evil. We all need this dream ― what the great English Romantic poet Coleridge described as a ‘willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith.’

From thriller to mythology to romance! Something very rare, Usha. What makes you pick up a subject? It is obvious you love every genre – but to write in every genre is surely not that easy.
The characters, the story and the conflict are what excite my imagination and launch me on my journey. The genre, the style and the tone are subsidiary elements which require an enormous amount of work, no doubt, but are less important than grabbing your reader’s attention and not letting go till the last page is turned. The reader must laugh and cry with the characters, unravel their secrets layer by layer and gasp by their side as they travel onwards without knowing what comes next.

This is the challenge or risk I take with each book, and my reward is the abundant appreciation I have received from readers everywhere.

Give us a glimpse into your daily routine of writing Usha. I tell you, your fans are dying to know. If you could provide some pics for the same that would be a personal favor.
I try to put in a few hours of work in the morning when my mind is fresh. And then again in the evening, sometimes late into the night if the gods are kind and I can ‘see’ the scene I am writing. If I am lucky, I write 2000 words in a day, but more often it’s nearer 1000 or less, as I tend to obsess over each sentence and para as I write and that takes an incredible amount of time! I guess this is the result of a lifetime of writing advertising copy for clients and services as a creative director. You are hardwired to packaging your message pithily and vividly for your final consumer!

Working at home as I do and not in an ideal writer’s retreat, there are always interruptions, some unavoidable like household chores, ringing phones and doorbells and catfights between my cats and the neighbourhood marauders. And then there are distractions that are so tempting ― books to read, Facebook interactions with friends and readers, emails, interviews, etc that swallow up your time like a black hole! And then there are all those TV shows, which are an eclectic mix too ― Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife, How to Get Away with Murder or Quantico, featuring Priyanka Chopra. My latest resolution is to set concrete objectives for myself for each week, so that I am more disciplined and do not end up finding that I’ve written just one page all day!

What are the challenges you faced while writing Pradyumna?
It was difficult to find material on him in our puranas, so I had to use my ingenuity in joining the dots based on what little was available. I buttressed this with a trip to Pancha Dwaraka, the five pilgrim cities associated with Krishna and interacting with priests and historians there. And then came the effort to meld fact with fiction so that it formed a seamless whole.

Once I had the idea in hand, I had to decide exactly what genre I wanted the book to be. I did not want it to be a retelling, though I knew that it must reflect the grandeur and the lofty tone of our epics. It took me a few months of angst before I hit upon the present structure of a thriller that follows the journey of a mythic hero as he transforms himself into a redeemer fighting to save a world threatened by the unspeakable evil of the Kali demon.

Now, my version of Pradyumna’s life, of karma and dharma ― joins the many others out there, in the tradition of ancient bards who handed down tales to the next generation after adding their own flourishes. Isn’t that what makes myths so exciting and enduring?

If Usha Narayanan has to change one facet in the following area what would it be:

Writing – More willpower and discipline, God!
Publisher – More information and support.
Marketing – More hours in the day.

“Write a book what you are meant to write.” That’s one dream every author has. Has Usha Narayanan written her dream project yet? If yes, which one? And if no – care to share?

The future is not written yet. That’s what makes it so exciting. This holds true for the books not written yet too!
Our ancients say that fate is not predetermined. We write our own destiny through the choices we make. It is only the result of our actions that are inescapable. In writing too, I prefer to leave the future open-ended. To put it in more earthly terms, I’ve always liked to find that unexpected hazelnut in my chocolate ice cream, or that sudden tang of lime or raw mango in my bhel puri.
​Change and challenge ignite my imagination as I prefer to ask myself ‘Why not?’ rather than ‘Why?’ This gives zest to my writing which I then pass on to my reader.

What is in the pipeline? Please tell me if you plan to write another one of those creepy thrillers like ‘The Madras Mangler’. Of course, I know ‘Pradyumna’ has a Part 2. When will it be launched?
Two friends I met yesterday were asking me why I had not written another thriller like ‘The Madras Mangler’. Perhaps in the future after completing ‘Pradyumna – Part 2’, which should be out by the middle of 2016…Maybe readers’ responses to my books will determine what comes next.

A few quick ones: what is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear…
God – Supreme
Books – Bliss
Politics – Noise
Friends – Lifeline
Co-authors – Support