Amish Tripathi, author of the Shiva Trilogy, was in Bhubaneswar to attend a literary festival. Having spent a few years of his childhood in Rourkela, Tripathy was happy to be back in Odisha. He spoke to The Telegraph on a range of issues. Here are the excerpts.

 

Wearing a sling on the working hand must be extremely painful for an author. What happened?

A couple of days ago I got injured while exercising. Since the doctor has advised me to give the right hand complete rest, I have to wear a sling.

You lived in Rourkela for a few years as a child. How does it feel to be in Odisha again?

My father used to work for a company in Rourkela for six years. I was only four when we went there. But we travelled all over Odisha extensively. So, I have many memories of the state. We pay regular visits to the Jagannath temple in Puri as well as the Lingaraj temple here. For me, the history, culture and spiritualism of Odisha is beautiful. I also find the architecture of the ancient temples in Bhubaneswar delicate and attractive.

The first two books of the Shiva Trilogy — Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas — have been very popular. Tell us a bit about the final book. When is it releasing?

It should hit the stores soon. It is in the editing stage now. This book has become very lengthy, almost twice that of the first two books. I went on a trip to Varanasi for a few weeks to get inspiration for the last part, as the city is completely dedicated to Lord Shiv. It was a wonderful place to write. The book will reflect the tales of the Lord that are well known there.

How has been your experience from being a banker to an author?

I have never been a creative person or a religious one. I was fortunate to be born in an extremely religious family where I grew up listening to mythological stories. This was always on my mind. I was good at academics and after my mathematics honours, went for an MBA and became a banker. However, I read the history and mythology of different cultures of the world out of interest during my student life. I had turned an atheist for many years. But writing the Shiva Trilogy changed everything. I have become an ardent Shiv devotee today and feel everything, including the book, is His blessing.

What would be the next subject for books after this trilogy?

I have plans to write fiction based on the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. I also want to create a series on King Akbar and his policies. He was one of the world’s greatest emperors.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

I’d never dreamt that I would be able to write a book. But since I had a story to tell, I just worked on it. I would advise youngsters to believe in what they are saying. Forget about your shortcomings in creativity or writing skills, just capitalise on the story you wish to tell.