Q. How has the last one year been for you?
A: Amish: It has been fantastic. The journey of the Ram Chandra Series began at a LitFest in Mumbai in late 2013. I couldn’t make up my mind on which of the subjects in my mind would be the one I’d write my next book series on. Then at this LitFest, someone came up to me and said very rude things about Lord Ram. That upset me a great deal. And I decided to start writing the Ram Chandra Series; I began writing the next day itself. In fact, I had even written an article at that time in Hindustan Times about the incident. And it is good to see that the first step of that journey, Scion of Ikshvaku, which released on June 22 last year, has been well received by readers.
Q. In the book you chronicle Ram’s journey, from a tortured prince to a great king and then a God. You interpret this timeless tale in your own unique manner and style, how did you arrive at the idea?
A: Amish: I believe that all my books are the blessings of Lord Shiva. My interpretation of Lord Ram’s journey is based on various different versions of the Ramayan that I have read, mixed with my own imagination and interpretation.
All the books that I have written till now and what I will write in the next 20-25 years are linked to each other. There are clues for all these books in the Shiva Trilogy. In fact, many readers have already decoded many of the clues that were in the Shiva Trilogy and tied up in Scion of Ikshvaku. Many more clues will get tied up in subsequent books.
Q. In your previous series, you have interpreted Shiva a ‘rock star god’, one who appealing to youth because of his daredevil ways and rebellious attitude. Ram on the other hand is quite the opposite, he obedient and dutiful. Why did you pick Ram for this series?
A: Amish: Firstly, I didn’t pick Lord Ram. Who am I to do that? As I said earlier, an incident happened which troubled me so much that I decided to write on Lord Ram. Also, I think both Lord Shiva and Lord Ram are cool in their own ways. Lord Shiva is of course a God of the rebels. But even Lord Ram can be seen as a rebel in his own right. For if we live in a society where nobody follows laws and a God comes in saying that we should follow laws, then He too is a rebel in his own way, right?
Q. How is your interpretation of Ram different from that of other writers?
A: Amish: It’ll be difficult for me to answer that. I think it’s best if you read my books and come to your own conclusion!
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