Tell us about your journey, your childhood, the career choices you made.
To tell about my journey would mean writing a book titled ‘Everything inside a Nothing’
I was born and brought up in the rustic town of Nizamabad, AP. My childhood was full of stories from my Grandma, Gilli-Danda, Marbles, and very less cricket. Those days, I used to make my own toys and play with them. I was (I still am) an avid day dreamer. I wanted to be a doctor when someone in our family died of a disease, I almost proclaimed to become a scientist when I first realized that vinegar and soda cause a reaction, the botanist in me spoke when the Gardner in our school nursed my wound by crushing the juice out of a leaf, the idea of being a teacher hit me when I taught my juniors on a teacher’s day, I was an actor after Sharukh Khan, singer after Sonu Nigam, musician after AR Rehman…these ‘aspirations’ are not just dreams but a bit of them exists in me as a result.
Later when beard and mustaches began encroaching my face, from somewhere a thoughtstruck me ‘now it’s time to get serious about life…’
With the little bit of music I knew, I started working at All India Radio (local FM) as a part time musician, performed a good number of items – composed some hit numbers and then fell in ‘Love’ and my perspective towards life was to change yet again.
‘you have to be rich to get the girl’ a friend suggested and that was the end of my career as a musician. ‘IT and computers full demand may hai yaar!’ was another suggestion and I joined NIIT (though I was doing B.Com). Computer programming was like a cake walk for me (the knowledge from all that I had attempted, I guess). My excellence in NIIT gave me an opportunity to work as a trainee in Hyderabad and later I won a Job…
How did you begin writing?
To the best I remember, my first poem was about the horn of a city bus. I was five then. As a child I used to write and publish an ‘in-house’ magazine called ‘Sience Reportor’ (better read as Science Reporter) that contained articles about my research written in a dirty handwriting. I used to get naturally connected to Kabir and Surdas. Essays, short stories, speeches, slogans, mono acts were a part of regular school routine. But, there was a hitch in the ‘writing’ part of it. My handwriting is yacks!! Now, after writing an imaginary research paper about it, I know it for a fact that some people who think fast, cannot write neatly because their hand cannot match the speed of their thoughts! J
However, the academic world junked my research findings and all my stories and essays saw the dustbin. But that was only until a teacher, by looking at the volume of my writing, decided to read it. Alas! he can’t read ‘Greek and Latin’ and so, I was summoned. When I read out my essay, he complimented me: ‘you have the gift of writing’. It did not make any sense to me then, and out of fear, I stopped writing.
Then, once at a birthday party, I was made in charge to look after a group of kids. I did not know how to control them and so, I started with a story.It started with a magical house and ended inside an earthen pot! I was baffled at my own imagination! If that was for starters, another one happened in my college…the boring lecture on civics made me peep through a window and there is found a gardener working in the blazing sun. he inspired me and I wrote a story about him. I read it to my friends, they liked it and may be that is how I ‘rediscovered’ writing.
Tell us about your first book. How did you come up with the idea.
My first book is titled ‘While I Was Waiting’. It contains short stories based on my observations and real incidents that happened to me when I was waiting at various situations. After I rediscovered writing, I used to put my thoughts on a paper whenever I have time. They mostly were my observations about things and people around me. When I knew blogging, I began posting them under the title, ‘From The Streets of Hyderabad’. At a point my friends suggested to look for a publisher as they found it worth being read. That’s how my first book happened.
Do you have a writing routine?
NO…I write to get out of my boring routine!
I may not follow a routine, but I do a lot of thinking, contemplating and mining in my mind. I keep observing people on the street, at my office, at the market place and everywhere. They teach me a lot! Most of my characterization is done right there…
What are the challenges you faced as a writer?
Time is always against a writer like me!! when my book gets released- there are escalations at the workplace, when I want to do a blog tour- I get an onsite project, when I want to attend a lit-fest – I fall sick, thanks to the stress at office!
As a writer, I feel the only challenge is to maintain the rhythm in the given ‘extremely limited’ time.
How does it feel to be an Author? Tell us something about your Pre-Author life and Post-Author life?
JI found no difference until this happened to me at a party:
I was being introduced to a person who did not care to even give a handshake at first but then, the introducer mentioned, ‘Jatin is the Author of 2 books…’ the reaction suddenly changed
‘Oh! That is so nice to know…let’s talk…’ he put his arms around me and even bought me a drink!
What are your favorite books and who is your favorite Author?
My god of writing is R. K. Narayan and next would be Ruskin Bond. After them, I have only favorite books. I don’t follow authors as a brand.
I read only when I am travelling or bored. I like reading book that tell a different story. My fav books are Harry Potter, The Alchemist, Like the flowing river. I read Asura the Tale of the Vanquished recently and loved the way the author derived his perspective. I think this is what an author should do. Show the world something different, tell a new story, derive inspirations from almost invisible or oblivious source!!
“Do not rush to get published” take your time. Do it slowly.
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