Out with a new book on Delhi, British author Sam Miller tells iTALK why there's no such thing as the quintessential Delhiite, why he loves the Yamuna despite the stink, and what makes him special to have escaped the ghoos game
Out with a new book on Delhi, British author Sam Miller tells iTALK why there's no such thing as the quintessential Delhiite, why he loves the Yamuna despite the stink, and what makes him special to have escaped the ghoos game
Most Delhiites would cringe as they flip through Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity, perhaps because they are unlikely to recognise the city author Sam Miller talks about. As he treads through the capital's streets, following a spiral path, Miller paints a picture a Delhi resident would have a hard time admiring. It's a picture of the ever-growing megapolis reflected in the people he meets from the crematorium attendant to the ragpickers.
Delhi or Bombay which city would you want to spend your life in?
I wouldn't want to spend my life in any single city. I've spent a total of about 10 years in Delhi, so maybe it's time to return to Bombay, my sasural. I love falling asleep to the sound of the sea, as I can at my in-laws' home in Juhu. And I would love to write about Bombay some day.
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If Bombay is the city that never sleeps, Delhi would be...
A city that is waking up after an extended nap.
In Paharganj, you feel like a stranger "amongst your own". Would you regard yourself "almost Indian"?
When I'm outside India, I often feel as if I'm Indian, and surprise myself by being very proud of Indian achievements, even being defensive about India's failings. In India, however Indian I feel, and despite being the proud owner of a Person of Indian Origin Card, I will probably always be looked at as a foreigner.
During your spiral walk around Delhi, you meet quite a few characters. How would you describe the quintessential Delhiite?
She (or he) doesn't exist. Delhi is now a huge melting pot, more cosmopolitan than India's other main cities, with almost every imaginable variety of human being.
Your favourite fringe benefit of being a firang in Delhi?
Not being asked for bribes. I also love eavesdropping on Hindi conversations, sometimes about myself. The speakers have no idea that I can understand the language.
When and where do you think Delhi is at its most beautiful?
When I'm running through my secret South Delhi park after a monsoon downpour, Humayun's Tomb at dusk, or the Yamuna river (remember to hold your nose the smell can be quite appalling) at dawn.u00a0
Sam Miller will launch Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity at the British Council, Nariman Point, on April 21 at 6.30 pm. Published by Penguin Viking, it's available at all leading bookstores for Rs 499
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