Author of the spectacularly successful Harappa Trilogy, Vineet Bajpai, recently released his latest book 1857 – The Sword of Mastaan, which is his fifth fiction novel and eighth book overall. 1857 is part two of the Mastaan Trilogy
Vineet Bajpai
What was your thought-process behind writing 1857 - The Sword of Mastaan? Tell us about your research.
The book finds its inspiration from my desire to bring alive, not just 19th century Delhi, but to also offer an Indian perspective to the Great War of 1857. My love for the poetry of Mirza Ghalib, for the crumbling havelis of old Delhi, for the cuisine of this historical city, and for its breathtaking history... all contributed to the writing of the Mastaan Trilogy.
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The research process for both Mastaan and Harappa have been similar in the sense that both have a historical backdrop. And yet, they are very different. Harappa spans 3,700 years, combining the haunting mysteries of 1,700 BCE Indus Valley with modern-day religious strife and organized crime. Mastaan, on the other hand, is a pure historical thriller.
The research for anybody of work that combines history, mythology, occult, and religion is always arduous. While writing Harappa, I dove into the Internet, books, and papers about the life and society of the Indus Valley civilization or the Sindhu Sabhyata, the vanishing of the Saraswati, the controversial Aryan invasion theory, etc. Similarly, for Mastaan, I spent a great deal of time studying the mid-19th century society of Dilli-wallahs, the shaayars and courtesans of the dwindling Mughal capital, the life and times of Mirza Ghalib, and the largely obscured chapters of Hindustan’s first war for independence.
Are the characters in your fiction books based on real people in your life?
There is no one person or people from my life that singularly inspires the characters in my books. But yes, there are traces of real people in perhaps every character. The smashing protagonists are usually the ones I would like myself to be in real life, however impossible that may be! Then there are strong and impressive female characters in my books that have been inspired by some equally forceful and beautiful women I have known in my life. Many of the other characters take inspiration from a heady mix of all the content I might have consumed over the decades – from the great Mahabharata to Lord of the Rings, from the epic of Gilgamesh to The Bourne Identity, from Bollywood films to Amar Chitra Katha – it is hard to say which of these would have molded my spirit, intellect, and choices more.
How do you divide your time between leading multiple successful enterprises and being an acclaimed author?
Being an entrepreneur and author has been a deeply satisfying voyage. As the Founder & CEO of Magnon, one of the largest advertising and digital agency groups in India, I have enjoyed building a world-class company from the ground up. I am also blessed with a parallel avatar of being a media-tech entrepreneur, as the Founder of Talentrack, which is the country’s leading mobile platform for talent-casting and content-crowdsourcing in the media & entertainment sector.
With these richly fulfilling expeditions keeping me inspired through the days, being an author through the nights and weekends allows me to transcend into a world of fantasy, history, mythology, Gods, demons, legends and philosophy. Most importantly, it allows me to connect with millions of people most directly. I will be honest, it is indeed hard to keep up with so much work-volume. But seeing an organization getting built and a book being published make all the effort worthwhile.
You interweave elements of history and fiction in your books. There’s some general skepticism about giving a twist to mythology. What are your views on it?
The ‘general skepticism’ you mention is not really general. There are only a few sections of certain communities that object to religious debate, modern enquiry, and mythological interpretation. Otherwise, take a look around you. Hindu myths and Gods have been studied and reinterpreted with unfettered liberty. And we are proud of this freedom of artistic expression. Today you have diverse fiction novels on Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, Devi Sita, and various other deities. Such liberal expression has always been a part of our social ethos. Why the holy Ramayana itself has hundreds of versions, and each one takes pride in its own celebration of the mighty epic. So, like I said, the skepticism is in pockets, and I sincerely hope it does not spread any further. Yes, it is important to keep sensibilities in mind. One person’s art must not become another’s humiliation. Respectful, creative, and even adventurous interpretations, in my opinion, are all acceptable. However, abusing the tolerance of a people and mocking their deities cannot be propagated under the shroud of art.
If Mastaan is made into a movie or series, who do you think is best suited to play the protagonist?
As you know, the screen rights of the Harappa Trilogy were taken by one of the largest film studios of the country. However, given the Covid-19 environment, those rights are back in the market now. We are also in talks for the screen-adaptation of the Mastaan Trilogy. Coming to your question, I feel Ranveer Singh will do great justice to the magnetic character of Mastaan. He has the physical ruggedness combined with limitless charm, which together forms the basis of Mastaan’s persona. For the other cast, I just can’t think beyond Naseeruddin Shah for the role of Mirza Ghalib. Rajkummar Rao will be a smashing Chhagan Dubey, and it will be a dream-come-true if Emma Watson plays the beautiful Fay.
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