If he wasn't a writer, Aatish Taseer could have easily slipped into the role of history teacher. His latest book, The Twice-Born (HarperCollins), is a quest to retrace his ties with India. And, throughout this journey, which displays a seamless duality of the personal and professional, footnotes from India's ancient and modern history are his travelling companions – from Tulsidas to Pandit Nehru. "I dislike writing 'potted' history. It needs to be organic, and if people lead us to it, it offers a wonderful opportunity. This book is all about that," he says on a visit to the city. Edited excerpts from the interview.

Looking back at your trips to Benaras, what is it that made you make it the subject of this book?
Benaras represents an imperfect modernity; it exhibits a sense of disturbance amidst change around. I wanted to capture this. From the start, I was clear that I didn't want to do a big journey; Benaras was this prism because it represented a microcosm, a metaphor for India. And then, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi arrived on the scene. He understood this power and was able to fit his politics of revival by choosing Benaras as his constituency. He and Amit Shah have been able to engage with a dual India - the old and the new - and Benaras best represents this unevenness.