Of creativity, motives, and missions

Of creativity, motives, and missions (Published In Republica,November 8,2013)
	THE WEEK BUREAU Prose writer Nayan Raj Pandey, recognized for his distinguished literary style in his much admired novels “Ular” and “Luu,” has recently published another book, “Ghamkiri,” which has also received significant praise and criticism alike. Pandey has been writing actively for the past 25 years and has written over a dozen stories, both long and short. Having written scripts for Nepali films and TV serials, he also has extensive experience in the world of screens. Mostly, he is celebrated for his simple yet elegant style and the incredible imagination he brings into this creative works. The Week’s Roshani Dhamala met Nayan Raj Pandey to talk about creative endeavors. Excerpts from the interview: You started writing quite early. How has your journey as a writer been so far? Yes, I started with poems at the age of seven. Slowly, I began reading in the children’s program on Nepal Television. That gave me great encouragement. I continued writing and got my first story published when I was 17 which also received considerable coverage. Since then, my endeavor as a writer has constantly involved my efforts to create something new and intriguing for readers. I’ve experimented with styles and subject matters. My story, Atirikta, published in 1993 (2050 BS), dealt with the issues of third gender even back then. I also try to bring in elements of fantasy and myth in my works. All in all, I try to evoke novel perspectives and new flavors in my writings. You also write scripts for films. Do you think it has influenced youas a novelist? It certainly has. I’ve written scripts for films, and many serials. That has given me some experience in dealing with the skills of narration and dramatization. And that is an asset, I believe. I have deliberately used such techniques of dramatization in my books. I do so to establish characters and make them realistic and believable. Above all, I believe that stories are always out there. What really accounts for the difference is the craft of putting them. You’ve said, “Writing for me isn’t just a hobby, but a mission.” Could you explain this a little more? Yes, writing for me is more than just hobby. Nor is it a mere means to earn a living or publicity. Through my writing I basically aim to bring about positive changes in the attitude and ideology of people, especially of those in the authority and the upper echelons. My characters belong to the subaltern class and I try my best to portray the pains and hardships of their lives. To achieve this, I need to get myself involved in their daily life and understand the sociopolitical contexts shaping them. And once you do this, writing ceases to become just occupation or hobby; it turns out to be a mission. You deal with political subject matters in your work. What do you think should the relationship between literature and politics be like? Every writer should have thorough understanding of politics. Politics may operate at various levels: local, national, party, or even multinational, all of them affecting the dynamics of human conditions. Without this understanding, it’s hardly possible to create real and credible characters. I’ve been taken as someone who brings in political perspective in his works. Nonetheless, I try to abstain from propagating any agenda or offering any obvious solutions or suggestions. All I aim is draw the best possible accurate picture of the scenario. For the rest, readers are to form their own conceptions of the matter at hand. Mythical characters frequently appear in your writings. What is behind your choice for myths? Myths are a potent yet unexplored source of knowledge. Especially, Eastern myths remain an absolutely unexplored realm. The West, on the other hand, has achieved considerable success by counting on their myths and fantasies. The The Harry Potter and many other ventures thrive on the elements of myths and fantasy. Hence, they are invaluable. If used properly, they bring new taste to the works. And if such works are translated, they also expose our antique knowledge to the world. In your view, what makes a good writing? Judgment is always a subjective enterprise, I believe. What holds good for me may not necessarily do so for others, and vice versa, but generally, for any piece of writing to be good, I think, requires to be realistic and trustworthy. It should reach out to the common audience. The subject matter must be resonating and the craft intriguing. And in order to achieve this, one needs to put in a good deal of research, time, and passion into the work. On Pandey’s bookshelf The Mahabharata The epic Mahabharata is one of the richest sources of Eastern philosophies and myths. It comprises some of the greatest narratives articulated in the finest manners. And the exceptional way these narratives are infused with knowledge and wisdom, ranging from politics and philosophy to the dynamics of human and kin relationships are exceptionally overwhelming. I think the level of fantasy, imagination, and grandeur emanated by the text are just unsurpassable. City of Joy  by Dominique Lapierre Again, City of Joy is exceptional for its style of storytelling. There are various subplots interwoven into the main storyline. But all of them harmonize with the seemingly inevitable climax. The story describes the hardships of poor people in the then Calcutta (now Kolkata). The mood it evokes is sad, yet the presentation is outstanding. Muna Madan  by Laxmi Prasad Devkota Muna Madan is a moving love story narrated in the mode of flawless poetry, which makes it even more beautiful. Every time I read Muna Madan, I feel I’m reading a story set in the present time. The concerns it deals with – poverty, paucity, migration – hold equal relevance in today’s time as well. It also reminds me that trade was as crucial to Nepali economy back then, as it is now. War and Peace  by Leo Tolstoy Russian writers are famous for their long form narration wherein they relate their stories to considerable length, and so is Leo Tolstoy. Besides this, what I particularly find arresting about War and Peace is the way Tolstoy portrays his characters against the backdrop of a vast canvas. There are many characters who come and go along the colossal plot of the narrative, and yet all of them succeed in achieving special positions and impressions in the reader’ mind and heart. Mother  by Maxim Gorky I find the characterization skill of Gorky in Mother admirable. He casts a few characters in the story, but all of them are well established. What also draws me to the book is the particular sociopolitical context it is set in. It describes a rebellion and depicts extraordinary revolutionary characters. All these, I think, resonate well with the Nepali politics too. Also, I highly admire the book for its simple, yet intriguing style.
Published on 2013-11-08 11:14:03