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Writing is my pursuit of the creative muse: Ashwin Sanghi

Businessman-cum-author Ashwin Sanghi, who at one time struggled to find foothold in the literary world, has made it to the Forbes Top 100 Celebrity Indian Authors 2014 list. This comes close on the heels of his book 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck, released recently.

Unable to find a publisher, he had self-published his first book using a pseudonym. But, as he would like to put it — bloody good luck smiled on him! The book was a roaring success. And Sanghi started using his own name.

The Rozabal Line (theological thriller); Chanakya’s Chant (political thriller); The Krishna Key (mythological thriller); and Private India (crime thriller) — all became bestsellers.

Excerpts from the interview:

KHALEEJ TIMES: From writing crime thrillers to becoming a so-to-say motivational guru with your latest book 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck, what’s next on the agenda?

ASHWIN SANGHI: (Laughs). That’s the first time that anyone has called me a motivational guru! It’s just that I don’t see myself as someone who can sit down to pen daily or weekly columns. Books like 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck are my way of being able to talk about topics that interest me. I hope to do more of them besides my fictional books in the coming years.

The cover of the book is very interesting. How did it come about?

The agency that assists me with marketing my books is a firm called ‘Think Why Not’. I approached and told them that I wanted a cover that would instantly attract attention. The focus had to be on the number thirteen but it also had to be about people… after all it’s people, not objects, that attract luck! We discussed around fifteen alternatives before zeroing in on this one.

When was the idea to write 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck born?

At a literary festival in Chennai, a young lady asked me, ‘What are the factors that contributed to your success as an author?’ I narrated a story to her about how almost every publisher and literary agent had turned down my work. Frustrated, I had described my situation to a close family friend and he had responded, ‘In life, ninety-nine per cent is about good luck! Just remember that, son.’ In a slightly argumentative tone I had asked him, ‘But uncle, what about the balance one per cent? Surely that must be hard work or talent?’ Laughing loudly, he had declared, ‘The final one per cent? That’s called bloody good luck, my boy! Simply keep at it and wait for your bloody good luck to kick in!’ That conversation was the genesis of this book although it took me a decade to actually get down to writing it!

Since it is full of stories and anecdotes, how much research went into it compared to your other books?

The research was much easier than that required for my fictional work. Most of my fictional work revolves around mythology, theology and history. These tend to be ‘touchy’ topics that involve the sentiments and personal beliefs of individuals. As a consequence, one has to be meticulous with the research. I was not treading into sensitive territory with this book. In any case, it’s much easier to access current material than ancient stuff. Usually my potboilers take around 12-18 months to conceptualise, plot, research and write. This one took around four months in total.

And was it comparatively easier to write?

Yes, partly because it was much shorter than my other books. Most of my thrillers are well over 120,000 words. This one was a little short of 30,000. It was almost like writing several newspaper columns. The primary effort was to keep it light, witty and informal. I would read aloud the sentences to determine whether they sounded casual enough. Sometimes less is more. The focus was on what to leave out rather that what to put in.

Unlike your other books, this one came as a surprise? Did you deliberately keep it low key?

Yes, I did. I had taken a bit of a detour from my usual mytho-historical thrillers when I chose to write Private India, a crime thriller in collaboration with James Patterson. Most of my core readership was eagerly awaiting another mythological or historical work. I was not too sure whether they would be too pleased with me indulging my own whims in newer genres. I was pleasantly surprised that most of my readers liked and appreciated it.

Isn’t 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck your first that’s also available as an ebook? Do you think readers prefer ebooks to traditional paperbacks?

In fact all my previous titles are available as Amazon Kindle books as well as Apple iBooks. The sheer convenience of being able to consume a book instantly; the ability to modify font size and background at will; the ability to search for a particular phrase or word; the flexibility of being able to highlight and save annotations; the freedom of being able to carry one’s library while traveling…. these are very important issues in present times.

What’s your personal preference?

I must confess that most of my reading happens using my Kindle app. This is because I do the maximum amount of reading when I’m traveling. I still do love my library of lovingly preserved hardbacks and paperbacks but I notice that I am relying on it less and less.

An author evolves creatively with each book? What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I hope that my readership will allow me to experiment with multiple genres and styles and continue to give me the freedom to indulge my creative whims. I would love to be known as a versatile writer who was not afraid to try something new. What terrifies me is getting ‘boxed’ into a specific genre and then being expected to keep churning out hits within that narrowly defined space.

Does it feel good to be recognised more as an industrialist or an author?

A decade ago, when someone would ask me “What do you do?” I would answer, “I am a businessman who is also an author.” Nowadays, I respond “I am an author who is also a businessman.” Writing is my pursuit of the creative muse. Nothing gives me more pleasure than that. No amount of money can ever compare to the pleasure of sitting quietly and contemplating a new story!

After the success of Private India, are you looking forward to more such collaborations?

That’s possible. I have never looked at collaboration simply for the act of collaborating. If two individuals bring specific strengths to the partnership then it makes sense. There is the Indian proverb that says, ‘One and one don’t make two; they make eleven.’ When one has the perfect partnership this actually does happen.

When is your next book due?

My next book Sialkot Saga will be a business thriller. The subject of business is something I have grown up with. Since I had begun working in a family enterprise when I was just 15, numerous incidents and stories are waiting to be shared. I hope to publish it by October 2015.

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