Mumbai-based author and ex-IT consultant at banks in San Francisco and Sydney, Vishal Bhatia has come up with his debut novel Janshersingh.com, the story of Jansher Singh, a top junior tennis player who after an interesting turn of events re-appears in Melbourne at a Grand Slam and that too with a rookie wildcard!
Which genre draws you the most as a reader and a writer
Any read which demonstrates human psychology excites me. Classification is good for maintaining a library or for a doctor to narrow down causes of an ailment. Reading philosophy helps me to make sense of this uncertain complex world that we live in today. About writing I am not sure. My mind explodes with scenes and situations from diverse daily experiences.
Which is the best opening line that you have ever read
Based on Lindy Effect, the first one is from Iliad: ‘Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians..’
For the second one, I am affected by availability heuristic (being influenced by recent events and memories):
To quote Book of Numbers — ‘If you’re reading this on a screen, fuck off. I’ll only talk if I’m gripped with both hands.’ One fictional character close to your heart and why
Giovanni Drogo from The Tartar Steppe (original Italian — Il deserto dei Tartari) by Dino Buzzati. For me, he is an epitome of hope for a chance to glory and dedicating your life to glory.
Who among the pantheon of writers would you like to have coffee with
Someone who did not train and plan to become a writer. He is a polyglot and the smartest person to be living in current times. I would like to have coffee with Nassim Nicholas Taleb — Lebanese-American essayist whose work focuses on problems of randomness, probability, and uncertainty.
How can new/budding writers prevent rejection from turning into dejection
For me, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita work very well. “Karmanye vadikaraste, ma phaleshu kadachana...” Equanimity in both good and poor situations, and improving over the previous day. Although it takes time for the distilled knowledge of the Gita to set in.
