My readers inspire me, not awards: ​Vikas Swarup

He is called the master of the hook but author Vikas Swarup considers himself a storyteller who writes ‘high concept social thrillers with intriguing premise’. Reading Q & A and Six Suspects, we can’t agree more. In Bhubaneswar to attend a lit fest with his latest book, The Accidental Apprentice, he gets into a freewheeling chat with TOI. Excerpts.What prompted an IFS officer to turn a writer of popular fiction? Believe me when I say, I never wanted to be a writer. I was always an avid reader though. I joined IFS in 1986. That was the pre-internet and pre-cable era. So, the only form of entertainment for me was reading books. After almost 15 years or so, when I was posted in London between 2000 and 2003, I saw many of my contemporary officers trying their hands in writing. The literary milieu in London also inspired me. I realized, being the cultural hub of Europe, all the big English publishers were based there. So, I thought, let’s give writing a try. I wrote my first book, Q & A, in total secrecy and completed it in just two months. I know, it sounds incredible. As nobody was aware of it, there was no pressure or expectations. I wrote freely.Your first novel was a rage, followed by Six Suspects, which was also a bestseller. Didn’t it put a huge amount of pressure on The Accidental Apprentice? From the moment Q & A became a bestseller and Danny Boyle made Slumdog Millionaire out of it, pressure has been my constant companion. While writing The Accidental Apprentice, whenever the pressure became unbearable, I reminded myself what I did with my first book — I simply told a story. As long as I remember to tell a gripping story, I can handle the pressure.All of your novels talk about young and contemporary India. With you being posted all over the world for your job, how connected are you with youngistan? In this era of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, YouTube and what-not, I can surely say that I’m strongly connected to the Indian youth. I remember, in 1986, my first posting was in Turkey. Back then we used to get Indian newspapers every two weeks. The connection was very tenuous. Compared to that, we live in real-time today, thanks to the internet. So, I’m connected to my country but not based in it. This, according to me, is a good thing, as distance lends me an objective perspective. As I’m not in India, while writing about Indian people I don’t get overtaken by the passion of the moment. However, writing The Accidental Apprentice was extremely challenging as I had to write from a woman’s perspective. In this case, my wife helped me a lot. Whether I’m fair to them or not, is for the readers to judge. Fortunately, I have received positive feedback from them.In the reviews of your latest book, some critics said it would make a better movie script than a novel. What’s your reaction?It completely baffles me. I write stories, not screenplays. If you can clearly see the characters and events in your mind’s eye while reading my story and if it fuels your imagination, then it’s something a writer has to be complimented on, not criticized. Slumdog Millionaire was made from Q & A, Argentine director Pablo Trapero is making a film based on Six Suspects. Is The Accidental Apprentice going to the same way? It has got offers from both Bollywood and Hollywood, but I’m not allowed to say anything till the dotted line is signed. When Danny made Slumdog, a separate Bollywood deal was not there, which, in a way, was good. Otherwise, the movie might have competed in the Best Foreign Language Film category, not the Best Film category. But I always wanted to have a Bollywood deal. So, for this book, a Hindi film is being made.Do you believe that a writer should be kept in the loop while the film is being made?Absolutely. In Slumdog Millionaire, I had complete creative control on the screenplay. I feel no one is closer to the story than the writer. So, he/she should make sure that the soul of the novel is not being violated.You have received numerous awards for your books. How much importance do they hold in your life?I don’t write for awards at all. My readers should feel they are getting value for their time and money while reading my book. My stories are snapshots of the important issues of contemporary India. Their feedback is important, not awards.As a writer, who inspires you the most? When a reader comes to me and says that my story has moved him/her, that inspires me the most. Once, I was in South Africa with my second book. One South African girl approached me with a copy of Q & A for me to sign. She then told me, ‘At one point, I felt my life was not worth living. Then I re-read your book and that gave me a reason to live.’ These stories inspire me to write more. Otherwise, any book with a gripping plot inspires me.Tell us something about your next book.I can’t write when I’m in India and I plan to stay here for at least two years. I have several ideas in my mind. As soon as I get a foreign posting, I’ll start my next book.