A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya
A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya
Interview PALLAV IN CONVERSATION WITH SWAYAM PRAKASH Pallav Pallav—You have completed forty years of writing without break or breather. During this period you have written almost 250 short stories, hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines, a few plays and five novels. You have published more than 30 books; edited two significant magazines and translated a good number of works by important authors. How do you look back at all this? Do you look back in anger? Swayam Prakash—Not exactly. Anger... but anguish...certainly yes. We started our journey with a strong belief that the world will change the way we want it to change. It may take time but later or sooner it will have to change as per our desire and design. But like they say somebody somewhere was listening to us and laughing at us. As if remembering Ghalib 'baaji ch e atfal hai duniya mere aage;hota hai shabo roz tamasha mere aage'...and when in the eighties every thing had fallen apart we were just aghast! Just speechless! Pallav—But retrospection has also been done. Swayam Prakash—Yes...But I don’t think it has been done honestly. Like true communists used to do in good old days. Pallav—Why do you think so? Swayam Prakash—Everybody said there is nothing wrong with the theory, just the practice went wrong. Tell me is it possible that more than one countries went on doing wrong practice for seventy 72 :: January-March 2012
long years? Pallav—Did it reflect in your writing? Swayam Prakash—No. Pallav—Why? Swayam Prakash—May be I am a coward. I do not have enough courage to vindicate my thoughts loud and clear. May be I am afraid of losing friends. But for sure I think this should have been done by Indian marxist thinkers and historians-which I am not. Pallav—Why not by politicians? Swayam Prakash—You mean Indian communist politians? Where are they? Pallav—As far as I know you are very fond of writing lenghty letters to your friends; and you are a prolific letter writer. You are known for writing long, frank and probing letters. Did you not discuss this with your friends? Swayam Prakash—I tried to, but they were also as ignorant as I was. I must admit that we failed to answer the questions posed by time before us. Pallav—Back to literature.what do you like to write most? Novels, plays, essays or short stories? Swayam Prakash—Of course letters to friends. Pallav—Would you like to get your letters published? Swayam Prakash—Sure. Particularly now when people have stopped writing letters. It is a place where you can express yourself uncensored-even give vent to your foolish and not so foolish ideas and where your creativity knows no bounds. But will anybody be interested in reading my letters? Pallav—How do you rate yourself as a story writer? Swayam Prakash—May be eight out of ten!! Pallav—Why not ten out of ten? Swayam Prakash—Please let me remain at the doorstep of masters. Pallav—Ok. And how do you rate yourself as a novelist? Swayam Prakash—I am an utter failure as a novelist and as a playwright. I am ok as an essayist and interesting as a columnist. The acid test is—read what you have written after ten or may be twenty years. If it still interests you...then it is worthwhile, otherwise not. Pallav—Is it necessary for a story writer to write a successful novel for proving his worth? Swayam Prakash—Yes. Publishers and therefore critics think so. Publishers’ liking for novels can be understood.Novels sell like hot cakes. They sell at higher price.They can have many editions. Every edition can be fatter and costlier. If you want to become Mr. Somebody in Hindi literature you must have a hit novel to your name. January-March 2012 :: 73
- Page 21 and 22: and we rise above religious dogma,
- Page 23 and 24: forces of liberty and patriotism tr
- Page 25 and 26: his thoughts boldly, without fear.T
- Page 27 and 28: characteristics of the age in which
- Page 29 and 30: For, when father having been engage
- Page 31 and 32: and panegyrists going and singing p
- Page 33 and 34: I burst forth, ‘‘Aha, Niuniya!
- Page 35 and 36: aid. The flower was punished forthw
- Page 37 and 38: years in this guileful world I roam
- Page 39 and 40: form. Now, once again there was a s
- Page 41 and 42: Discourse LIFE AND IDEALS OF PREMCH
- Page 43 and 44: and the train also arrived, but cou
- Page 45 and 46: Discourse THE CONCEPT OF INDIANNESS
- Page 47 and 48: of first novel goes to the Genji Mo
- Page 49 and 50: untouchable boy. The boy is from
- Page 51 and 52: eligious leaders. Premchand in his
- Page 53 and 54: · Partition of India and growth of
- Page 55 and 56: 2) Ghar ki Raah, Indra Basawada, Sa
- Page 57 and 58: Sahai, Nagendra, Bhagwat Sharan Upa
- Page 59 and 60: two women (Rekha and Gaura) simulta
- Page 61 and 62: significant. Since real aspects lik
- Page 63 and 64: Another very major challenge that e
- Page 65 and 66: students of Dacca University had ta
- Page 67 and 68: Culture THE BHARATNATYAM HERITAGE I
- Page 69 and 70: and her husband also migrated to Ho
- Page 71: for her has been the one at Chidamb
- Page 75 and 76: publicising myself and my writing b
- Page 77 and 78: Short Story BUDHIA Ramvriksha Benip
- Page 79 and 80: find her carrying loads of grass on
- Page 81 and 82: pat the other’s back, and with he
- Page 83 and 84: tea break, it would also be a break
- Page 85 and 86: There was a mouth organ in Raka Mas
- Page 87 and 88: He was watching me in a strange man
- Page 89 and 90: and bowed before the engine. I saw
- Page 91 and 92: Climbing down the slope, that girl
- Page 93 and 94: filled their buckets without saying
- Page 95 and 96: clamp of the sounds is gripping him
- Page 97 and 98: The speaker fell silent all at once
- Page 99 and 100: That day, he came down from the off
- Page 101 and 102: sizes of boats of their respective
- Page 103 and 104: in the night?’ ’Yes, you take i
- Page 105 and 106: sound coming from all the flats. He
- Page 107 and 108: got up and came in the balcony. A d
- Page 109 and 110: “Who’s playing on the piano, Nu
- Page 111 and 112: “No, none-none that I know of. Sa
- Page 113 and 114: you are three years older than me.
- Page 115 and 116: He thinks we are fools and will nev
- Page 117 and 118: “Good evening. You may take this
- Page 119 and 120: I want to make sure that everything
- Page 121 and 122: When I went to meet the sisters thr
long years?<br />
Pallav—Did it reflect in your writing?<br />
Swayam Prakash—No.<br />
Pallav—Why?<br />
Swayam Prakash—May be I am a<br />
coward. I do not have enough courage<br />
to vindicate my thoughts loud and clear.<br />
May be I am afraid <strong>of</strong> losing friends. But<br />
for sure I think this should have been<br />
done by Indian marxist thinkers and<br />
historians-which I am not.<br />
Pallav—Why not by politicians?<br />
Swayam Prakash—You mean Indian<br />
communist politians? Where are they?<br />
Pallav—As far as I know you are very<br />
fond <strong>of</strong> writing lenghty letters to your<br />
friends; and you are a prolific letter writer.<br />
You are known for writing long, frank<br />
and probing letters. Did you not discuss<br />
this with your friends?<br />
Swayam Prakash—I tried to, but they<br />
were also as ignorant as I was. I must<br />
admit that we failed to answer the questions<br />
posed by time before us.<br />
Pallav—Back to literature.what do you<br />
like to write most? Novels, plays, essays<br />
or short stories?<br />
Swayam Prakash—Of course letters to<br />
friends.<br />
Pallav—Would you like to get your<br />
letters published?<br />
Swayam Prakash—Sure. Particularly<br />
now when people have stopped writing<br />
letters. It is a place where you can express<br />
yourself uncensored-even give vent to your<br />
foolish and not so foolish ideas and where<br />
your creativity knows no bounds. But will<br />
anybody be interested in reading my letters?<br />
Pallav—How do you rate yourself<br />
as a story writer?<br />
Swayam Prakash—May be eight<br />
out <strong>of</strong> ten!!<br />
Pallav—Why not ten out <strong>of</strong> ten?<br />
Swayam Prakash—Please let me remain<br />
at the doorstep <strong>of</strong> masters.<br />
Pallav—Ok. And how do you rate<br />
yourself as a novelist?<br />
Swayam Prakash—I am an utter failure<br />
as a novelist and as a playwright. I am<br />
ok as an essayist and interesting as a<br />
columnist. The acid test is—read what you<br />
have written after ten or may be twenty<br />
years. If it still interests you...then it is<br />
worthwhile, otherwise not.<br />
Pallav—Is it necessary for a story writer<br />
to write a successful novel for proving<br />
his worth?<br />
Swayam Prakash—Yes. Publishers and<br />
therefore critics think so. Publishers’ liking<br />
for novels can be understood.Novels sell<br />
like hot cakes. They sell at higher price.They<br />
can have many editions. Every edition<br />
can be fatter and costlier. If you want<br />
to become Mr. Somebody in <strong>Hindi</strong> literature<br />
you must have a hit novel to your name.<br />
January-March 2012 :: 73
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