*Great to have you here…
I certainly have a thing for Chennai. The air here is so much more breathable than in most other metros in the country. It is also a fairly organised city. However, on this visit, thanks to the presence of a large number of VIPs for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, I have had my share of being caught in traffic jams. I also managed to make my maiden trip to Chepauk, where a Ranji Trophy match was underway. And though the match wasn’t particularly exciting, for the cricket buff that I am, being at the stadium was a big high.
* Isn’t there a cricket book in the pipeline?
Yes, this book, which I am co-authoring with Sharyar Khan, the former chairman of the Pakistani Cricket Board, should be out soon. It chronicles the history of Indo-Pak cricket. Sharyar brings an insider’s perspective to the game whereas my take on it is from the eyes of someone who’s followed the sport extensively as an ardent fan. Unfortunately, because of recent tensions between the two countries, there’s been a lull in the progress of the book.
* Your books, you once said, get great reviews and modest sales…
I meant that in a different context. In the US, you have to sell 40-50 thousand books to make it to the best-seller category. Here, the number is much less. All my books have consistently featured in the list of bestsellers in India. In fact, I am told my Great Indian Novel is in its 25th reprint. I write primarily for Indian audiences and on Indian themes and situations. My forthcoming book, which is about the juxtaposition of soft state and power and security, is purely for Indian readers.
* How long does it take you to churn a book? It’s been long since you wrote fiction …
How can there be any standard response to this question? Let’s just say I write faster than anybody who writes better and I write better than anyone who writes faster! Yes, my last work of fiction appeared in 2001, and it’s time I got started on my next.
* Indian writers you admire…
I have read most Indian writers and have even reviewed many of their books. But I can’t pick and choose. That would be invidious.
* There’s a strong buzz about you joining politics…
I can’t accept or reject a gift I’ve not been offered as yet. Suffice it to say that if I were to be offered a part to play in politics, it’s something I’d definitely consider. It would be nice to get into the rough and tumble of politics and learn the ropes from inside and be in a position to effect change instead of just writing and talking about it.
* You are outrageously handsome. You’ve also written about Bollywood in your book Show Business. Is acting an option?
I don’t think I am cut out for that. Recently a noted Malayalam director made me an offer, but I didn’t hesitate too long to say no to it. I am happy to rest on my acting laurels of college days where I was Antony to Mira Nair’s Cleopatra.
* Your comment that few women these days turn out in saris drew a lot of flak…
I was made out to be this male chauvinist when all I did was to state my personal views. I feel justifiably chagrined. I have always pressed for women’s empowerment. In fact in the last month of my last year at the UN, I got a standing ovation from the audience I addressed on March 8, the International Women’s Day. A lady from Chennai accused me of double standards saying how fancy that comment sounded from someone who was always photographed in a suit and a tie. Maybe she didn’t realise that the office I held at the UN imposed certain sartorial obligations on me. When I am in Kerala, you’ll never find me in anything other than veshti and jubba. It doesn’t even need a belt to hold it up!