As the spirit of shah Jahan takes a backseat to the audacious Aurangzeb in conversation with Aurangzeb penned by the ingenious tamil writer Mr. Charu Nivedita. In this swellcast, we will be discussing the layers of conversation with Aurangzeb, exploring its themes of power, satire and the unexpected stories from Aurangzeb that no one could have predicted. Hi bookworms. I am divyanshu oberoi and welcome to my swellcast
In conversation with Aurangzeb. The writer plans to interview the spirit of Shah Jahan for his book that takes a wild turn. Written by Mr. Charu Nivedita and translated by Nandini Krishnan this tales mixes history with humor. So Mr. Charu, your work spans across various genre from essays to novels, poetry reads to short stories. How do you navigate this different form of expressions and what draws you to each of them?
I called him and I told him I won't be available for some time. And explained that my father passed away. And after hearing me, he asked me, are you a human being? Are you a human being? I said, no, no, baba. I am a writer. So as he told you, I write myself. So the readers or the critics call it as novel, a short story, a poem or nonfiction. So I express myself
Thank you so much for sharing such a personal part of your life. It truly takes courage to do so. It's clear that your upcoming novel, Raslida, will be filled with depth and authenticity. Your perspective on life as a messenger is truly remarkable, and it's amazing that you have found such purpose and inspiration in your life's twists and turns. Let's talk about your book conversation with Orangrave, a novel published by HarperCollins
Oh, yeah? Yes. Now I am going to tell you why I chose to tell the story of Aurangzeb in a comic way. A lot of parody. You will find it in the novel. The reason is, nowadays, worldwide, writing stories of tragedy hold significant appeal and has lot of sales value. Writers find themselves in a position like beggars at the temple gates, displaying their bleeding wounds. They are telling a lot of tragic stories. They focus solely on negative aspects within their societies
I totally agree with you on this. Stories indeed have the power to uplift and inspire. Your intention to bring joy and celebration through your writing is commendable. Let's talk about Aurangzeb here, a controversial historical figure, and he takes the center stage in your novel. What motivated you to explore his character in such a humorous and unconventional managed
Your God is different, my God is different. But let us be peaceful. You are never going to accept my God, and I will never accept your God. You and I are not same. So this ayat, this is the seed of tolerance. And Hinduism also says the same thing. Hinduism, known for its plurality, multiplicity and take the case of Charvaka school of thought. Saint Nagarjuna declined the concept of God, but Hinduism included him. Hinduism did not reject him
We come into this world as a pure soul and become sinners. I never thought of Aurangzeb like this, and that's really a thoughtprovoking perspective. I would definitely like to read those letters. By reimagining his character beyond traditional narrative, you offer readers a fresh perspective. How do you maintain a balance between humor and addressing such weighty subject like history and politics in your storytelling? Thank
You can find a lot of self parody in my writing, lot of self parody. Those who have the guts to parody themselves can mock at others, at other things. That's why I have created Aurangzeb as a person who could mock at himself after. He is a spirit. He's not the real Aurangzeb as we read in history books. He's a spirit and author's creation. He is not the Aurangzeb conceived by historians based on historical facts. I have created a different Aurangzeb
Hello. I am a big fan of humor too, and it's true that many people don't fully appreciate its value. The ability to laugh at your oneself is valuable trait that can bring joy and perspective to life. By engaging the readers directly into your stories, you have transformed storytelling into a more interactive experience. So as the novel progresses, it veers into an fictit territory, including a trip to a bar
And after three centuries of break and created by a writer, he goes to the pub and bar and everywhere. And he observes things, what's happening. And he wanted to change the way of style of chilean people. And there was a revolution. And why this? I am a hedonist. I work like a devil. Although day I work from 05:00 in the morning till 10:00 2 hours break in the morning for walk and breakfast. I work like a devil
What an engaging spoiler from the book, and it's really refreshing to see such a blend of research and relaxation, making the book more appealing to the readers. For my last question, what do you really hope readers will take away from the conversations with Aurangzeb, and what do you believe sets it apart from other works of historical fiction or satire? Second
These are all the aspects of fascism, as Umberto Eco explained. Now I am giving you the antidote for this kind of fastest attitude. It's among us. We are not aware of it. So please read this novel. I usually don't urge my readers to do to read my books. But this is an exception. And goodbye to everybody. Everybody. Bye
You are different, and I am different. And please accept this difference. Well, what? This would be my takeaway from this conversation. What a fantastic conversation, sir, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your insights to all our listeners. Please don't miss out the opportunity to dive into the book conversation with Auramse. It's a book that promises you both entertainment and enlightenment, Peter
Thank you so much, Anurag and the conversationist friend and everyone in the swell team. Thank you so much for your time and patience