#TalkTo Author & Public Speaker Vish Dhamija.
His latest thriller, Deja Karma, has been published by Pan Macmillan India to some wonderful reviews. So, yes, I'm really excited to be having this conversation with him about his book and his body of work. Hello, Mr. Dhamija. Thank you so much for joining in
So your book Deja Karma, has been praised for its strong and complex characters. And the protagonist in your book, Jay Singh, though charismatic and hugely successful as a lawyer, is portrayed as a morally complex character who grapples with ethical dilemmas in his profession. How do you approach character development, particularly when it comes to crafting such flawed but relatable protagonists?
Vish Dhamija
@VishDhamija · 3:12
And once you have that feeling in the reader, then it becomes a little easier. I'm not saying some readers would still not like it, but it becomes easier for the reader to relate to the character. I hope I'm making sense. And then you have to make this flawed character, or in fact, in that case, any character, a little vulnerable, unless you're plotting Superman or a comic character where everyone has the powers
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Vish Dhamija
@VishDhamija · 2:13
You. If you ask people the definition of karma, I am pretty sure you will get as many definitions as the number of people you ask. And none of those definitions or explanations are either right or wrong. For me, karma is very straightforward. We as human beings are intelligent. God has made us intelligent and given us freedom. And with freedom comes responsibility of making decisions. Now, the choices we make are good, bad, ugly. Only time will tell
I'm sure you've been asked this question before, Mr. Dhamija, but I'm very curious to know how you approach the research and accuracy of legal aspects that you write about in your novels to ensure that they are both gripping and informative. Because legal thrillers, I believe, are books that often explore complex legal issues. So it is imperative to make them not just engaging, but also factually accurate. Right? So I'd love to have your take on this
Vish Dhamija
@VishDhamija · 2:30
You see, the cases I have are high stake cases and the plots I come up with are the ones they are. But I need to make sure that the twist in the tale, as they say, or the changeover, the twist that comes in the end is practically possible or not. If it is possible in theory, then it's definitely possible in fiction
How does it feel to be recognized as a significant contributor to the legal thriller genre in India? And what do you think sets your work apart? And I'd also love to know if there are any projects that you're currently be working on. Perhaps you could give us a glimpse into what we can anticipate from your upcoming books
Vish Dhamija
@VishDhamija · 1:41
Thank you, Ramya. Thank you for having me on this forum, giving me an opportunity to talk to you regarding my writing process about legal thrillers and more specifically about Deja Karma and Jsing. And yes, I have heard about my comparison to Mr. John Grisham and that is primarily because we both write legal fillers. To be honest, initially, when someone wrote about it, I was very happy. It's a pleasure to be compared to the best in the genre
