Sharpening the Machete with Abhisar Sharma

Abhisar Sharma, a popular name in the world of media is also an author. His first book of the The Taliban Conundrum trilogy, Eye Of The Predator was very well received by critics and readers. The second book of the trilogy The Edge Of Machete has been released recently and is already in the news. I got a chance to interview him and here is what he has to say about his personal life, professional life and life as an author.

Ques. What inspired you to write “The Taliban Conundrum” trilogy?

Ans. Well there was no inspiration to write a trilogy. It all fell into place. I wrote Eye of the predator because the plot of Pakistan’s most powerful man dying while in an act of fornication and the entire conspiracy behind his death was very appealing and even seductive. I started writing The Edge of the Machete because the scenario of a CIA agent captive in the hands of the Taliban was very thrilling and I just started developing the plot. It ultimately became the story of 3 people, an undercover CIA agent, a British white Muslim and a kidnapped Indian journalist who find themselves in the most dangerous place of the world. Now The Edge of the Machete ends at a place where it demands a sequel that I am currently writing. Its called “The Dark Side Of Me”. So it all became a part of a trilogy which was unintended and accidental.

Ques. How much time did you take to write your first book “Eye Of The Predator” and the recent one “The Edge Of The Machete”?

Ans. Eye of the Predator took exactly 3 months and Edge of the Machete took 9. But it was just that I wrote “Eye of the Predator in a hurry , like a man possessed. But when I started writing “the Edge of the Machete, I took my time, not to rush up things.

Ques. There are too many genres that you could have opted for. Why only thrillers? Do you see yourself writing any other genre?

Ans. Both novels were not intended as thrillers. Its my agent and the publishers who have branded them as thrillers. My third novel is a coming of age , growing up kind of book, tentatively  titled “A hundred lies for you”. Story of a 13 year old in the backdrop of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This is a story of  dreams unfulfilled, friendship , betrayal, revenge served cold and brutal, love in its purest form and quite a shocker from the genre that I have attempted till now.

Ques.  Tell us more about “The Edge Of The Machete”?

Ans. I often used to think, what could be the worse case scenario? Lamb in a Lions cage? Oil drums surrounded by raging fires? A CIA agent in Taliban captivity? It was this premise that I started developing.  Edge of the Machete is the story of Ed Gomez sent to avenge his best buddy in the CIA rechristened as Sarfaraz Khan, the next big thing in the world of Jehad. But as he dives into the mission, the lines between his original identity and his assumed identity start blurring. The adulation of the poster boy of Jehad is seductive. Its also a story of 3 other people. Rahul Sharma an Indian journalist caught by the Taliban in Kabul and brought to Khyber in Pakistan and Shaun Marsh, a British white Muslim who is supposed to execute Rahul on tape.

Ques. How would you define Abhisar Sharma as a person?

Ans. Open minded, emotional, free of prejudices, short tempered, restless, easily provoked, indulgent, passionate and not the guy you would want to mess with. :)

Ques.  And Abhisar Sharma as a writer?

Ans. That’s for my readers to decide. I only write things that appeal to me.

Ques. How tough it is to write a thriller?

Ans. Its just those writers blocks that I am afraid of. They last for days and months. Otherwise writing is very fulfilling. It’s a beautiful world out there when you write fiction. You create characters that are an extension of you or maybe extension of people you have known.

Ques. Was it too tough for you to get your first book published?

Ans. Thankfully not. But the road after the publishing was difficult because for some reason the marketing division of the first publishing house was not excited about my book. It died a premature death and I still mourn it.

Ques.  With so many books flooding in these days, what would be your advice to the young writers who are planning to write a book?

Ans. Just write if you have a story to tell. Write what you believe in. It does not matter if you have a limited vocabulary. If you have a story to tell and if you have content, go! If Abhisar Sharma can write 3 books and get published, anyone can!

Ques. Being the face of a popular news channel like Aaj Tak, how tough it is to manage your personal life, professional life and writing books? Does it take a toll on you? 

Ans. Big Time! My work in Aaj Tak takes nearly 11 hours of my life daily. I write when I come back home. Around 11 in the night and I write till late. That takes a toll on my health. I have put on weight since I have started writing. I have become insomniac. My allergies have increased. So, its a big whammy. But I would not leave writing. Its like this amazing affair, like a fatal attraction. But, now I have started regulating my time. I have also started taking care of my health.

Ques. Any special moment associated with your books that you would like to share with us? Your most favourite compliment about your book ?

Ans. The best compliment I got for “The Edge of the Machete” was by celebrated writer and journalist Hussain Zaidi( the writer of Black Friday and the Mafia queens of Mumbai. ) .He said it is unputdownable. He said it is better than Frederic Forsyth’s “THE AFGHAN”. I think I was dreaming. But I did not pinch myself. It felt good.

So, that was Abhisar Sharma, candid and straight forward at his best. His book, The Edge Of Machete has been reviewed here by me.

Book Review - The Edge Of Machete

And you can get in touch with the author on twitter @Abhisar_Sharma ( Yes, he does respond there). His books are available on all the popular online portals and bookstores. Grab your copy soon. I have read both his books and they are unputdownable. Read them.

Interview - Rishi Vohra

Rishi Vohra's debut book, Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai has been very well received by celebrities, critics and readers. Currently based in the business capital of India, Mumbai, Rishi is a well read and well travelled guy. Writing is a passion for him and he has plans to take it up quite seriously. Some of the prominent personalities of the entertainment industry, such as Prahlad Kakkar, Kabir Bedi have read and given positive reviews about the book.

So, I got a chance to do an interview with Rishi and here is what he had to say.

Ques. Mumbai, if I ask you to explain the city in 100 words, what would be your answer?

Ans. Mumbai is mysterious, yet exciting to outsiders.  But to Mumbaikars, it’s like a relative that you may not by overly fond of, but whom you tolerate out of habit.
Mumbai is one place that takes care of you, if you respect it and know what you want from the city.  But if you expect opportunities to come your way without pushing in a specific direction, you will find yourself grow weary and cynical with hopelessness.
This city has more problems than any other city, but offers more opportunities than any other place.  Despite recent criminal incidents, there is respect for women here, which says a lot about the character of its people.  You have to love Mumbai and its people to last in this city.  Otherwise, you are bound to feel trapped.

Ques. When did you think of writing a book? Any inspiration or particular moment you wish to share?

Ans. Well Yatin, it happened in 2006 when I moved to California from Mumbai.  I had written screenplays before, but never books.  I remember opening my laptop and typing.  I had a concept in mind for a screenplay, but decided to write a book instead.  The experience of writing in the peace and serenity of Berkeley was so exhilarating that I wrote everyday for close to four months, till I finished the first draft.

Ques. Tell us more about “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai”?

Ans. Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai’ is a mass fiction, written from the point of view of a young man who has mental disorders.  But in this book, it’s not these problems that define him.  He is like anyone else who wants to fit into society and find his place in the world.
It’s his mental problems that propel him to find normalcy in the fast-paced city of Mumbai that he feels ostracized from.  I know that the book cover makes it appear as a love story.  But the love story is only a part of the book.  It’s his struggle and feeling of hopelessness that forms the crux of the story.  Apart from the love and humane angle, there’s humour, action, adventure, crime, and heartbreak – all the ingredients of an entertaining masala read.

Ques.  Autism, a very fragile topic to touch and weaving a character around it, how tough was it?

Ans. When a writer creates characters, he/she is free to define them in whichever way he/she wants.  But with a personality disorder, intensive research is required which cannot be derived solely through reading.  I had to closely observe and interact with such people, while in California, to understand the thought process and way of speaking.  And I had to carefully handle Babloo’s character in such a way, that autism came across only as a personality trait of his.  But autism is just a part of it.  There’s also Dyslexia and Schizophrenia that I had to research in a similar manner.
In the book, it is the reactions of other people that made him feel different.  No one points out his disabilities and pokes fun at it.  That would be highly insensitive.
This is the story of Babloo who happens to be autistic.  It’s not the story of an autistic person.  There’s a difference, Yatin.  And I’m glad that people who reviewed and read the book so far understood his character in that respect.  Including you, Yatin.
Urmi Vaz, who reviewed the book and happens to be a mental health professional, commended me on the handling of the character and subject.

Ques. Mumbai Locals, the lifeline of Mumbai. The incidents shared in the book, have you experienced some of them yourself?

Ans. No Yatin.  All these incidents are fictitious.  If I had experienced any of the incidents in this book, I could say that I’ve led a fascinating life.  But as AdFilmmaker Prahlad Kakar said, “You’ll find bits of yourself in the book.”  Everyone who has read the book so far, told me that they did.  They said that the reader not only feels for Babloo, but feels what he feels.

Ques. Rishi Vohra, as a person?

Ans. I would call myself a learner, an observer, a traveler, and a person fascinated by both the ordinary and extraordinary.  I used to be very social, but writing has made me somewhat reserved.

Ques. Rishi Vohra, as a professional and an author?

Ans. My professional qualifications include a B.S. in Finance (with a minor in Multi-Ethnic Film/Theatre), an A.A. degree in Film, a Green MBA, a Masters in Environmental Law, a Wine Specialization (CSW).  I have worked extensively in the Indian Entertainment industry, in the U.S. corporate world, and in the Wine space.
As an author, I love writing.  It’s effortless.  My stories are more about people and life.  I wish I could solely make a living out of writing, but our country is far away from that.

Ques. What is your future plan with respect to writing?

Ans. More books.  I have my next one ready.  Despite being in the market for only a month, ‘Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai’ has been accepted and is selling well, and I was waiting to see how this book fared before I pushed my next one for publication.  So I now feel ready to put my next book out.

Ques. Are the characters of “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” inspired from any real life people though it is purely a work of fiction?

Ans. To be honest Yatin, I got the thought from a much older friend who had similar mental problems as Babloo.  He was intelligent and used to follow headlines, and report them to me whenever we met.  One such headline was a particular railway crime.  It made him really angry, and he said he wished he could do something about it.  That’s from where the thought was germinated.  The rest is all fiction.

Ques. Talking about publishing a book, how tough was it for you to get “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” published? Was there a lot of running around involved?

Ans. I tried getting it published in the U.S. first.  I got only rejection letters back.  In the U.S., you deal with literary agents and no one wanted to take up my work.  One literary agent, who was familiar with mass fiction in India, advised me to push the book towards India.  At the time, I was unaware of this growing market in India and followed her advice.  Within months, I received positive responses.

Ques. Again, 100 words about “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” on why should a reader pick this book up?

Ans. The book is unique in its characters, story, and setting.  While people are propelled to action by their sense of reasoning, the main character is prompted by his mental disorders, which enables him to go past his inhibitions and create an alternate reality for himself. This is the feedback I’ve got from people so far - The language is simple and the story entertaining.  It’s a true mass fiction in that it can be enjoyed and understood by people of all classes.  It’s an experience more than a story.  The reader will keep thinking about it once the story is over.
All in all, people who have read the book so far have told me that it’s one of its kind – a first in Indian mass fiction.

So, that was Rishi Vohra, honest and candid. His book, Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai is available on all the leading bookstores and online stores. Read it. Here is my review of the book

Book Review - Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai 

Also, you can reach Rishi through the following channels

Website : www.rishivohra.com

Facebook : Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai

Twitter : @FishyRishi

Rishi Blogs @ Being Rishi