In conversation with Kishore Modak

Author of Maid In Singapore (2012) comes up with another intriguing tale Lost In Pattaya. Having read and loved both the books , It was a treat to have this conversation with Kishore Modak :

You have an impressive job profile and looking at that one wonders, how did you start writing? Did you begin with novels or were there other works before your first book?

Thanks a lot for your kind words and the opportunity to speak to you here. I started writing about three years back. Before that I had not really written anything with the intent of seeking readers. The writing has been a result of thoughts inside my mind that just had to be let out. Fiction is a platform that lends itself to expressing very real thoughts in the garb of fictitious flotation. In the beginning it was simply that, an outpouring. When I finished writing my first book, titled, The Corruption of Inspector Deshmukh I was pleasantly surprised with four publishers coming forth with proposals for paperbacks. After signing with Grapevine we went through the process of editing etc. before I was struck with the ideas that became ‘Maid in Singapore’. You may be surprised to hear that ‘Maid in Singapore’ was written over a period of merely a fortnight, the idea had taken such a deep root that I found it extremely fluid to convert it into a manuscript. When the Grapevine team read the ‘Maid In Singapore’ manuscript they too supported my decision of shelving ‘Inspector Deshmukh’ and proceeding with ‘Maid in Singapore’ as my first offering to the market. 

Apart from novels I have also penned a radio play and few articles which can be found on my blog.

2    Was “Lost in Pattaya” an instant manuscript from the beginning?  

‘Lost in Pattaya’ was a much more tedious journey. The novel was re-written with the settings changed to Mumbai and Goa rather than Bangkok and Pattaya. You can imagine the back breaking work that would have gone in. It did not work out and we had to revert back to the original settings of Bangkok and Pattaya before we went ahead with the publication. In my mind the settings of a book are what lend a character and a feel to books like Lost in Pattaya. Tampering with that often kills the manuscript.

3      You are currently based in Singapore so it is accepted that you know the lifestyle and society there better. Is that the only reason for both your books to be based in Singapore?

KM: South East Asia is a true confluence of cultures and civilizations. It is a melting pot of Indian, Chinese, Western, Far Eastern and Indigenous cultures. From the remains of the most ancient relics of humanity to the modern advent of metropolises, South East Asia offers a colorful people, people full of stories. So, having lived and travelled across this region, it was natural for me to anchor the settings of these two published books in this region. However, Maid In Singapore starts in Singapore, moves the action to London and NYC before resting in the Philippines. Lost in Pattaya is completely set in South East Asia, but, The Corruption of Inspector Deshmukh is set entirely in the Western Ghats of India.

The settings in which books are cast are extremely important since the story and the characters feed off those settings. Verisimilitude in fiction, often comes from the interaction and behavior that the settings force the characters to enact, almost as if the settings themselves are a character in a novel. It is the reason why re-writing Lost in Pattaya in non-South East Asian settings just did not work. It had to be in South East Asia for it to jump to life and to add colour to the tale.

4      Both your books have different plots – believable yet difficult to accept. Are these stories purely fiction or inspired?

All my three books, two published and one in my disk, have been inspired by real life people and incidents. They may seem bizarre but the inspiration for all the books have come from exchanging stories with friends and acquaintances over coffee or drinks or simply in short corridor conversations. Some stories just take root in the mind, and over a period of time they grow and reach a size where they have to be written out and cannot be ignored any longer, they just need to be released from the prison of the mind.

5  Did you ever wonder if these stories would be rejected by Indian market? Your first book particularly had some mixed reactions when it came out.

Yes, all the time, failure lurks in the dim corridors of our mind. If you see the talent around and draw simple odds of writing, and then getting published, they are so meager that you might as well not write at all. It is the brash I believe, that write before computing the probability of success, and for them it is the story that they want to relate which is important, rather than the formula-genres that the publishers demand on their websites. From the beginning, I have enjoyed reading my writing and that has kept me going, almost as if I need only one fan, me myself.

Maid in Singapore has extreme views rather than mixed ones. Readers either love it or they hate it, and there in it triumphs. I have had almost no one who has ignored it, they have either loved it or hated it. It remains dear to me and I think the fortnight that I wrote it in is like a magic that finally revealed a hidden trick to me myself.

6      Is there any story that you would want to write based on India, set in perhaps your home town ? 

Yes there are. One particular idea revolves around historical fiction, it has been taking a proportion in my mind. If that sees light, it will be set in and around what are the boundaries of the current state of Maharashtra. Also, if we decide to move forward with the un-published novel (Inspector Deshmukh), then that too is set in the Western Ghats which is where my ancestry traces back to.

7      

Where did you spend your childhood? What books influenced you most growing up?

My childhood was spent travelling across India since my father was serving in the Indian Army as I was growing up. A bit later in life, education and work kept me mostly in South India but then owing to the requirements of business travel I have travelled across quite a few large cities across Asia and the US. I have been living in Singapore for about a decade now.

When I was growing up Tintin had a profound influence on me. I still believe there are important lessons in storytelling that can be learnt from Herge and his treatment of the Tintin journals. In those early years we read the abridged classics which were part of the daytime curriculum as well as the hide-and-read Harold Robbins phase, which were read at night. Still remember speeding through ‘A stone for Danny Fischer’. Before the internet, adolescent excitement was often provided by a black market of kids exchanging books they knew were not age appropriate. A little later the expansive works of James Michener kept me enthralled for years. He provided a platform for us to understand our world better through fiction, a worthy recommendation for those who claim – I have stopped reading fiction altogether. More recently I have been completely taken in by John Banville, particularly his Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler trilogy. Jeet Thayil, David Mitchell and JM Coetze too have had an influence on me in the recent years. All the while the classics of literature is something I always turn to, like a coach who can help you when you are stuck with style and technique. Amongst those classics, all the original English works of Vladimir Nabokov have left a deep impression on me. His treatment of human frailties is very bold, often because it is a very real and genuine portrayal.

8      What according to you makes your stories and writing stand apart from the rest of the writers? Is it something you consciously work on?

Thanks a lot for the question. I am glad that there is a stand-out-ness here.

Consciousness itself is a differentiation, since it forces us to narrate a unique and individual existence. Like this interview and its editing, which has been a unique meeting of grounds, yours and mine. So the answer is YES, I work on it, since the whole idea is to set a story, like a cake, or an ice-cream with a unique recipe for another to relish.

I think sexuality and its adult treatment is unique in my works. We shy away from visceral topics, and I have simply attempted not to do so in my books. A lot of readers, especially younger ones are surprised with the raw treatment of adult themes that my books have, but I have to say that the acceptance that I have received as I have presented these new themes to the audience has been very encouraging to me. It proves that there is always a space for us to present new content and themes through fiction.

I assume you have kids and I wanted to ask if your kids have a habit of reading? And, how you would as a parent try to make them read since you are such an avid reader yourself.

Yes I do have kids and the fourteen year old is always happy spending time with books. Reading does need a host when you are young, someone who can show you the pleasure that good books can provide. I have always picked out the books that I have enjoyed and passed then on to my kids.

Thank you Kishore for your wonderful thoughts.

Thanks a lot for reaching our and allowing me to table some of my views on the questions you have put forth. It has been a pleasure.

Lost in Pattaya by Kishore Modak

It is every dad’s nightmare – his little girl goes missing. For Palash, the sorrow compounds from the incessant replaying of the critical minutes when his ‘Daddy-eye’ faltered, distracted by his own weakness, substance abuse. The loss and the ensuing search sends him spiraling into a divorce and the loss of a steady corporate job. Scouring for his little girl in the brothels of Pattaya he is ensnared in the web of mafia that runs the sex trade of Thailand. When he eventually finds her, will he be able to build back a wasted lifetime, or, is it too late for rescue, for him and his child?

There are books that charm you with the plot, and some with the way the author writes. Kishore Modak wins my vote partially for both reasons. When I first picked the book, the blurb made me think this would be a little predictable plot - the child being lost in the lanes of drugs and sex and a father's journey of recovering her out of the darkness. But i was still hopeful of a good read since i liked Modak's previous book. Am glad to say, I was wrong. The book offers a lot more than you would imagine the story to be.
Lost in Pattaya starts with the father character writing about his life, from the moment of losing his daughter to reaching the hospital where he lies awaiting death. the opening is not linear , but like any person narrating his life , it criss crosses between events and characters and finally smoothing out to the chronological order. The point where he sees his daughter first time after abduction is totally unexpected. And from there , the book takes on a new flight or should I say , a new dive into the world of sex , drugs and revenge. The characters in the book are almost believable and their imperfections have a space for principles and prayers in an amusing way. Fear and forgiveness goes hand in hand most days though we fail to consider it that way. The book might not be liked by few for the fact its based on the sex trade and the people associated with it. Or for the fact , no one likes to read and accept how this trade is so much a part of the society and often bearing so much violence. These instances , though few in the book, did make me cringe or sad. But the curiosity to know what happens to the daughter, kept me hooked to the book. A worthy read. I liked being proven wrong to say the plot was predictable. Rating : 3.5/5

PS : I love the cover.

If you loved reading the review, you can buy the book from one of the following sources :

Maid In Singapore - Kishore Modak

Maid in Singapore, a tale based on true events, relives the bizarre and often troubling journey of a family consisting of an Indian woman and her British banker husband, forced to move to Singapore from their home in London. Their chemistry quickly turns acidic with the hiring of a maid who enters their web of carnal excesses, redefining the rest of their lives.

The blows dealt on each member are enough for any to give up, choosing actions that are shocking, as only true events can be.

Nimue Says :

Before I got this book, I read a review of the book on some blog and I was turned off a bit. If the book was really all about sex and that too a web of multiple partners sort , I certainly was apprehensive. when I started the book , the sex part came in quite early in the pages and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Maybe i am quite old fashioned in this regards, yet somehow I could not put the book down. The events were written so clearly and even if the language was sophisticated and simple , the flow of the book was inspiring.

The book is in three parts : Shame , acceptance , laughter. It is written in form of a journal by Rashmi starting from her move to Singapore with husband David and son Jay. It tells us of the maid Mary’s entry into her household and subsequent exit – the circumstances , the consequences and later in second part she tells about how she dealt with all this. Sometimes when we push a limit , or accept some one doing it , we forget that there is no turning back. How our actions affect the ones connected to us , we do not really comprehend. Human mind works in weird ways and often truth is far stranger than fiction. While I read this book, I felt myself connect to Rashmi at many of her thoughts and decisions.

The Last chapter is in another voice – of a lady Eve. For some reasons , that is my favorite part of the book. Where everyone sort of escapes the eyes and words of Rashmi and spoke for themselves.

I am not sure how to describe the book is mere words. This was a journey for me to understand that even in weirdest of events happening around you , all you need is to keep your head and heart clear. Communication is must in every relationship and no means is ever better than talking face to face.

I liked this strange tale.

True or not , I know such people do exist. And I feel for all of them.

Rating : 3.5/5

Yatin Says :

I really dont know from where to begin with. When I got the blurb about the book, I got a fair idea from its title that what it is going to be all about. Still, I thought, I should give it a shot. May be, the book can surprise in some way. So, I said yes to it. 

Kishore Modak, an engineer from NIT-K and MBA from IIM-A, has come up with a weird story with Maid In Singapore. Apparently, based on true events, the book is set up in Singapore, London and Philippines.

The book is divided into three parts, first two taken from the personal journal of Rashmi Kettlewood. Rashmi is an Indian, married to a britisher, David with a fourteen year old son Jay. David gets a job in Singapore and the family shifts their base from London to Singapore. They hire a house help Mary and then happens a series of indigestible events. David had this habit of making love to Rashmi in a perverse way, pointing a gun to Rashmi and making her do weird things. David's lust and desires overshot and one day Rashmi catches him making out with Mary and then unfolds a lot of weird things. Rashmi gets to know a lot of things and it opens a Pandora's box for her till the very end. 

Kishore Modak's writing has a flair, the vocabulary is good and the book just flows. But somewhere I couldn't connect with the story. It was too much to handle for me. Sex was the only thing that was driving the book is weird ways. If you will read the book, you would know. As it is said that the book is based on true events, I am just wondering how difficult would have been for the person to face such things. Just to encourage Modak's writing skills, I would say, give this book a shot. May be you find the story gripping. 

Book Source : Publisher
Publisher : Grapevine Publishers
Genre : Fiction
ISBN : 978-38-184-1235