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Ashok K. Banker: An Exclusive Interview

© Mrinal Bose

What would you say about a writer who quit the writing scene three years ago in the midst of a writers’ block, and now comes back in a big way, a radically changed man and writer who has found his real self at last?

Yes, it has been a second incarnation for Ashok K. Banker. The earlier hectic life of rushing places, meeting people, researching things and churning out "copies" and books, one after another, on deadline and in a frenzied manner is but a distant memory now. Far, far away from that life, Banker now does his own writing about Indian myth and history, the subject he has always wanted to write about since his childhood.

But Banker is a totally transformed man today: a recluse who would not meet, speak or correspond with anybody. He has veered away permanently from his friends, contacts and the razzmatazz of the city life. Despite having high stakes in the publication of his new book to be released by the Time Warner, UK in February 2003, he has chosen to not apply for his passport. For sure, he would not be on book tours usually associated with such big events.

His PRINCE OF AYODHYA – Book 1 is the first of a six- part literary effort that would be published in several languages across the world. On its pre-publication occasion, several news media recently approached him for an interview He disappointed them all by refusing.

Fortunately for me, Banker dealt with me individually and granted me an interview readily as I approached him by e-mail. I was simply amazed when I got back the answers to my questions within hours of sending them. So it is an exclusive interview, and here Banker, being the rare kind of writer as he is, tells us candidly about his troubled background, his long and prolific writing career and about his new, transformed life.

Q: Every one is now talking about the fabulous advance of your upcoming book on the Ramayana. What made you decide to take on such a project?

A. I don't know who's talking about the advance and why, but then I'm out of touch by choice. I firs had the urge to retell the great tales of Indian myth and history in my teens and even started writing some in an adolescent way at the time. My friends in school, family and later my colleagues in advertising and journalism knew about these ambitions and will probably say "oh, he finally did it!" when they see the Ramayana published next year.But it took me twenty more years of reading, living,growing and most of all, gaining confidence, to finally attempt it. Why now then? Because I finally reached the end of my rope writing hackwork. I couldn't do another article, column, or script. So about three years ago, I started to wind up everything and began seriously studying and researching my subject in great detail. I made sure not to tell anybody because I never thought I'd actually be able to do it. So the first people to know were the agents and publishers I submitted my work to abroad, and when their reaction was so