Where does writer Rajeev Sivashankar stand in Malayalam literature? The answer to this question lies in his works. It is the presence of a beautiful flower tree that is always blooming in a large forest full of various trees and plants. Rajeev, who only believes in the quality and variety of experiences he writes, is not involved in any other ‘gimmick’ other than writing. He is guided and sustained by the philosophy that if it is good, it will be read. Rajeev Sivashankar speaks on the backdrop of his new novel ‘Por’…
? Myths and epics are inexhaustible mines of stories. No matter how much is written in reference to the events and characters in them, the possibilities remain again and again. Some of your works, including your new novel ‘Por’, have taken this opportunity perfectly. Can you explain their writing experience?
‘Por’ is my third novel based on epic stories. The first was Kalipaka. It tells the story from Kali’s point of view. The second novel ‘Nagaphanam.’ It was a story of grudge between Parikshit and Nagakulam. ‘Battle’ is about the story of the 14-day long duel between Bhima and Jarasandhan. It is trying to fill the duel with imagination which is only mentioned in the Mahabharata. I don’t think I can retell the epics in any way. There is a position that it should not be like that. My emphasis is on the silence deliberately left by the legend at various stages of the story. The helplessness of big men and the size of small men are all important to me. Just trying to make it seem like this may have happened while reading. Another person may interpret the same story in a different way and re-present it in a different way.
? How did the ‘battle’ happen? The background to such a concept.
When another asked why the battle between Bhima and Jarasandha lasted for fourteen days, he was thinking about it seriously. When I studied more, I felt that it had the potential of a novel. Actually the Pandavas had no enmity with Jarasandha. Only Krishna was hostile. Jarasandha of Magadha was the emperor of Northern India during the time of Lord Krishna. In the battle of Kurukshetra, if both sides had eighteen Akshauhinipada, but Jarasandha alone had twenty Akshauhinipada, we can guess the size. The Yadavas had to migrate from Mathura to Dwarka due to the threat of Jarasandha. Jarasandha attacked and defeated the Yadavas seventeen times. Even though he could have destroyed three houses in one fell swoop, Jarasandha outwitted Krishna. Therefore defeating Jarasandha was also Krishna’s only agenda. It’s just that Rajasuyam is used for that. It must have been part of Krishna’s revenge to prolong the war for fourteen days and throw off Jarasandha. That is where the story unfolds.
? If you look at your novels, stories and novellas, you will find many characters with strange personalities. Where did they come from and how?
The characters come from life itself. Sometimes they are a mixture of the many people I have seen. But it is not artificial or entirely imaginary. When you look closely, humans are strange. Although he presents the best face on the outside, he is basically a thief. He also has a desire to cut through the swamp and aggression. When the opportunity comes, it’s just that it opens up. Just because you saw a pimple on your face when you shined the torch doesn’t mean it popped. It is already there. It was only seen when the light fell.
? Local people and backgrounds can be seen in most of your stories. Most people, even ordinary people, are not trivial. What should be considered in character creation?
Until I was seventeen, I was completely out of the country. My native Konni is an area adjacent to the forest. Naturally, many legends and fables related to it were available there. I just collected it from many people and used it timely. And all the local people I saw are big-hearted. They approach any event in the light of experience. That is the important thing. When they become characters, they appear with their true selves. Dialogues and mannerisms are kept the same.
? Your literary efforts are not getting the necessary discussions and consideration. Have you thought
Recognition and respect are not to be asked for and bought. It should be known. I don’t think there’s any point in feeling bad about not being considered enough. First, I am a latecomer to writing. It is true that he wrote twenty books in thirteen years. But for that reason, there is no point in coveting the chair of those who have worked hard in this field for many years. Secondly, I think that if it is deserved, it will seek recognition even if it is late. At this age recognition and honor are not too desirable. But recognition is strength. It is also a catalyst for better performance.
? Are social media opportunities properly utilized?
The truth is no. My wife, daughter and close friends all blame it. I can only write. Nothing else is possible. and will not know. At most, when a book comes out, a few notes will be posted on Facebook. That’s it. At the same time, the authors of the story have been seen tearing it down on social media.
? The novel ‘Patam’, which traces the history of Malayalam cinema, was a different experiment. An attempt with a movie theater and movies as the backdrop. How did you come up with this idea?
‘Patam’ discusses the problems and thoughts of old age. It’s just that the film is used as a tool. Note that I try my best to experiment with different themes, presentation and language in each novel. ‘Tamoveda’, which tells the story of Vishwanath, the ugliest person in the world, is not the written language, but ‘Maraporuli’, which tells the story of Shankaracharya. Both are polar opposites in terms of theme and writing style. Unlike ‘Kalpramanam’, which deals with the problems of women, ‘Pennarash’ is written about the environmental problems of Kerala. Pennarasha is also the novel that took the most time to write. Its language and metaphors were new experiments. Many people applauded it. After the dark subject of ‘Tamoveda’, when he wrote ‘Marapurul’ he had to exert himself to find the language and similes suitable for such a spiritual subject. When I finished that novel, I lost my old language. Couldn’t even write a story normally. ‘Kalipakam’ was written to take advantage of that opportunity. Later, after taking a short break, he threw away all that language and simile and wrote ‘Pennarash’ by himself.
? The great novels keep coming. Can you tell me about the possibility of speed of writing?
That must be the benefit of using computers for more than a quarter of a century. Now I can’t even write a single line on paper. And I have the habit of doing things on time. Once the subject is grasped, one can write without pause. But there is a problem that once the writing is done, the subject and the characters will soon leave the mind. I have heard many people preaching about ‘Tamoveda’ and ‘Maraporu’ etc. in discussions about it years after it came out as if it was someone else’s work. Writer Anand Neelakandan told me that this kind of forgetting is very beneficial. It will help you to start the next writing completely fresh.
? All the best stories written. Yet not many works are produced in that form. Is the novel the first priority?
There are many people to write the story. Publications to be printed are very few. A book cannot be made without at least ten stories. But the novel is not like that. Let’s look at things in a slightly broader sense. Let’s do more experiments. When he wrote fifteen novels, only three collections of stories came out. The first collection, The Leaf of the God Tree, was awarded the Manoraj Memorial Award. Most of the time I am in the middle of writing a novel when I get requests for stories from online publications and so on. The story is written only in the intervals between two novels.
? What is the friendship between the journalist and the writer in you? Stories and characters presented by the profession.
The truth is that there is no direct relationship between a writer and a journalist. S.K. who traveled all over the world. Remember that when the story of Potekkat was written, it was the story of the street and the story of the land. I have felt that there are different types of people. He will not be a family man in the office. Not the same person among friends. The writer is also a different personality. Sometimes these can be mixed. That’s it.
? Is the constant stream of your books depressing the reading it deserves?
A maximum of two novels come out in a year. It’s just that new editions of old books or anthologies come out in between. After reading a new book, many people look for my old books. Some on social media have included ‘Tamovedam’ in their list of best books read this year. Despite being good readers, they are now reading the book for the first time, which was released in 2013. It means I’m about to read more.
? S. You have written ‘Meeshamahatmyam’ about Harish’s novel ‘Meesha’. First book on moustache. What was the motivation behind it?
That was the decision of the reader in me. This is the best novel I have read recently. It can be said that there is no other such novel in Malayalam. It has the magic of writing that only Harish can do. But from the beginning, there was a lot of criticism against the novel. One worthy book could not be tolerated while many unworthy books were being discussed. I felt it was my duty as a reader to do what I could to promote that book. That’s how it was written. I did not even know Harish personally until I wrote it.
? Who influenced you in your writing?
Needless to say, everyone who read it was influenced. During school studies, M. He was in love with Mukunda. Later O.V. To Vijayan. When I was studying in college, I met Ashameno. In retrospect, everything written at that time seems like a kind of plagiarism. It could also be the age. A recent influence is Arundhati Roy.
Anjali Anilkumar