Mysore/Mysuru: Dr. N. Someshwar of Doordarshan’s Kannada programme ‘That Antha Heli’ fame presented excerpts from his life at the Mysuru Literature Festival yesterday. During the panel discussion, he answered questions posed by scientist and writer Kollegal Sharma and the audience, sharing his childhood, education and his interest in science and literature.

There are two main reasons for his interest in science. Firstly, his father, a close friend of eminent scholar Purushottam, had an extensive collection of books. Despite the books being damaged by heavy rain, he was intrigued by Madame Curie and Thomas Alva Edison’s biographies, which he managed to edit and read.

These two impoverished individuals with a deep curiosity for science overcame numerous difficulties to achieve success. Dr. Someshwar considered them as role models and credited them for shaping his life.

When his mother fell ill, they spent three days at the ashram of a renowned saint. However, the medicine provided by the saint caused complications. At that moment, Someshwar realised that instead of blindly accepting someone’s claim of being the best, it is better to question and rely on the analytical ability of science to solve problems.

“Many people acknowledge that I have written 60 books in Kannada, which is considered a remarkable achievement. However, they say that if those books were written in English, they would have gained fame and recognition worldwide,” he noted.

Moreover, the depth of information available in Kannada is not accessible in English, particularly in the realm of intricate health-related matters. This challenging situation prompted Dr. Someshwar to begin writing in Kannada, expressing the language of his heart, despite the limited reach. While pursuing SSLC, he wrote stories, novels, essays, poetry and 16 plays. However, he made a clear decision to prioritise scientific work and abandoned all other forms of writing.