Stories are everywhere, we need specific eyes to see them, says celebrated author Vasudhendra

Mysore/Mysuru: The third panel discussion of the second virtual edition of the fifth Mysuru Literature festival had a double treat to audience in the form of two panel discussions with celebrated Kannada author Vasudhendra, hailed as the next Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, being a panellist in one of the sessions.

The session  ‘The Unforgiving City and Other Stories’  began after Chairperson of Mysuru Literary Forum and Charitable Trust Shubha Sanjay Urs welcomed and introduced moderator Mysuru Nataraja. Trustee Sucheta Sanjay introduced Vasudhendra.

Mysuru Nataraja began by explaining his attraction towards Mysuru as he carries the name of the city along with his name. Vasudhendra played a short video clip to introduce his novel’s English version. The video graphically represented how modernity could be a technical trap for human minds.

Story plot in mind

Nataraja asked Vasudhendra about the process by which the story plot develops in his mind. Vasudhendra acknowledged that the stories are small experiences spread out over time, somewhat like the dots of a rangoli and each dot could carry an emotion like one of the Navarasas. With a set of dots, the human mind can develop an infinite number of stories. And the same set of dots given to different people can design themselves into different stories. 

He quoted A.K. Ramanujan who said, “Stories are everywhere, we need specific eyes to see them.”  Vasudhendra gave an example of how he had gone three times to trek the Thadiyandamol peak in Kodagu and had stayed in the base camp which is an old and palatial building. Later when he was reading Masti Venkatesh Iyengar’s Jnanpith award-winning novel ‘Chikkaveera Rajendra’, he learnt that Masti had visited that same building which was actually the Palace of that king and hence he had been inspired to write that story.

Talking about this particular book of his, Vasudhendra said that the stories in this book were outside the LGBT world and it has everyday stories of everyday people like Kashavva and Varadayya. He also reiterated that more than ordinary personalities it is always a tougher challenge to develop historical characters.

A formal education is not obligatory to create wonderful stories, he emphasised, by pointing out that most of the fascinating stories spring out of illiterate people as stunning folklore. But the logic should sustain throughout the narrative and for that he gave the example of one of the most flamboyant characters of Ramayana, that of Hanumantha who sustains a literary logic till the end, in the long narrative.

On translation

Vasudhendra asked Mysuru Nataraja about the art and techniques of translations where Nataraja pointed out that translation of any literary work is actually a “transcreation” that is, it is an art where being loyal to the original work, the translator also should make the book reach the target readers by making a smooth transition from one language and culture to the other. The process sometimes involves cleaning up a bit by removing confusing details.

Vasudhendra appreciated the translation work and noted that the translation work is much more energy-consuming than the original creation.  Both the panellists regretted that the number of young Kannada readers is dwindling and they hoped that the Government and the publishing houses support and encourage translations of Kannada literature so that people from other parts of our country and also those from all around the world will be able to enjoy the treasures of Kannada literature.

Daily events, people in buses, trains inspire stories

A light-hearted, informal and friendly conversation was in store for the viewers on the second panel for the day with Gopakumar, the author of the book ‘14 Stories and One Rogue’ and C.R. Hanumanth, Trustee of Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust, as the moderator.

Trust Chairperson Shubha Sanjay Urs began by asking the author about the interesting name of his book and why had he chosen such a title. Answering in his characteristic witty way, he said that after writing 14 stories he was not happy with the number and wanted to make it 15 because of some unexplained “obsessive mathematical disorder” of his and he added with a chuckle that he included an inebriated rogue to the bunch, the picture of which could be seen on the back cover page of the book.

The conversation flowed smoothly and for a question from Hanumanth about what inspires him to write stories, Gopakumar answered that regular every day events and people in buses and trains who tell wonderful stories are majorly responsible to initiate a thought in his mind which eventually will grow and become a story.

Answering a question in the negative if he follows a writing regime, he laughed at himself saying that he faces writer’s block so much that he has half a mind to call his house as a Writer’s Block since he resides in that zone for such long periods.

He paid a huge tribute to novelists as writing novels requires a competence of a higher order. He took the names of authors who have influenced him — R.K. Narayan, Jeffry Archer, P.G. Wodehouse, Roald Dahl, Somerset Maugham, Bill Bryson and many others. 

He informed that in this collection, there are two stories based on wildlife and he also said that he has written a story for children involving conservation of otters which is his pet project. The money from the sales of his book goes to “Rang de”, which does a lot of work in choosing small farmers and give them interest-free loans. He believes that their work has a good impact on the lives of the needy.

About his biggest regret and his happiest moment, Gopakumar answered that he wished he had studied biology and also his happiest moments were when he undertakes treks among the pristine and rugged beauty of the Himalayas.