Talking small

Chandrahas Choudhary, famously known for his interesting and critical reviews on the Mint Lounge, now presents his first book ‘Arzee the dwarf’”. Set in Bombay, where he grew up, the book talks about Arzee and his life of contrasts.

In Manipal, treating his fans to a reading of his book, Chandrahas took some time out to speak to TMJ.

Q. Why a dwarf?

A. My answer back to you is also a question, “Why not?”

I thought of a character who was a dwarf, which was the root of it all. Most of his problems came from his small stature. I wanted to write about Bombay in a completely new way. The tone of the book is a mix of comedy and pathos which only came from the nature of the protagonist.

Q. The protagonist is short in size and so is the book. Did you decide initially to create a longer version?

A. I always wanted to write a short book. Arzee is a character who exaggerates very simple things. It is written at a high pitch and since the story revolves only around two weeks of his life, it had to be short.

Q. A lot of reviewers have commented on your work having a tinge of Shakespearean drama in it. Would you say so?

A. Well, it would be arrogant for me to agree with that. There is level of concentration in the passages and complex literature clubbed into a very short line. If somebody has said so, I would take it as a compliment. 

Q. How different is literary blogging from reviewing for papers and magazines?

A. Review for a paper is like an essay you submit for an assignment, with a formal tone, a heading and a conclusion. In a blog, one has the license to be more ‘chatty’. A plus point is that you can also link your review to different point of views from other people. Thus, you give ten essays in one go to a reader.

Q. After attaining MPhil from Cambridge in American Literature, how did you end up in the profession? Also did you want to work in films once upon a time?

A. I always wanted to write a book and reviewing was like training for me before I set on writing, as you learn a lot. When I was younger I wanted to work in films, but I realized it is very time consuming. Writing for a blog and reviewing books is very relaxing and there is no time constraint to it.

Q. Will you make Arzee a representative of the community of short statured people in the nation?

A. Hmm… well, a good question I was asked from a student was, “does Arzee meet someone of his own size in the novel?” Yes he does. Arzee’s condition is such that he is always trying to change into the normalcy of life. I did not want to bring larger issues of how dwarves are treated as it would not do justice to the story of Arzee.

Q. A very interesting comment you made in response to a question put forth regarding your advice to new readers. You said, “Paulho Coelho is rubbish and Dan Brown’s books should be thrown away.” Would you say your book is more meaningful than theirs?

A. [laughs] Well I did not mean to say read only my book. A lot of people read them, think they are good, but I don’t. I would not advice anyone to go for my book, but I’d rather they approach reading in new way. You cannot say what I said unless you have gone through the kind of works I have reviewed.

Q. Is your character optimistic or more of a pessimist and is there a bit of yourself in Arzee?

A. That’s for the reader to make up. I have tried to go to neither pole finding a balance. There is bit of a writer in every character. Like how a musician has an instrument to play his music, a writer’s instrument is his own self.

Q. What was the point of writing as a third person narrative?

A. By writing from a first person view I felt, a lot of action and happening in the larger world around Arzee would go unnoticed. Also the other characters in the plot would not be justified, as from a third person view, the narrative stands above all characters and gives a sense of balance.

Q. How will the Literary Reviewer in Chandrahas, review his own book?

A. Why will I review my own book? In essence I was always reviewing my every draft the last three years. While I have been reviewing other’s works, I have been reviewing my own work.

Seeing the work in word, and seeing it in a book, Arzee seems more real. It is the little pleasure of writing.

Q. The whole plot is based on contrast in size, color and lighting. Explain

A. Exactly. It was nice to work through contrast, it makes story telling easier. Environment plays an important role in the life of Arzee and every thing is enlarged in his vision, even when he works in the cinema.

Q. Your next work?

A. Anthology of Indian short stories. It was very relaxing, you get your name on the cover and you don’t go through laborious work. Once it finishes I will start my next work.

Sub edited by: Kimberley Tanya Dias