In this episode of 'Chasing Creativity,' immerse yourself in the poetic realms and literary brilliance with the esteemed author and poet, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Join host Kiran Manral as they embark on a journey through Chitra's creative landscape, delving into the inspirations, craft, and profound stories that breathe life into her verses and narratives.
[00:00:00] Before we begin, I wanted to give a huge shout out to Amazon Music for partnering with me
[00:00:05] on this episode of Chasing Creativity. But more on this later, let's get right into today's episode.
[00:00:22] Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Chasing Creat from, you know, some higher source. And I just go along. I'm just the instrument. So the idea will come and then it'll become a very strong idea. It'll kind of flash in my head until I can't think of anything else.
[00:01:40] And then I'm like, okay, this is going it like hit me and I said to myself all this that I'm studying about you know Elizabethan literature, Christopher Marlowe,
[00:04:03] that sort of triggered that entire process towards writing. Yeah, I think there was definitely two things that happened.
[00:04:08] One was more personal, one was more social,
[00:04:10] but still very much something that touched my heart.
[00:04:14] And the first part thing was that my grandfather
[00:04:17] in India passed away.
[00:04:18] And I'd been very close to him
[00:04:20] and he had been the big storyteller in my life.
[00:04:23] He was the one who told me the stories
[00:04:26] of the Ramayana Mah off they were, how isolated they
[00:05:42] felt.
[00:05:43] Here they were in a country where all, it's of course apart from the mythological ones and somebody like us with them would be and run each and done. Yeah, everyday women in situations where they have to, I would say confront the situation,
[00:08:07] what she wanted. She annoyed her counselors and some of them turned against her. So, you know, she was a regular complex woman and she is the kind of person I like to write about. We can be
[00:08:14] inspired by them, but they're not perfect because this is just right being the perfect woman doesn't
[00:08:21] exist. The perfect man doesn't exist. Our beauty you to write this book. And she said it's going to be the life story of
[00:09:40] these two amazing people who have lived very interesting lives. And I thought of their lives as a series of scenes almost cinematically, although you know because it's written medium, I could go into thoughts and complexities and I could analyze a little bit and I could ask the reader to think in certain ways.
[00:11:02] But that's what I used. I used the same kinds of techniques that I used in I got interested in focusing on dramatic moments that allowed us to understand these characters and to see their humanity, to feel our common humanity. You know, when they're in love or when they're in distress or when they're so overwhelmed that Murthy doesn't get to see his children from sometimes months, you know,
[00:12:20] that wanted to focus on those moments.aji because she is the one in some ways, yes, Murtiji also as it were. Marani Jinda, she fights so hard against the British but it's just a time when the British are too strong. India is just too divided. Kingdoms just do not know how to come together against an outside power. There's so much infighting even within a kingdom and Marani Jinda becomes the victim of all of that. She has courage. She has, and in some ways, that is the story of the life of the Murthis also. When they were young, yes, they were both very smart, but beyond that, you know, they were living very ordinary lives, they were dating, going to the movies and doing fun things. But, you know, in Balmiki's ashram. That's where the book starts. Her children are somewhat grown and they're going to go to the court of Ram and Balmiki has written the Ramayana, which they're going to sing and she looks at this Ramayana and
[00:17:44] she's like, oh, you do it? Do you outline? Are you a I don't have to re-imagine the progress of the novel at every moment. I kind of know where it's going and then I'm surprised also. So I at least outline like the next few chapters and then again the next few chapters and that's how I always write. So it isn't the full entire outline of the entire novel. You go a few chapters at a time and then it's, everything was turning upside down. People were dying, you know, just many terrible things were happening. People, therefore, they might have had dreams, but, you know, they had to quickly change or modify those dreams. But at least with the third sister, the youngest sister Priya the University of Houston for a long time and I've become more senior faculty. So I can request certain things. And what I request is that my working days would be like two working days.
[00:23:01] And I spent the whole day up to night at the university.
[00:23:05] And those are my teaching days. You've got to give it, you know, your focused time and energy, you've got to give it the best. I'm so glad you said that. I'm so glad you said that because I see and I'm sure you do too many people who wish to be writers. But the writing is as you said, you know, energy that's left at the end of the day or they are waiting for the muse to strike. It doesn't work like that. What would you say about this thing that, you know, I put a writer's blog, I'm waiting for the muse to strike.
[00:24:26] Does it work that way at all? not distracted, you know, the creative urge is able to rise up in us. When I'm distracted with the hundred things that creative urge is trying to come out, but I'm not looking, I'm not looking there. You can't do it. I get to my writing only at the end of the day and I want to write but I'm just too tired and the brain is not working in the best possible way and I'm putting down words but I know
[00:27:04] they're not good.
[00:27:05] I know I'll have ibuprofen.
[00:28:22] And then I said, okay, but I have a deadline.
[00:28:25] I do and I'm begin to see you know scenes in my head. So I recommend going to contribute to everyone. Lovely. So I do remember something that Agathak Risti said that the best time to think about lot is when you're doing the dishes. So is it something like that when your body is occupied but you're mindless free? Yes, yes. And sometimes and I will be speaking at the Hindu literature festival. It's called Lit for Life. So if people will... Oh, fabulous. Fabulous. Fabulous. And you, Tom John, was here again.
[00:32:20] Wonderful.
[00:32:21] Nice.
[00:32:22] Yes, yes, my...
[00:32:23] I have two sons.
[00:32:24] They are very excited. So, we'll be forward to that. No, that'll be lovely. And this is a wrap on this episode of Chasing Creativity. This was Kiran Mandral chatting with Chiffa Banh jidivakruhney on her latest book, An Uncommon Love on Her Writing Process, and What's Coming Up Next, Fantasy from Her. So, do catch this episode wherever you get your audio content from.
[00:33:42] Thanks, Chiffa. Bye-bye.
[00:33:44] Thank you. Bye-bye.