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Jugal Hansraj on his new book: Want to connect emotionally with the reader
Actor-director Jugal Hansraj has come out with his second book titled The Coward and the Sword. He hopes “besides getting entertained, the young readers can find some encouragement and positivity while reading this one”.
To keep the writing uncomplicated for the youngsters, and yet make it stand out as engaging enough for the adults, is the crossroads at which actor-director Jugal Hansraj often finds himself. Overcoming these obstacles, he’s coming up with his second book titled The Coward and the Sword, a children’s novel. And Hansraj suggests that it’s ultimately the emotions of the story that need to connect with the readers.
“I’ve created a fantasy world to make it a universal story; and it’s not specific to any one place, says the 49-year-old, who started writing three years ago, after his son’s birth. “Anyone, anywhere in the world can read this book and relate to its emotion. That’s what I wanted, rather than getting into a specific place. That’s why even the names of people and places are imaginary. I want to connect emotionally with the readers, and take them along on the ride,” he adds, talking particular about this fable that discovers the courage that lies within us all.
For Hansraj, who has written and directed the films Roadside Romeo (2008) and Pyaar Impossible! (2010), the writing process begins with visualising his characters on the screen. “The way I see it, is as visuals because I love movies. I imagine a big screen and a darkened cinema and the story unfolding. It’s the core of the story that’s most important, and not everything else,” reveals the writer in him.
Talking about the inspiration behind his second book, Hansraj says he wanted to include concepts from the Buddhist philosophy, which he has been following for a while now. He elucidates: “I got inspiration from two things... After my son was born, I was free for a few months and was taking care of my wife and kid. Also, I have been studying and practising Nichiren Buddhism for many years. Whatever I have learnt in Buddhism, the positive and encouraging things... I tried to put them in this book. So I hope besides getting entertained, the young readers can find some encouragement and positivity while reading this one!”
Though “written for young people”, the theme of this book reminds one about the futility of war, and has the potential to relate with older readers as well. According to Hansraj, “Often as a writer, you don’t want to make your work too complicated, and alienate the young reader. But, you also don’t also want to make it too simplistic to alienate the older readers.”
And like most authors, Hanraj’s work too has glimpses of his life and experiences, as well as of those around him. He says, “This book isn’t directly borrowed from my life, but quite influenced by myself and the people I’ve seen around me. The emotions that a teenager goes through, the pressures they go through when seeing the world around them... is what this piece of writing is about. Through this book, I want to tell them that you can make a difference.”
Author tweets @anjuri
