Author Amish Tripathi: Neither the destination nor the journey is important; only your present matters

Amish Tripathi shared insights on his new book series, reflects on personal losses shaping his writing

Author Amish Tripathi, a frequent visitor to Lucknow, during his interaction with book lovers, discussed his recent seven-book series aimed at younger readers, film adaptation, multimedia storytelling and more.

Amish Tripathi on his visit to Lucknow (Photo: HT)

Earlier, there were reports that filmmaker Karan Johar had acquired the movie rights for the bestseller The Immortals of Meluha and Ranveer Singh will play Lord Shiva.

On his books being adapted by Bollywood, he said, “Abhi toh kuch nahi, but you never know.”

The Shiv Trilogy writer acknowledged the fact that many books are being adapted for the screen and said, “I have left it all on Shivji. Whenever it has to happen, it will happen. I don’t sit and ponder on it. In fact, I don’t need to, because my stories are reaching readers already.”

His latest project, Dhruv and Tara: The Great Indian History Quiz, seeks to address the colonial bias he observes in Indian textbooks. “Indian students are still taught that Vasco da Gama ‘discovered’ the sea route to India. That is not true. He only discovered the route from Portugal to Southern Africa. In Southern Africa, he met an Indian Gujarati trader, Kanchi Malam, who guided him to Kerala. And even that trader didn’t ‘discover’ the route; Indian sailors had been using the Indian Ocean for 2,000 years. Why are we celebrating Vasco da Gama in our textbooks?”

On personal front

Reflecting on his 16-year writing journey since leaving the corporate world, Tripathi attributes his success to "the blessings and grace of Lord Shiva," while acknowledging that his personal life has profoundly shaped his work.

He opened up about a difficult period between 2015 and 2023. "I lost members of my family, some very tragically. It changed me as a person, and that reflects in my books," he admits.

On his life’s philosophy, he adds, “Earlier, in my banking career, I thought the destination was all-important. Then, when I started writing, I thought the journey was important. But now, after those tragedies, I realised neither the destination nor the journey is important. What matters is the company you are walking with. Who are the people you are with in the present? It’s only when you lose family members that you realise, ye kaam-waam hota rahega. It’s family that is important. I've learnt that the hard way.”

Amish Tripathi at Universal Booksellers on his visit to Lucknow (Photo: HT)

Beyond books

Recognising the shifting habits of GenZ and Gen Alpha, he has embraced his role as a multimedia storyteller rather than just an author. “They are interested in the issues, but they are agnostic on the medium. Whether it’s a book, a podcast, or a video game, it does not matter,” he says. Beyond his novels, he is co-founding a video game titled Aja Bharat (slated for 2028) with Amitabh Bachchan, alongside his ongoing work in documentaries and podcasts.

All for UP

Observing the rapid development in Uttar Pradesh, Tripathi remains optimistic about the region’s potential. “The development I’m seeing in Lucknow is fabulous,” he says, adding, “To the teens and youngsters of UP, I want to say: the world is your oyster. There is so much growth happening here; you are in a place of great opportunity.”

The author did a book signing session at Universal Booksellers in Lucknow.