Balraj is the third book by author Manoj Jain, following up on The BNO and The THC. The story is about a common man and his extraordinary journey, says the author in an email interaction about the book's central character, a 47-year-old man, Inder.
As we find newer releases seeking inspiration from young adults and mythological characters all around us, you've stuck to a 47-year-old for your book. What made you choose this character?
Indian authors have found the mythology market and YA (Young Adult) slot as the niche markets so we see a lot of books targeting those readers. However, I want to write about what people living in the India of today experience, not of love stories and young romance but on real life, day-to-day experiences, feelings and the underlying psychology. Therefore, my protagonist had to be of the present, of a certain age so one can examine with greater detail the details of marriage, parenthood and frustrations. The book is relevant for younger people as they draw different things from the book.
Do you find yourself questioning the mundaneness of life often? Could you share some of those concerns with us, please?
Personally life is not mundane for me - and that is a choice I have exerted. I actually do enjoy my life a lot so I do not find it boring or routine. However, as a psychologist and as a person who observes and writes about relationships, I find most people lacking the joie-de-vivre. People are getting burnt out or lonely or bored earlier and earlier these days for a variety of reasons.
Have you always sought to address the matter of passion vs. responsibility, and the struggles therein, through your works?
I have always been interested in human relationships and how they play out in real life. People get so bogged down with responsibility that they do not have time for their passions. This slow strangulation of passion leads to people feeling frustrated and life becoming meaningless for them.The struggle comes when one does not follow ones passions. I believe strongly that people should have passions, be in touch with these and chase them. Balraj is a book that takes a person who leaves all his responsibilities to find the meaning.
The concept of a "mid-life crisis" is still largely an alien term for Indians. Did you have second thoughts while addressing it, in the Indian context?
Mid-life crisis happens across countries and classes whether the person has heard of the concept or not. However in the book, I do mention that the protagonist goes to a psychologist who says that Inder is going through mid life crisis. But I question whether we should give too much importance to mid-life crisis at all. I started writing at 50, many people achieve a lot in their golden years. I think we need to keep growing as people and ignore age- it really is just a number.
Did you experience a struggle between your own personal passions and responsibilities? Is there a personal angle to all of this?
I am passionate person (writing is one of my passions) and I do not feel there is a struggle for me between passion and responsibility. I seem to always have enough time to follow my dreams and aspirations (but not so much time that I become restless). As a person, I am very duty bound, so I would not accept a compromise of my responsibilities. I think I have found a good balance.
In your writing, you tend to discuss sexuality in a very matter-of-fact manner, without shying away from the subject? Do you anticpate any backlash?
I think a lot of psychological and personal issues revolve around sex. I have always felt Indian spirituality has connected life, death, sex, moksha in a complex intertwined manner. Shiva is half man, half woman and a Lord of dance, the epics talk of strange sexualities, so I find it strange that people have an aversion to read about it when it is written casually. They call it pornographic at times, they call me the author of the taboo. It is written by me to show them characters and protaagonists that have the same issues (often sexual) like themselves so they can identify and find solace.
Balraj is essentially a man's retirement plan. What do you think an ideal retirement plan is?
I believe no person should ever retire. Till you have life in you, you need to keep learning, growing, experimenting, running, travelling, meeting people, enjoying and living life. People should plan to keep themselves mentally and physically as they age; they may stop active work in a company but they have years of knowledge and experience that shoud continue to be tapped, they should plan so they do not stagnate.
Also, how would you like to inculcate and encourage the reading habit among youngsters?
Youngsters today are bombarded with so much data and inflow out there on different platforms , especially social media that reading books is a dying trait, a luxury like vintage cars. They read anime and manga but have turned to more interactive media and videos. We need to encourage them to the incomparable art of reading right from an early age. Parents should read to their children at a very early age, literature studies in schools should be made more interesting fun and thought provoking so books have meaning to young people.
Balraj by Manoj V Jain, Notion Press, ₹195