Amish Tripathi does whatever it takes to promote his book, but everything he does is far from
controversy. “I will never sell my book through such means. I would rather not sell it!” tells the
author who does't mind wearing a T-shirt that's printed with the cover of his latest book, Sita
Warrior of Mithila, this is perhaps legit for him, we assume, and surely Amish has no qualms
about it. Sipping coffee, relishing chocolate cookies in-between, Amish appears totally relaxed
when we meet him on a cold afternoon. Amish has been the flag-bearer of Indian mythology
viewing it through a contemporary lens and presenting it for a young,modern Indian reader. He
has been writing emphatically and has now shifted focus to Lord Rama, with the Ram Chandra
series, “Whatever we know of our myths particularly the Ramayan is through Amar Chitra Katha
comics and a few TV series from the 1980s, I am just revisiting the ancient versions to present it
suitably to the modern reader,” he says.
Therefore, his second installment in this series, the Sita novel, busts the usual stereotype of Sita.
Of her being a timid and dependent woman. Here's a warrior princess, who walks with a spear as
her weapon, and with a knife tucked into the scabbard at her side. “Here's the Sita that many don't
know of. Someone who worked selflessly for her land, was a feminist warrior. What most of us
haven't realised is, in ancient India, men and women were treated with equality. It wasn't just the
men who were in power positions. There were also women who were Rishikas and wrote hymns,
they were like women prophets in ancient India,” says Amish, making a point.
All his books rely hugely on Indian scriptures and Amish believes it's his reading habit since
childhood, that has helped him pen these stories. “I read a lot and I could say that all my research
for the books spans over a period of 35 years,” he says. But marketing for this particular book has
been fierce. From an online promo, to a launch with the ravishing Raveena Tandon, and director
Subhash Ghai to an extravagant musical launch of the book at a mall - all in different cities - the
author and the publishers have gone all out. “Marketing is very important. Nothing sells by itself.
You really need a good strategy to sell your books and selling without controversy certainly
requires effort. But this shouldn't impact writing, it's only after completing the book that I look at
marketing,” signs off Amish.
Minutiae from Amish's life:
Peak time of the day for Amish: 4:30 am, that's when I do all the important thinking
Advice for upcoming writers: Don't write for fame, success or money, stay detached. Write for
your soul
Writing spots: my study at home in Mumbai, sometimes coffee shops and at times I travel to
different cities. I wrote Oath of the Vayuputra in Kashi, Scion of Ishvaku at Panchvati in Nashik
and Sita Warrior of Mithila in Delhi.
Favourite books: The Ocean Of Churn by Sanjeev Sanyal, Sati: Evangelicals, Baptist
Missionaries, and the Changing Colonial Discourse by Meenakshi Jain
College romance: I would never write one, I may write historical fiction, though.
Politics for Amish: Never, I will never enter politics. It's a lot of hard work, particularly in India, considering how complex our country is!