-
In India, we never distinguished between history and myth. Our Puranas as well as Itihasas contain fantastical tales. They are lies that convey deeper truths.
Ashwin Sanghi -
When I wrote 'The Rozabal Line,' I had no preconceived notions of what a commercial bestseller should be. I have always viewed 'The Rozabal Line' as my first love and probably my best work. The fact, however, is that it is my least read work.
Ashwin Sanghi
-
If I use the word 'khichdi' in my novel, I don't have to get into the trouble of explaining that it is a dish of rice and lentils. My Indian readers know it.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Unlike a typical professional, I can't quit my job to become a full-time author; I don't have that luxury. For me, writing is therapy; if I choose to write full-time, it might start feeling like work.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Writing is possibly an art, but crime writing is definitely a craft.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I was passionate about reading from an early age, and I would always be carrying a different book each week.
Ashwin Sanghi -
What is divine? Simply that which man has not yet been able to understand. Once understood, it ceases to be divine.
Ashwin Sanghi -
If there is one city apart from Mumbai where I would love to settle down, it has to be Chennai.
Ashwin Sanghi
-
'Rozabal' was theological while 'Chanakya' is political. Unlike 'Rozabal,' which was about research, the aim of 'Chanakya' is plot, plot, plot, which carries the character. The common DNA, of course, is history.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I want my writing to reach people. I don't write for a market. I write from my heart, something that appeals to me. The marketing, segmenting etc., can be done by your publisher, not you.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I don't care if my books don't sell abroad; we have a large enough market in our country. I write for Indian readers.
Ashwin Sanghi -
It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels And Demons' are, by far, Brown's best works.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Mythology is like a game of Chinese Whispers. What goes in at one end of the human circle is rarely what emerges at the other end.
Ashwin Sanghi -
A myth is a lie that conceals or reveals a truth. But if it reveals even a strand of history or truth, that's what gets my adrenaline going.
Ashwin Sanghi
-
While growing up, I always had to depend on foreign authors for page-turners. I think of myself as a commercial writer, and my job is simple to entertain you.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Admiration from my readers inspire me, and the only 'formula' I believe in towards making a good writer is: 'to thine own self be true!'
Ashwin Sanghi -
Initial work is on period research where the historical markers are absolutely non-negotiable. Once that is established, a writer can take creative liberties in terms of chronology to suit the story.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Of all the writers I have read, Vladimir Nabokov has made the biggest impression on me because he, despite living through the 1917 February Revolution, forced exile amidst the anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, the two World Wars and quite a lot of controversy, was an author who never gave up.
Ashwin Sanghi -
Oral storytelling goes back so long ago, and those stories that were told orally were always layered and changed with time.
Ashwin Sanghi -
That freedom of writing you don't get in other formats, I'd rather leave it to someone else to deal with the headache of drafting my book into a screenplay.
Ashwin Sanghi
-
I am a part of the old school where I feel that purity of the language should be retained. But English is a constantly evolving language where new words are being added to the dictionary, so I don't see any harm in experimenting with the language. Only poor editing standards need to be improved.
Ashwin Sanghi -
My life is ruled by four W's: my writing, my work, my wife, and my whisky. Not necessarily in that order.
Ashwin Sanghi -
There has to be a protagonist who has to overcome challenges, and there will be a race to finish.
Ashwin Sanghi -
I was a businessman for 16 years of my life, so when I started writing, I wanted to keep my literary identity separate.
Ashwin Sanghi