The celebrated author and acclaimed campaigner against Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code which defines homosexuality as an offence, Vikarm Seth admitted that translating Hanuman Chalisa in English was tougher than writing books. Seth, along with his mother Justice (retd) leela Seth, had come to Patna for attending second edition of the Patna literary Festival.
On the sidelines of the literary Festival while talking exclusively to The Pioneer, which Seth described that as being kidnapped, author of The Suitable Boy admitted candidly that translating the lyrical poem Hanuman Chalisa was really tough for him as to understand the meaning and phonetics of it was difficult. “Yes it was tougher than writing books and other poems as I’d to understand the lyrical meaning of the words first,” said Seth. Hanuman Chalisa is the most widely read, recited and sung Hindu religious poem.
Seth had earlier recited his translated version of the Hanuman Chalisa on the first day of the festival and enthralled the audience. The london-based author (he lives in the house of celebrated Anglican poet George Herbert since 1996) had spent his 10-formative years -- from age 6 to 16 — of life in Patna as his father was employed as manager of Bata factory in Bataganj in Digha area of Patna. He had also gone to St Xavier’s School in Patna for few years.
“When my father used to go to work at the Bata factory and mother to Patna High Court to practice law I, all alone at my house, drew towards verses,” he said. “Yes, I did a nostalgic ride and visited the old locality where I was living, met a family there and also gone to see St Xavier’s School. I also went to Bankipore club,” said Vikram Seth, who had come to Patna after 36-long years.
A short-height gentleman with pure human touch Seth, unlike title of one of his books Two lives, possesses simple life with very simple confessions. “Honestly, I do not read much... I read whatever comes to my hand and one should also not make any distinction while reading books as long as you enjoy reading the stuff,” he confessed to The Pioneer. “People should even read pulp or the chic-lits and do not always go for the serious stuffs to read but when you go for writing or thinking one should maintain his or her level of knowledge,” he said flashing a puckish yet elaborate smile on his ageing face. But, whom does he think as a good Indian writer of English languageIJ “Who am I to make comment on others writing… If I name someone others will not feel good… all are writing as per their choice and interest and genre”, he said.
Seth who is a polyglot knowing several languages like Mandarin, French, German, Welsh and English surprised correspondent with his fine command over Hindi and Urdu language. He even recited his two-page piece written against what the Supreme Court in its December 11 last year ruling “homosexuality as an offence”.
A trained economist Vikram Seth also admitted that he was not a much-disciplined man and “he writes when he really feels to write”. Earlier, when my voluminous A Suitable Boy had come out my published suggested me to write about A Suitable Girl immediately and then they might have offered to write me An Unsuitable Boy and on and on :”but I waited for 20 years to start the sequel, A Suitable Girl”, he said.
“Unlike the Suitable Boy its upcoming sequel is set in modern era of 2011, 12 and 13… I’ve made the setting deliberately. But, one thing is clear that Patna again will be part of this upcoming novel,” he said. The place mentioned in the novel “A Suitable Girl” called Brahmpur is more like Patna, Varanasi or any other such small town, cities, he revealed to The Pioneer. The novel is expected to come out in 2016.
Seth was visibly excited for his visit to Patna but regretted that he could not visit two places — Khuda Bux Oriental library and Jalan House museum. “But I’ll certainly visit these two places in my next visit”, he said.
Always mobbed by autograph seekers and fans, the acclaimed author was the most sought after and star guest at the three-day Patna literary Festival in which over 40 writers of Hindi, English, Urdu, and local languages had participated. Celebrated writers, historians, journalist, cultural activists and filmmakers had participated in the Festival organised at Patna Museum premises.
Noted lyricists Gulzar, Piyush Mishra, artist Subodh Gupta, writer Namita Gokhale, Tabish Khair, Pavan Verma all participated in the Festival inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday. The Chief Minister even had requested the organisers to make the Patna literature Festival bigger than Jaipur literature Festival which had earned a very positive publicity in the book-world.