When did your passion for writing begin and what inspired you to write The Kashmir Affair?

Sai:

Thank you Norm for warm wishes and inviting me to the interview. Since my childhood, I had an inkling to write short stories, essays and poems. This developed more during college days. I still have about fifty-odd unpublished poems in my bookshelf. Then I was into job, family, and then the problems in my life took over. Writing this novel has been a life-changing experience for me. The sudden problems faced by my family has changed the way we started seeing things around us. We just became very humbled and closeted within the enclosure of our living. The novel took its shape in such a mindset and has evolved into a larger that life fresco. The continuous barrage of news about terrorism and an air of confusion regarding terrorists and an attitude to brand almost everyone as a terrorist led me to believe that I could work on a novel looking into a terrorist mindset. And why not! I moved on.

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

Sai:

I lost sleep for the past several months. I get up very early in the morning, pray to God to help us, and start writing. It has been that way for almost two years. In fact this lack of sleep helped me to read and re-read books of and about fiction.

Norm:

Did you have a hard time fleshing out characters initially?

Sai:

As this was my first novel, I had my own hiccups creating the typical rule book characters. The novel has gone through several revisions and it has changed in content and style since the first time I sent out for a critique. I liked to show the identity of the Master could not be publicly revealed for now - except through the book anyway! And, for Part Two, I wanted to show from Joshua’s Point of View. This was different and many did not like the change of POV. But I wanted it that way. I wanted to show how the terrorist felt his life shaping up, after a sensational, dramatic first part.

Norm:

How did you create Joshua in your book? What would you say is Joshua’s biggest strength? His greatest weakness?

Sai:

Joshua could be anyone of us. He was born in a poor family and the loss of his mother affected him the most. He wanted to achieve something which would make his aunt and probably his mother proud. His biggest strength is to do something for himself. From zero, he became an actor, and looked towards Hollywood for his dreams. His association with a reputed Director, Amin Bhai, changed his life. When he really thought where he was going, he decided to change track, and devote to Veronica. Soon, he was on the run. Joshua sensed and faced the immediate danger and intrigue as he was chased.

I wanted Joshua’s relationship with McDonald to develop for Part Two. His relationship with Veronica was his belief in women. Ever since he lost his mother since his birth, he was drawn to women more, and he was true to Veronica by going back to her. He misses her often in Part Two. of course, he found his new love interest in Zubeida.

His biggest weakness was his attitude towards women. He just liked them. Joshua’s biggest strength is to stay put. He never left his goal midway. He even risked his life to help the police, and was even willing to go greater length to clear his name.

Norm:

How has your Indian upbringing and background influenced your writing?

Sai:

India is a wonderful land of multi-culture, multi-beliefs and customs. I feel proud to have grown up appreciating them and several languages. My Indian upbringing has helped me to bring to fore the Indian village perspective, and Kashmir perspective. The typical Indian superstitious beliefs and ‘branding’ of people has affected my life as well. I can never shed off this image. I could really refine, shape our beliefs and present a newer fresco to the world.

Norm:

Does your book have a broader mission than simply entertaining or storytelling?

Sai:

We live in a world where ‘terrorist’ has become a common household term. Who’s a terrorist? Whom can we really call a terrorist? What does the terrorist and not-a-terrorist feel his life? These ideas troubled me and formed the body of this novel. The novel took shape as I thought deeper into it and wrote better after each revision.

Norm:

Was there anyone who really influenced you to become a writer?

Sai:

I love thrillers. They take me away from where I am, yet fully real. I like Allan Folsom’s novels. Folsom’s novels are fast-paced. I like Anita Shreve’s novels. Her novels are wonderfully written. The language is mesmerizing. These novels have shaped my mind. I have added a fine collection of authors to my choice list, including world-favorite Dan brown.

Norm:

Are any of the characters in The Kashmir Affair based on individuals you know or have known?

Sai:

We see the main characters like Joshua, Amin Bhai and Master in our everyday lives. Joshua’s and Master’s character intrigued me. One of them was a typical village boy turned actor. The other was a global player, trying to achieve his goal.

Norm:

Any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

Sai:

That’s a difficult question to answer. There’s nothing like a new work selling old work. So for now I am concentrating on my next novel and new non-fiction pieces.

Norm:

What is next for Sai Sankalap and is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

Sai:

I have written a short non-fiction piece. I am looking out where to send the piece for publication. I am also concentrating on a new novel, tentatively titled, ‘The Chairman’. The novel is, once again, a thriller, set in Bangalore. This time the main character is a muscular dystrophy boy. An idea is also floating in my mind about a sequel to ‘The Kashmir Affair’ in which Veronica is out for some kind of a revenge.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.