Chandrahas Choudhary On Seeing Through The Clouds

Chandrahas Choudhary On Seeing Through The Clouds

He came to limelight with his very first novel ‘Arzee the Dwarf’ which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth First Book Prize. After that there has been no looking back for Chandrahas Choudhury. The talented writer from Odisha is currently on cloud nine as his latest novel has just hit the stands. ‘Clouds’ also brought Chandrahas to his hometown for an interactive session with book lovers at Bakul Library recently.

Interacting with MCL about his latest book, Chandrahas said, “Well the book says about cloud. You know clouds are one of the oldest images available to human kind, and while writing a novel, I always wanted to combine the new and old. So, the clouds in my book is a bit metamorphical resonance as well, we think of our mind or thoughts as clouded by. If in the west, the cloud is seen as something negative or dark, in India they often have a positive meaning. So, ‘Clouds’ is a double-sided book. There are two stories in it, both set in Mumbai but each story has a set of characters who are ordinary and have nothing to do with other set of characters. So, there are two stories of different kinds.”Explaining further about the two sides, he said, “One side of the story is based on people who live in Mumbai and love everything about it, the other side is about the people who are in Mumbai but cannot bear to be there and are waiting for the day when they can go back home to Bhubaneswar, which is the Odisha side in the novel. So, the book is based on the ‘Mumbai of reality’ and the ‘Bhubaneswar of memory’. There are two different kinds of problems and situations which are unfolded in the book.”

In some portions of the book, one would also find mention of Indian democracy during the 70s and the different forms it has taken. The book is also about how Indians have gone in terms of inter personal relations during the century,” he added.

The book has already been receiving positive response and reviews from eminent writers since its release. Sharing about this, Chandrahas said, “I tried to do something new with the novel. I feel nice about the book. There is a story of rural life, small town life, the Bhubaneswar life and also stories of Mumbai and the history and freedom of that city.”

On being asked which was the portion he enjoyed writing most, he shared, “I enjoyed writing about the Bhubaneswar side more because the back story had to be developed a lot more. There are four characters in the Bhubaneswar side, a pair of old Odia Brahmins who are addressed, as Eja and Uie. With them is a young boy in his 20s who is an adivasi, while the old couple’s son is a filmmaker based in Bhubaneswar and is also standing for elections. This person who we never get to see is a very progressive figure in Bhubaneswar. Somebody who stands for freedom and democracy for people, who don’t have a sense of rights or freedom. He wants to bring people together but his parents are too old to understand all this. Through this book, I have tried to share how conversation easily develops between people and sometimes how hard is it to develop any conversation.”

From having a regular job to becoming a full-time traveller and a writer, Chandrahas’s journey has been very interesting. Sharing about how travelling has changed his view of watching clouds, he said, “Aviation has changed the perspective of looking at clouds for many people like me.”

He also believes travelling has given him more scope to meet different people and know their stories. “One of the nice things about travelling is that it tells you that there are some human beings in life whom you only meet, in a life of million of hours, for two-three hours. There is something we can take away from them and something they can give you is their time.”

Travelling has motivated me to come up with interesting stories and thus all those experiences have been reflected in my works, he averred.

When asked about how he developed his love for creative writing, he shared, “I always knew that I had linguistic abilities. I love novels and it is one area where I felt I could make some difference. To live in the literary world is something I adore.”Chandrahas has already finished writing his next book which is based on Chinese restaurants. “I have been writing a book for eight years but it was on hold for the last two years for some reason. But I have finally managed to wrap it up. The book is set on small Chinese restaurants in Mumbai where life in the city is seen through the view point of trade.”

On choosing such a topic for his upcoming book, he said, “Food is something which brings people together. For me, a kitchen and a restaurant can be an engine in a country from where many new energies can flow. The book will give a glimpse of Indian Chinese food and their way of living.”