There is something to be said about the nature of a true calling, that thing so elusive for many mortals who trudge through the eccentricities of everyday life without a purpose.
Indian writer Amish Tripathi, whose cult hit, the Shiva Trilogy, made history as the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing, believes his success is owed to writing being his calling, buoyed by savvy marketing and negotiation.
The secret to his success
One could draw several parallels between Tripathi and J K Rowling – both were rejected by numerous publishers because no one would read the kind of books they wrote, which eventually shattered records around the world – although Tripathi had a career in banking so he could afford to wait for the right opportunity.
An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, he took more than three years to write his first book, The Immortals of Meluha. "I used to write on Sundays and during commutes," says Tripathi. The action-fantasy novel had a humanised Lord Shiva as its protagonist, who came into his own as he protected the Meluha people from the Naga tribe and the Chandravanshi clan.
And although the book was released at a time when mythology in Indian fiction was slowly becoming a trend (2010), Tripathi simply shot to the top, selling thousands of copies and reprints, which was unheard of in Indian publishing. He has remained there ever since – his works have been translated into 19 languages and he has sold more than four million books worldwide. Following the success of the Shiva Trilogy, he was signed for $1 million (Dh3.7m) for his next unthought of, unwritten book.
Modestly, Tripathi maintains he has been lucky. We're talking over coffee at his office in Mumbai, where the walls are lined with books – written by him as well as others. There's an aura of humility and discipline around him, two of the strongest pillars in Indian mythology, and indeed any spiritual discourse.
He has clocks in every room and every direction because being on time is crucial to him (his luck had clearly rubbed off on me because I arrived early despite Mumbai's legendary traffic), and his official machinery is well-oiled.
“I’m very focused on good marketing and developing the business,” says Tripathi. “A huge part of my success is because I have a good team, good advisers, good lawyers. So many books I believe could have been bestsellers but fell short because their contracts weren’t negotiated well.”
His anticipated next book
Coming up in July, after a lengthy wait, is Tripathi's next book in the five-part Ram Chandra series – Raavan: The Enemy of Aryavarta. It follows Sita: Warrior of Mithila and Ram: Scion of Ishkvaku, all multilinear narratives that form the background of the next two books, where the characters will come together in one grand narrative.
Ram, Sita and Raavan are central to the epic Ramayana and have featured in countless works of fiction. What sets Tripathi's stories apart is the humanistic aspect of the lives and struggles of people Hindus consider gods and goddesses. These focus on love and valour, equality, humanity and the value of all life, resonating deeply among readers, most of whom have little or no scriptural or mythological knowledge apart from what's shown in popular culture.
“Traditions are often equated with conservatism, which is not the case,” says Tripathi. “In India, liberalism and traditions can coexist peacefully.” This is underscored by his portrayal of Sita as a warrior, which contradicts the country’s wider patriarchal stances.
In fact, he points out a couple of significant details in ancient Indian literature that reflect how liberal India essentially is – such as the Chandravanshi dynasty being founded by a transgender person, or that in the Natya Shastra, Brahma rules that within the artist's arena, dissonance must be allowed.
"I always say India's true independence happened in 1991 [with the liberalisation of the Indian economy], and today we have a confident and assertive generation that wants to consume modern, liberal messages not from the West but rooted in Indian culture. It just so happens that my swadharma [purpose or calling] connects with the zeitgeist."
A self-revelatory experience
In spite of being a lifelong student of philosophy and scripture, Tripathi says it is his study of Raavan for the upcoming book that shook him up the most because of how dark it all got, coinciding with a particularly difficult period personally.
"I'm just glad the book is done; the past couple of years have been hard and I was in a pretty dark place." One of Shiva's most ardent and powerful devotees, Raavan was brilliant, scholarly and credited with having created musical instruments such as the ravan hatta (the soul of Raavan's grief) and rudra veena (the veena dear to Shiva).
I'm just glad the book is done; the past couple of years have been hard and I was in a pretty dark place.
Some of the greatest hymns to Shiva were written by him. But Raavan was also a fierce warrior, egotistical, power- hungry, destructive and possessed of a rare sense of evil aided by his brilliance.
“He is a very interesting character; in some ways it dragged me down.”
This sensitivity to his work and the subjects he writes about has been one of Tripathi’s most self-revelatory experiences. His passion and intelligence apart, that he has been on a knowledge attainment journey is clear.
These characteristics do not reflect in the larger Hindu Indian rhetoric, however, which has been growing steadily violent, and his books have been criticised for being saffron-tinted. Tripathi simply points at facts. "Sometimes we forget the scale of our country," he says. "We're literally a continent. If you base a phenomenon on 10-odd cases, any narrative can appear true. My idea of liberalism is where no one will insist that my truth is the truth." It's also worth bearing in mind that while Tripathi's characters may be mythic Hindu ones, Buddhist, Jain, Sufi and Sikh philosophies are woven into his narratives, too.
With a 25-year goal already in place, and 25 to 30 series with interwoven plots, characters, clues and narratives planned, Tripathi is at his prime. He is said to have been appointed director of the Nehru Centre in London, a prestigious post, which he neither confirms nor denies. His Shiva Trilogy has been bagged by a big Hollywood studio to be produced as a series, and he has started a writers' centre where hand-picked authors are fleshing out his ideas. "If I have to write everything I want to," he says, "I'll never be done!"
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
New Zealand 57-0 South Africa
Tries: Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungfasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (7). Penalty: Beauden Barrett
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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The five pillars of Islam
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
GROUPS
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
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