Sanjiv Behera's Blog - Posts Tagged "inspiration"
Writing Vikram – One comic to rule them all
For those who have never heard of The Ramayana, it is one of the two great epics in Hindu mythology. It involves a hero's quest, much like Homer's Odyssey, or Virgil's Aeneid.
The story follows an exemplary prince whose wife is abducted by a demon-king. His search for her takes him and his loyal brother through a forest where he befriends a band of monkeys. They join forces and go on to wage war on the demon-king and his island kingdom. In its most basic form, it is the consummate tale of good vs. evil. (Actually, it is a story of extremes – the good are sometimes far-too-good-to-be-true, and the evil are, well, let's say you wouldn't want to run into them in the light of day, let alone a dark alley).
It's safe to say that we Indians are exposed, and perhaps overexposed, to the Ramayana at an early age. It's a story that resonates with kids. It has princes with bows and arrows, evil demons that are larger than life, a ten-headed demon-king, magical powers bestowed on people by gods, and monkeys that can fly! And, it does provide parents with fodder for reinforcing good behavior – i.e. "Prince Rama always obeyed his parents," or "Prince Rama never fought with his siblings."
Children are bombarded with the Ramayana in a number of forms. It is depicted in plays, television shows, cartoons, books, movies, sculpture, paintings, and, my favorite, comic books.
My first exposure to the Ramayana was through a comic book. I remember reading that particular comic over and over again, enchanted by the depictions of massive demons, brave human-like monkeys, and flying chariots. I recall imagining what it would be like to be part of the story; to be Rama, or his brother Laxman. It was my Star Wars, before the film was released. It was my Lord of the Rings, before I could ever read the trilogy. And, despite having since read a number of versions of the classic myth, watching the television series, and seeing countless plays about it, I am still enthralled by the Ramayana. It is one of those stories that I will never get tired of.
Hence, I wanted to share some of that affinity through Vikram. . . Some of the similarities between the stories are obvious, and some, not so much. But basically, my thought while writing the book was, What better way to connect an Indian boy with his heritage than through a Ramayana-like quest?
I really wanted the book to capture that "comic-book" feel to it. So, there are thirteen illustrations done by comic-book artist Atula Siriwardane. He also did the original cover (my profile picture).
Here are some links to a few of my favorite Ramayana-themed comics:
http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/rama-504
http://www.liquidcomics.com/titles/ra...
http://www.holycow.in/ravanayan/
Have a great day, and thanks for your interest!
-Sanjiv
The story follows an exemplary prince whose wife is abducted by a demon-king. His search for her takes him and his loyal brother through a forest where he befriends a band of monkeys. They join forces and go on to wage war on the demon-king and his island kingdom. In its most basic form, it is the consummate tale of good vs. evil. (Actually, it is a story of extremes – the good are sometimes far-too-good-to-be-true, and the evil are, well, let's say you wouldn't want to run into them in the light of day, let alone a dark alley).
It's safe to say that we Indians are exposed, and perhaps overexposed, to the Ramayana at an early age. It's a story that resonates with kids. It has princes with bows and arrows, evil demons that are larger than life, a ten-headed demon-king, magical powers bestowed on people by gods, and monkeys that can fly! And, it does provide parents with fodder for reinforcing good behavior – i.e. "Prince Rama always obeyed his parents," or "Prince Rama never fought with his siblings."
Children are bombarded with the Ramayana in a number of forms. It is depicted in plays, television shows, cartoons, books, movies, sculpture, paintings, and, my favorite, comic books.
My first exposure to the Ramayana was through a comic book. I remember reading that particular comic over and over again, enchanted by the depictions of massive demons, brave human-like monkeys, and flying chariots. I recall imagining what it would be like to be part of the story; to be Rama, or his brother Laxman. It was my Star Wars, before the film was released. It was my Lord of the Rings, before I could ever read the trilogy. And, despite having since read a number of versions of the classic myth, watching the television series, and seeing countless plays about it, I am still enthralled by the Ramayana. It is one of those stories that I will never get tired of.
Hence, I wanted to share some of that affinity through Vikram. . . Some of the similarities between the stories are obvious, and some, not so much. But basically, my thought while writing the book was, What better way to connect an Indian boy with his heritage than through a Ramayana-like quest?
I really wanted the book to capture that "comic-book" feel to it. So, there are thirteen illustrations done by comic-book artist Atula Siriwardane. He also did the original cover (my profile picture).
Here are some links to a few of my favorite Ramayana-themed comics:
http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/rama-504
http://www.liquidcomics.com/titles/ra...
http://www.holycow.in/ravanayan/
Have a great day, and thanks for your interest!
-Sanjiv
Writing Vikram - Oh, the places you'll go!
One of the things that excited me about writing Vikram... was the number of settings I had to choose from for the story. India is a phenomenal country, filled with so many fascinating places of both cultural and historical significance, that is was easy to draw inspiration for many parts of the book.
For example, the cave of murals is derived from the monastic caves at Ajanta, the temple in the jungle from the sun temple at Konark, the palace on the lake from Lake Pichola Palace in Udaipur, and the Buddhist sanctuary from Sarnath. Even the village and jungle scenes were derived from places that I have actually been to!
But, out of all the settings in Vikram…, one in particular continues to beg the most questions from readers. "What's with the two trees?" or "What do the trees mean?"
In the story, while on their adventure, Vikram and his friends stop to rest next to two towering Neem trees: one rich with lush leaves and teeming wildlife, and the other, barren and skeletal. Here's a brief excerpt from the novel:
This setting was depicted to exhibit the stark contrasts found in India. During my visits there, I clearly remember the poor being extremely poor. And the rich being filthy rich. India was home to gorgeous and wild forests. But minutes away, vibrant metropolitan cities flourished. Ascetics shared the streets with small-time pickpockets. Bitter melon and sweet papayas were both consumed by people with equal fervor. And in the middle of a hot, cloudless day, monsoon rains would appear within a flash.
So at an early age, I was taught that the world was full of contrasts, each incredible in their own right. The biggest lesson however, was tolerance. If a single country could tolerate such broad extremes, we as people should be able to tolerate a few differences between us.
That's all for this time. Thanks for reading!
-Sanjiv
For example, the cave of murals is derived from the monastic caves at Ajanta, the temple in the jungle from the sun temple at Konark, the palace on the lake from Lake Pichola Palace in Udaipur, and the Buddhist sanctuary from Sarnath. Even the village and jungle scenes were derived from places that I have actually been to!
But, out of all the settings in Vikram…, one in particular continues to beg the most questions from readers. "What's with the two trees?" or "What do the trees mean?"
In the story, while on their adventure, Vikram and his friends stop to rest next to two towering Neem trees: one rich with lush leaves and teeming wildlife, and the other, barren and skeletal. Here's a brief excerpt from the novel:
Vikram couldn't decide which one he liked better. The live tree, at first glance, was kinder on the eye. Its leaves were a beautiful shade of green, and there were birds and squirrels perched on many of its branches. The bare tree, on the other hand, had nothing to hide. It was transparent; each one of its flaws was clear for him to see.
This setting was depicted to exhibit the stark contrasts found in India. During my visits there, I clearly remember the poor being extremely poor. And the rich being filthy rich. India was home to gorgeous and wild forests. But minutes away, vibrant metropolitan cities flourished. Ascetics shared the streets with small-time pickpockets. Bitter melon and sweet papayas were both consumed by people with equal fervor. And in the middle of a hot, cloudless day, monsoon rains would appear within a flash.
So at an early age, I was taught that the world was full of contrasts, each incredible in their own right. The biggest lesson however, was tolerance. If a single country could tolerate such broad extremes, we as people should be able to tolerate a few differences between us.
That's all for this time. Thanks for reading!
-Sanjiv
Music Is. . .
When searching for inspiration in terms of writing, often times I turn to music. Music is a catalyst that sparks my imagination. It helps set the mood of my scenes, the tone in my voice, and the meaning in my message.
One genre in particular, has contributed more to my inspiration than any other. That genre is Asian Underground music. This form of song is electronic-heavy combined with older, often times classical, Indian music.
I remember being first introduced to these sounds in the mid-90’s with Talvin Singh’s Anokha compilation. My reaction to the album as I heard it was nothing less of sheer bewilderment. The music “spoke” to me unlike any other.
The genre itself is a mash-up of sorts, taking something old (classical Indian sitar ragas and tabla rhythms), and mixing it with new electronic drums and bass, creating something entirely unique and enchanting altogether.
Likewise, I like to look at my writing as following the same vain: taking Indian folktales and mythology from the past and adding a modern element to create my stories. In Azad (a collection of short stories), Varuna (the ancient sea-god) meets an indignant gondolier, bewitched dancing bells end up in the hands of a young girl, and a Djinn grants wishes to a wall-street banker through bizarre means.
Here, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite tracks. And I encourage you to investigate more sounds from the Asian Underground on your own.
Thanks for following,
Sanjiv
A few of my favorites:
Traveler by Talvin Singh: http://tinyurl.com/8tsjsaj
Ganga Dev by Cheb I Sabbah: http://tinyurl.com/yfnsd7d
Music Is by State of Bengal: http://tinyurl.com/8odorzr
One genre in particular, has contributed more to my inspiration than any other. That genre is Asian Underground music. This form of song is electronic-heavy combined with older, often times classical, Indian music.
I remember being first introduced to these sounds in the mid-90’s with Talvin Singh’s Anokha compilation. My reaction to the album as I heard it was nothing less of sheer bewilderment. The music “spoke” to me unlike any other.
The genre itself is a mash-up of sorts, taking something old (classical Indian sitar ragas and tabla rhythms), and mixing it with new electronic drums and bass, creating something entirely unique and enchanting altogether.
Likewise, I like to look at my writing as following the same vain: taking Indian folktales and mythology from the past and adding a modern element to create my stories. In Azad (a collection of short stories), Varuna (the ancient sea-god) meets an indignant gondolier, bewitched dancing bells end up in the hands of a young girl, and a Djinn grants wishes to a wall-street banker through bizarre means.
Here, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite tracks. And I encourage you to investigate more sounds from the Asian Underground on your own.
Thanks for following,
Sanjiv
A few of my favorites:
Traveler by Talvin Singh: http://tinyurl.com/8tsjsaj
Ganga Dev by Cheb I Sabbah: http://tinyurl.com/yfnsd7d
Music Is by State of Bengal: http://tinyurl.com/8odorzr
