Interview with Aaditya Sengupta Dhar, Author of Kaalchakra: The Rise of Kalki

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Kaalchakra: The Rise of Kalki?

I was always interested in reading history and mythology, having devoured books about Ancient Rome, Greece and read the Illiad, Odyssey, Gilgamesh, Beowulf and so on. One day, my parents gifted me a book called The Story of Indian Culture by Bahadur Mal, an autographed copy that had been gifted to my great-grandfather back in 1956. As I read it and learned more about India’s ancient culture and stories, I wondered how much I knew about my own roots. I began reading a lot of ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata and texts like the Upanishads and Shiva Purana, and was struck by the richness of the stories, the message of tolerance and the great role models. I thought of combining that with my love of writing to write a book that would bring some of those tales to modern teenagers and help them connect with their roots and cultural heritage.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love reading all kinds of books- fantasy (JRR Tolkien being a favourite), Travel (Bill Bryson), History (William Dalrymple), Science (Carl Sagan) and books that explore why people do what they do (Malcolm Gladwell).

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I loved writing every bit of it!

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m 15 and in high school, so the struggle is to get writing to fit in between homework, assignment etc…so no quirky habit, just staying discplined and writing a bit each day (and a lot in holidays).

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Always look to the future, but be sure to learn from one’s past and roots.

Aaditya Sengupta Dhar is the author of the new book Kaalchakra: The Rise of Kalki

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