In conversation with Sanil Sachar, the Delhi based twenty three year old author who followed his calling and took the leap from the corporate sector scenario to doing what he loves most, writing. He managed to thoroughly entertain his audience through his book, Summer Promises and Other Poems. He talks about his next release, The Dark Side of Light and what the book promises to deliver.
Hailing from a background in Business Management and having a keen interest in sports, what made you decide to take up writing full time?
When your phone rings, it’s best to answer it and that’s what I did when I chose this path. Writing was a calling however sports are and will always remain my passion. I endeavor to cater to this industry in a positive manner and I hope to do this in the near future. Being able to spur imaginations and draw pictures in others mind through words that are a written is a phenomenon that is astonishing and I want to provide this to as many people as I can reach. I loved my job in the sports industry however my personal satisfaction is towards providing 3 E’s to my readers: Educate, Entertain and Enchant! My learning’s from the sports and business field have provided with two key principles necessary to reach your optimum performance and these are hard work and perseverance. With the decision to dedicate myself to writing, I aspire to inspire others to follow their passion. We should never doubt our potential but always doubt the height our potential could reach and keep going forward.
Your first book, Summer Promises and Other Poems; is it autobiographical in any way?
For me all forms of art are autobiographical because creativity stems from personal experiences and encounters. Summer Promises and Other Poems being a book with 78 poems of several genres explored an array of ideas and I’d be lying if I said they weren’t rooted from my life. The beauty of poetry is the mysteriousness in its nature. The simplest word could imply a very different ideology or thought while connecting to anyone who reads it. So, Summer Promises and Other Poems is biographical for everyone who reads it.
Tell us about your first rendezvous with writing.
Well, there are two instances and one of them is the lesser known of the two however I think it’s been over 15 years so this story is long overdue! I was eight and my junior school provided a chance to all the students of getting published in our school magazine for a poem or story. I was very eager to get my work out and submitted a poem titled ‘Pollution’ (I have memorized this poem and that’s a first for me!). The poem got published but it wasn’t the first time that same piece of work made the school magazine…I had ‘borrowed’ my sisters poem which she wrote when she was in junior school and handed it in again. I’m just glad she didn’t report me for plagiarism!
The less notorious story- When I was completing my studying, I was at boarding school and was unwell and missing out on a football match I was supposed to be playing. The thought of being thousands of miles away from home, missing out on a game I had trained for rigorously and alone because the rest of my friends were out, made me pen down my first poem which very aptly is titled ‘A Moment of Epiphany’. This is also the overly dramatic story (I wasn’t really that unwell; it was probably just a classic case of ‘man flu’)
Can you elaborate on your next release – The Dark Side of Light. What can we expect from it?
The Dark Side of Light is a box of assorted chocolates; everyone will get their favorites. With three literary styles compiled in this book, the poetry, short stories and scripts offer a heartbeat tempo for the reader with the varying genres and plots on offer. This book traverses through various locations, lives and thought processes while unveiling mysteries, murders, as other characters oscillate between the fine lines of love and lust, along with lovers of comedy getting a large dose of the best medicine for all, with ‘The Dinner with the Turners’. I believe that no emotion is lonesome and they all lead to a chain reaction to another, thus covering an array of genres within one book. This will also enable the readers to have a change in mood and setting with more convenience. With just a few turn of the pages, they can go from solving a puzzle to entering India’s first strip club in ‘Members Only’.
Where do you derive the inspiration for your books from?
Inspiration is like water, it can come in any shape or form. For me, I derive my uttermost inspiration from the people I meet, as they are a significant factor in curating characters. True stories are the best form of information and I believe fiction is spurred by reality, so all my encounters are enormous factors in creating my plots and forming a chain of thoughts. I had dedicated my first book to all the people I know or encountered purely because of this reason. Ever since Summer Promises and Other Poems, the support of my readers and well-wishers has been ignition to my writing and there is no better inspiration for me than offering my work to as many people as I can reach.
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If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’d continue staying in New Delhi for now but tomorrow might be a different story. I love England! A large part of my inspiration and imagery is derived from there but India has been very kind to me with all my work and I want to cater much more to our country.
Your favorite author?
I’m not one for favoritism when it comes to writing but I recently read ‘Dongri to Dubai’ by Hussain Zaidi and was mesmerized by the story telling!
One movie you can watch over and over and not tire of it.
“My graduation ceremony clip because I never really thought I’d pass…but jokes aside, definitely Scarface!
“Oh well, what’s coming to you?” “The world chico, and everything in it!” – This line is a shot of adrenaline!
What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve done lately?
I recently got on board as the Co-Producer for the movie, Mantra which is written and directed by Nicholas Kharkongor and scheduled to release this year. I am extremely excited about its release! Coming on board and helping while learning from this incredible movie was a decision that didn’t take much thinking after learning about the riveting story and a cast that has made the magic of the screenplay come to life with their performances.
If you could swap lives with someone for a day, who would it be?
I wouldn’t want to swap lives with anyone because that would mean they get an insight into my life and thoughts (and ‘secretive’ writing methods, haha!). However, maybe a quick glimpse into a reviewers mind to know their thought process would be fun.
