Interview with Namita Devidayal

Namita Devidayal, the author of three of my favourite books. She is a journalist with The Times of India and a co-director of the annual Mumbai times litfest. I remember seeing her a few times on the stage at the fest and wished we could chat about books and authors. Isn’t that what bibliophiles and authors do! 

The music room 

The Music Room

I had read her first book back in 2014 - the Music Room. It was a humble ode of a student to her music teacher. As an ardent fan of Indian fiction I rarely read a non fiction, especially biographies which in my opinion are a soft soap on the celebrities full of cliches of their apparent greatness or utter failure. I have personally enjoyed Namita’s writing that tells a biographical story with a fine balance of drama as in fiction and reality of a non fiction. Plus the warm and humane side of these public figures, rather than showing them as larger than life, even though they are! 

Aftertaste 

Aftertaste

I waited for her next. A story set  in the life of a business family. Aptly named aftertaste, this one is my favorite of the three, not only for the merits of its own but for setting of a crazy craving in me for Bournvita Barfi and how I quenched it which is possibly a story in itself. 

The sixth string of Vilayat Khan

The Sixth String of Vilayat Khan

Then came her third and latest book - a breezy read telling the story of the music maestro Vilayat Khan who was a complete stranger to me but now seems familiar. 

While  reading it and prompted by the interview class at Creative writing workshop, I approached the author for the interview. She graciously accepted and I am grateful to her. Hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did! 

1. Writing and music seem to be your two passions. Tell us about the beginnings and the journey

Yes, when I graduated and returned to India, I actually attempted to go back to music and train towards become a professional singer! But, clearly, I didn’t have the tenacity so I humbly opted for my other love — writing — and joined The Times of India (typewriter era!) and began an absolutely fabulous adventure. I guess it was inevitable that the two passions would at some point culminate and what emerged was The Music Room, a heartfelt memoir about the incredible, unconditional world of my music teacher Dhondutai. 

2. Dhondutai was your teacher and someone close to you, while Vilayat Khan was a hologram (in your own words) thru legends and hearsay. Tell us about the writing a biography on subjects so differently related.

They were very different experiences. Writing about Dhondutai required me tiptoeing into a memory bank which, to my surprise, was vivid down to the aroma of the chai, and the colour of her room, and the way she would coax notes out of the fidgety little girl that I then was. Of course, I also zoomed out and researched the times, or the musical and sociological backdrop to give the story some heft. 

In the case of Vilayat Khan, it was entirely research, as I had only met him once. But my research was a little unconventional, and I relied equally on family and on students and co-musicians as I did on his vet, his tailor, or his party friends. I began to realise that every story about him had at least two versions so I had to intuitively sift through what was not being said as much as what was said. It was fabulous to slowly put the pieces of the jigsaw together to recreate this magnificent man. 

3. While first and third books are about music genius. Your second is a family drama, tell us about difference choices and your experience. 

Yes, my second book — like a middle child — was a novel set in the life of a Punjabi family that ran a mithai business. The currency of exchange was not music, but money. Through the characters, I attempted to show how the power of money — that often unspoken element that can destroy any family — can become almost an expression of every emotion and relationship; and the idea was not to judge the fact, but just reveal it through this dysfunctional set of characters. It was based on a world I knew well. Honestly, all three books were written with the same love and diligence and how they were differently received was scarcely up to me!

4. Tell us about your association with Times literary fest and when is the next one happening 

The Times Litfest, which I co-curated with the amazing Bachi Karkaria, was an exhilarating process of creating a kind of carnival feel around serious subjects. We wanted to break boundaries, create unlikely counter-intuitive discussions. The idea was to have someone listen to an amazing heady discussion on, say, history and literature, and then be able to watch a stand-up act followed by some great food. The Mumbai Litfest closed after its seventh year. 

5. Your advise for aspiring writers 

Mindfully read a lot — all kinds of writing, from classics to contemporary and also look out for some of the great Indian writing in translation. Pay attention to what you’d like to say, and say it as simply and authentically as you can. 

The warmth and authenticity of Namita’s books is a reflection of her personality. I take back her precious words and the aftertaste of Bournvita Burfi!

Pic credits: blatantly sourced from internet