Director Vinod Pande takes a break from the silver screen to focus on the truth in black and white. Pande, whose new book Saanvri: The Story Of A Concubine, which is inspired by the murder of Bhanwari Devi in Rajasthan in 2011, released earlier this month, tells Sunday Shillong’s Willie Gordon Suting about Saanvri’s fight against the patriarchy and how the author slid into the skin of every character to know it better.
You first planned to make the story of Saanvri into a film. Did the novel offer more scope for character development and layers with theme?
Absolutely right. You’ve read the author’s mind. As this is the drive that I am sure would spur any filmmaker to an author’s space. You see, in a film you always work within multitude of constraints — length, budget, star dates, censorial dictates, socio-political sensitivities, audience whims et al. But when you get down to authoring a novel after overcoming your initial doubts, you are in the land of true freedom. You can let yourself go; you can give any number of dimensions to your characters, transcend many thematic layers in the narrative and even let your deepest demons out.
Can you describe your writing style?
I always aspired to write novels but I became a filmmaker first and that too after writing my own screenplays, the art of which I learnt in browsing through many screenplays of celebrated writers at the British Film Institute Library in London, I invariably began visualising every bit of the narrative in my novels in audio-visual terms. Vivid as a movie! Hence I’d say my writing style is like a film; or ‘filmy’ as some would like to describe less charitably, if I dare say.
Who are your influences as a writer?
Primarily, I’d say; I, me, myself; because in my 76 years, I too have had a substantial journey of highs and lows; denials and achievements; heartburns and sweet stirrings. But as an individualistic writer, you don’t really venture into an unpopulated island; you read others, who inspire you, even mould you somewhat. Jeffrey Archer is indeed my most favourite author. His are the books I used to read 38 years ago in between my editing sessions for my first film Ek Baar Phir in London; his are the books I relish even today. After my first novel Don’s Wife, many said I had emulated him in my writing; but then many others also alleged that my writing is similar to those of Sydney Sheldon, Harold Robbins and Daniel Steele. I feel good because I cherished them all at some point of time.
What difficulties did you encounter while writing the novel?
Well none particular really. Google is a great facilitator with research, so I can’t even say I encountered any problems during my travels for research, because I did not have to travel. In fact since I had already written a full script for the movie on the subject, it was more of an elaboration by unrestricted venturing into character’s minds. Yes, the availability of time always remains a problem, because authorship of a novel can still not sustain most of us for our living expenses; for that we still have to contend with the rough and tumble of earning our bread.
In what way do you support Saanvri?
When I write, whether for a film or a novel, I often lean back on my chair and close my eyes and calmly slide under the skin of the character or characters caught up in a situation; just as I often would, when reading someone else’s work and start reacting like a particular character with laughter, tears, anger… everything. That’s me. I am a slow writer; I have to get worked up before I click my keys to put my words on the computer. This is what I mean to answer your question. Yes let me emphatically say; I empathise; I support every bit of Saanvri’s actions and reactions. I am Saanvri!
How according to you has she transformed?
Can I use a better word? I’d say she ‘evolved’ as a person, as a human being with the influences the externalities have rained upon her; good, bad, ugly…all kind. If there are Rana, Khoobchand, Yashpal and Sulakshana at one end of the spectrum; there is also Dhania, her mother-in-law, her real inspiration, her alter-ego at the other. Likewise, the smallness of minds, the exploitative and degenerative smugness of the males in a feudal society has emboldened her to brace herself with the same reactive streaks as a survivor with dignity. She has become a player from a plaything because for her, to retain her self-respect there is no other option. Yet she has preserved her inner soul for her deep bonding with her mother-equivalent; her mother-in-law on truly human terms. Even in the end she is no martyr for any cause; she is flesh and blood and soul. I love her.
How is the novel a socio-political
commentary?
Because Saanvri as the main character of the novel is real; as a product and reactive exploiter of the utterly regressive society and the politically manipulative system that we have bred… she in her battle for survival with a measure of ‘honour’, is unintentionally a mirror to the degenerative, feudal society wallowing in decadence. What I mean is that, not that the author set out to write a piece; a commentary about the state of the society; it turned out to be so because of the earnest, organic growth of the main protagonist in the circumstances she was confronted with at every step of the way. For me it is only a human saga of a beautiful soul, a girl from the lowest layers in the backwaters of the society.
Any new novel we can look forward to from you in the near future?
I am nearing the completion of my 3rd novel Destiny, a socio-political thriller at the time of arrival of liberalization in early nineties; a beautiful love story in the crucible of high crime, love, ambition and betrayals. Its span is going to be big, very big and it is going to be wholesome in events and emotion both.