Q 1. How would you introduce your book A Broken Man?

A. A Broken Man is the story of love and hope. It is the story of Krishna a Dalit boy from Bihar who struggles to overthrow the chains of caste that hold him back, and Chhavi a high caste Brahman girl fighting for the rights of others, propagating equality in a politically charged Lucknow University campus. After Krishna saves Chhavi from getting torched during a protest against reservation, love slowly blossoms, only to be ruthlessly crushed by a society that thrives on divisions of caste and religion.

From student politics in Lucknow to the interiors of Bihar, from the corridors of power to the glitz of media and the film industry in Mumbai, A Broken Man is the quest of a deprived Krishna to redeem hope from despair, love from separation and success out of repeated failures.

Q 2. Have any of the stories been inspired from real life?

A. Yes, various instances and parts form A Broken Man have been inspired from real life events.

Q 3. As a storyteller, what are your biggest challenges?

A. The biggest challenge for me in writing a story such as A Broken Man were

1. Authentic research: To research on the prevalent caste system and then write on the challenges and trials faced by people belonging to the lower caste in a way that aids fiction storytelling was pretty challenging. Also, for A Broken Man since the protagonist was from rural Bihar, I had to spend a few days there to get to know the landscape, the living conditions and the behavior of various castes
2. Vivid Characterization: Krishna and Chhavi the two lead characters from the book belong to the two opposite spectrum's of Indian society, Brahmin's and Dalit's. I had to spend a lot of time in creating the right cues for both the characters so that they were differentiated in thought, word and actions. All the while to ensure that the character of the Dalit boy is kept real and devoid of any unnecessary sentimentality.

Q 4. What does the journey from a reader to a writer mean to you?

A. It is an extremely different path to tread. As a reader you are only concerned about yourself. So, the content you are reading needs to be only relevant for you. While as an author you have to take care of millions of readers like you which comes with a humongous challenge and responsibility. So, you have to keep that in mind.

Q 5. Has the story of the book been inspired from any real life events?

A. Yes, this book has been inspired form the Mandal agitation of the 90’s and the University politics which was rooted in smaller cities where I was growing up. A few incidents based in Lucknow University have been borrowed from my real -life.