Writer, historian and art curator William Dalrymple's association with India has been a long-standing one.
With three of his books being adapted into movies simultaneously, the author is on a roll. One of the adaptations, 'In Search Of A Miracle' by Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov, featuring four stories from his book "Nine Lives: In Search Of The Sacred In Modern India", will be shot partially in northern parts of Kerala, the shoot for which begins in January.
However, he says he will not be involved with the movie.
“The book was mine and the movie is theirs. I love to read the script and be included in the discussions with the director, but I don't want to become actively involved with the filming. Perhaps, I would visit the shooting location sometime but that would be about it. It feels good to know that some of your works are getting translated into big budget films involving a great crew ('The White Mughals' is being directed by Ralph Fiennes)," he adds.
“Kerala is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. There is so much beauty and calm that it is very fascinating. It was a great experience when I was in Kerala for the research of "The Dancer Of Kannur" (story on Hari Das, a Dalit Theyyam dancer in Kannur who works as a manual labourer and prison warder for nine months in a year, except during the Theyyam season), one of the stories from "Nine Lives". I am hoping to do an entire book based on the state soon. Something about its culture and religions," says William Dalrymple.
Settled in Delhi, William Dalrymple says his fascination and attraction for India is beyond words. “I was born and brought up in Scotland and came to India when I was 18. The country has captivated me and I have never looked back. After 30 years, there are still things that I experience for the first time," he adds.
He has had some hair raising experiences. He has been shot at in Kashmir and Palestine while researching for his books, and escaped a sniper shot in Afghanistan by the skin of his teeth. He has travelled long and wide in search of lost traditions, following shreds of religions and history. The treasures he hunts for are priceless stories of people from varied cultural backgrounds.
“Non-fiction is my forte and I choose to speak about stories of individuals rather than a collective, general narrative. That requires me to interact with the local population," says William Dalrymple.
“"Nine Lives" was a great experience because I had to interact with and interview hundreds of people, many of which did not make the final cut. I remain as uninvolved in the flow of the story as possible as a narrator through most of the book and the interviewees tell their own stories," he adds.
“"Nine Lives" is a collection of stories about nine people with different religious beliefs. It was a conscious choice to have that eclectic mix to show the diversity of religions and cultures in the country. However, there are still so many religions missing from the narrative like Christianity. I'm hoping to work on them too but right now I'm very busy with the Jaipur Literature Festival (which was co-founded by him). There are a lot of untold stories from the interviews I did as part of research for "Nine Lives" that did not make it to the final book. As of now I don't have plans for a sequel, but who knows what may happen in the future," he adds.
The documentary 'In Search of a Miracle', featuring "The Daughter of Yellama", "The Nun's Tale", "The Dancer of Kannur" and "The Maker of Idols" will be made in four different languages including Malayalam.
