Politically correct

Author Ramesh Menon makes for an interesting conversation with his equally interesting book Modi Demystified—The making of a Prime Minister on the concluding day of Panchkula literature festival

Manpriya Singh 

Third literature festival in the Tricity brings about a literary commotion just when it was time to look back and take stock of the year that has been. In the deluge of titles and authors changing with each session, there’s one that stands apart, generates curiosity, raises a brow or two. Modi Demystified—The making of a Prime Minister makes for an interesting subject and a curious readership. Rather it’s been the inverted case of subject choosing the author. “I was approached by Harper Collins to do a book on Narendra Modi. May be because I had spent 8 years in Gujarat, may be because of my contacts.”  Very little time to consider the proposal meant a yes rather than no and before Ramesh Menon knew it he was deep into the research that lasted one- and- a -half years. After all it’s been about, as he likes to put it, “The making of India’s first choreographed politician.” 

Interesting it has been and learning ground too. “You can’t tell a more interesting story.” Make no mistake; the unauthorised biography has been every inch what it is supposed to be. “It is unauthorised because it is not a PR piece. It is a very critical piece on the rise of the man,” shares the Delhi- based author and filmmaker, in Chandigarh, for a session at Panchkula Lit Fest 2014.  He adds, “Very few people know that everything about him is planned in a strategic manner. Right from what he wears and how he raises his hand. He has been a very ambitious and knew right from the beginning what he wanted to be.”  

Back & forth

It takes a while to swing back to his previous works, which merit attention in their own right. Right from his debut work Caste & Communal Timebomb to the Night Sparkle, out in 2012. “Night sparkle is a coffee table book on the light houses of India. When approached by the Ministry of Shipping, it didn’t take me even a second to say yes to the book because it was a great opportunity to travel the coast of India.” 

The only other driving force has been an endeavour to find the truth. “Because whether you are on the streets, talking to a sales person, on the roads, amidst people, in offices, everywhere somewhere is always trying to hide the truth,” shares the author, filmmaker, corporate trainer. 

Among the several documentaries made, The Slow Poisoning of India, the 26- minute film on pesticide poisoning in agriculture and the damage it does as chemicals enter our food cycle, has been the closest learning experience. “I am going to next do a thoroughly researched book on the female feticide. “It’s my dream project and it one of the most serious issues facing India in the next few years.” Then may be someday, a novel, on the current sociology of India. “I would also like to depict the realities of society and put all my experiences into that one novel.” This time it’s the author choosing the subject. Either which ways, it’s been great. 

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