Fact, fiction & crime writing addiction

As the three-day Crime Literature Festival in Dehradun drew to a close on December 1, an elderly man who had been listening attentively to the discussions asked Zeishan Quadri, writer of the cult classic ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, a burning question: “Since I heard about this festival, I’ve been curious. What kind of pleasure or catharsis do you get from writing and directing gory, heart-wrenching crime stories?”

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Zeishan, quick-witted as always, replied without missing a beat, “We write what we see happening around us. As for pleasure, I can’t say, but there’s certainly good money in the crime genre.” Zeishan, who famously portrayed the character of ‘Definite’ in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur 2’, probably best summed up the growing popularity (and monetary returns) of crime writing.

A unique concept and a brainchild of former Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar, the second edition of the festival brought together writers of true and fictional crime stories from all over the country, along with celebrated cops who have busted criminals.

The festival saw intense conversations with Prakash Jha of ‘Gangaajal’ and ‘Apaharan’ fame; Avinash Singh Tomar, who wrote the third season of the ‘Mirzapur’ web series; Anubhav Sinha of ‘Thappad’ fame; and sessions on cybercrime and Punjab gangsters, especially Lawrence Bishnoi.

The highlight of the festival was the lifetime award given to 84-year-old Surender Mohan Pathak, India’s best-selling crime fiction writer. Often referred to as the Indian version of Sherlock Holmes, Pathak has penned more than 300 novels.

Pathak, who hails from Khemkaran in Punjab and is settled in New Delhi, said the increase in books on crime is reflective of the high crime rate. “I started my journey with translations of detective novels by Western writers like Agatha Christie. Later, I started writing my own detective series. I still write on paper. With age, my speed has slowed down, but I can’t resist writing. I do it daily,” he added.

Prakash Jha, the acclaimed filmmaker, set the tone for the festival in his inauguration speech by asking who came first — the police or the criminal? He emphasised that “crime is part of our culture, only the form changes”. Jha, who like many others faced resistance in getting his films cleared, said, “In our country, society is stronger than the State. A small group of people easily shakes the State with protests.”

Jha said crime books and films are difficult projects. “You have to be perfect. I worked on the script of ‘Gangaajal’ for eight years and rewrote it 13 times. I even paid people to read and critique it.”

Avinash Tomar, who earned fame for ‘Mirzapur Season 3’, said he just wrote what he saw happening around him. “Crime stories are not just about the crime itself, but about the human condition and societal reactions,” he pointed out, adding that “writing crime stories is about exploring the darker side of human nature; every crime has a story, and every story has a lesson”.

Ashok Kumar, the festival chairman, highlighted the broader mission of the event — “it is not merely a celebration of storytelling, it’s a movement to educate, inspire and create a more aware society.”

Siddhant Arora, whose extended family has run bookstores in Pakistan, Ferozepur, Dehradun and several other cities, said the festival aims to bring people back to books.

Another session, ‘Remembering Vijay Raman: The gentleman cop who eliminated dacoit Paan Singh Tomar’, paid tribute to the late officer’s remarkable legacy. His wife, Bina Raman from Pune, spoke about the selfless work of the police officer.

Acclaimed filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, known for films like ‘Article 15’, ‘Thappad’ and ‘Mulk’, explored how cinema serves as a lens for societal transformation in a conversation with festival director Aloke Lal.

In a session titled ‘Invisible scars: Exploring crimes against men’, Deepika Bhardwaj and Karan Oberoi highlighted the often overlooked and ignored issues faced by men, sparking meaningful discussions.

IPS officer Varun Singla was honoured for leading a cyber crackdown in Haryana, while Inspector Dhirendra Shekhawat of Rajasthan Police was felicitated for solving the rape of a two-year-old girl despite opposition from the family and the village.

A crime writing lit fest does look a bit odd, but given the huge interest, it fits the bill.