After darkness, comes light

Dr Nadi Palshikar started writing her novel ‘Sutak’ when she became severely ill. Having had to deal with insomnia, she sat at her kitchen table each night and wrote one word after another which ultimately resulted in the novel which was launched at the Pune Literary Festival. She was in the city recently to speak at the Hyderabad Literary Festival

Dr Nadi Palshikar, a doctor who studied screenwriting and is now pursuing a Master’s in gender studies, launched her book ‘Sutak’ recently. Her novel is the story of two sisters, Lalita and Vinodini, who are different yet, in a way, very similar. The sutak, the twelve day mourning period, for their mother after her death is stretched to twenty-four years of the sisters’ lives.

From a doctor to an author of a well-received novel, how did the transition take place?
My friends like to say it’s because I have many talents, but I know it is because I tend to drift. An actor friend had once remarked how, being a doctor, I knew life in all its forms. Well, many people know about life, but maybe a doctor witnesses many aspects of life (and also death, I suppose).

When do you usually write?
I wrote ‘Sutak’ at a very difficult time. I have never spoken of this in any other interview.
Time was all I had. I had stopped teaching for a year. A CT scan showed some changes in my lungs. There came a point when I was too ill to step out of the house, and I wrote ‘Sutak’ then.

Are any characters from the novel based on real people?
My very energetic Amma (mother) would shout at us if I suggested that the book is autobiographical! As for my sister, she is happily married to a man our whole family loves. But yes, we do draw from our lives, and certain aspects of certain people find their way into characters. The book is about the people I think are exploited, about children who I think are vulnerable.

Did the screenplay writing course at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) help you?
Screenplay writing teaches one to think visually. It is about the economy of writing. It was only when I joined the course that I discovered my ability to tell stories. As for the institute – FTII, there is something special about the teachers and students. To be a part of that space was to be alive.

Do you believe that lit fests help writers and aspiring writers?
Yes, festivals definitely help. Writing is a work done in isolation, so this is a good time to meet and speak with fellow-writers from different backgrounds. For younger people with stories to tell, it must be good to meet seniors who have managed to write theirs down.

Are you working on your next book? What is the underlying theme?
I have a huge book full of notes for what will be my second novel. There is no theme, no story just yet. Presently, I want to concentrate on earning my Master’s degree.

What do you think of Hyd?
I visited the city a few times before and love the way the different cultures and flavours flourish here. The best aspect of the city is the people. I met some very knowledgeable professors, some fiery poets and many intelligent, sensitive readers. The minus points - the breakfasts here are great, the meals of course are world-famous and then just as one resolves to not eat so much, dessert is served!

By: Beyniaz Edulji