Author Interview: Mukul Ranjan

H E L L O F R I E N D S,

I am starting a new segment in the form of Author Interview. Glad to start the segment with the interview of author Mukul Ranjan for his debut novel Cold Cock. Mukul, currently based out of Mumbai is a part of the entertainment industry for a substantial time. He holds a Master's degree in Journalism. Below mentioned are some of the questions & Mukul's interesting take on the same.

Question

Reason behind choosing the topic for the novel/ Any particular inspiration behind the same?

Mukul: Since childhood, I have remembered an image of a man with an axe, sitting on the thick branch of a tree. I remembered him trying to cut that branch with his axe while sitting on the same branch. This was the seed. This image from my childhood started haunting me more when I decided to write my first novel. So, I formed a group of selfish, sadistic and mean owners who were hellbent on destroying their own latest creation with their own hands, joyously! And. I gathered clouds of despondent financial depression that India faced a decade back, in the backdrop of this plot.

First, I set this plot inside a big STD booth from the early 90’s (if you remember them) with 6-7 people manning 10 telephone booths. Looked perfect, right? No, I wanted to change the setting. The next setting that came to my mind was of a big nursery with wilting plants. Why, wilting plants? To match with the dark clouds of recession in India. It seemed picture perfect to me but wait. I wanted to change it again. This time I put it inside a spoken English coaching institute in a small town in India. Again, I was unhappy. I stopped writing pointers to my novel. This was not happening the way I wanted it to happen. The zing, the buzz and the fizz was missing. And then, I discovered it to my sheer horror - where was the mounting? I moved my setting to a plastic bucket manufacturing factory in Vasai. I stopped writing. I had reached the dead end. Gosh, what do I do now, I asked myself. Finally, this novel was set inside a TV channel. The scale, colours, mounting, superiors riding roughshod over juniors, killer fighting deadlines, a group of friends, back breaking physical work, an unpredictable rumoured couple, hapless female workers, the in lingo and a topsy turvy storyline, I got some of the elements which I was looking for.

Suffice to say, Cold Cock is a masala, roller coaster entertainer!

Question

How did you decide upon the title of the book?

Mukul: Dipak, would you believe me if I tell you that my manuscript was without any title for more than a year? (Laughs) It’s true, my friend. See, I had a title while I was working on the manuscript. But, after sometime, I outgrew it. I started looking for a new title. After some time, I found a superb title. This fit well with this manuscript too. But I felt, I should cast my net wide for another fantastic title. All this exercise was going on because, I seriously believe in having a nice title. With the right title, half the battle is won. So, I had a ready manuscript, skimmed and sculptured, minus a title. Some months had passed while I was still in hunt for a good title.

One year plus some months had passed and, by then, I had completely forgotten about the ready manuscript with no title. One night, after a hectic shoot, I was having dinner at 3.30 am. I switched on the TV. A boxing match was going on, in some championship. The final round was about to begin. I was eating slowly, eyes glued on the TV. The final round begun. Both the boxers, heavily built were matched evenly. It was difficult to predict who would win. Punches were flying from both the sides like feathers. The commentator was speaking excitedly about this blood and muscle spectacle. The best boxing bouts go down the wire. I had stopped eating. Suddenly, the boxer punched his opponent, on top of his right ear. The other boxer fell like a tree. The commentator went crazy with his commentary. I still remember his words distinctly. The commentator was saying, ‘oh dear, oh dear, my, my, what have we got here.. Gregory has coldcocked him.’ Gregory won the gold medal and my manuscript earned its title - COLD COCK!

Question

How much time did it take to complete the writing? Did you find any challenge while portraying any particular character or incident?

Mukul: It took me a year plus some months to finish this manuscript. I have a habit of reading while commuting to work and before hitting the bed, in the night. I mainly work in the studios or on the location. But, since I’m a morning person, I wake up early when its still dark outside, around 4-5 am in the morning. After praanayam, brisk walk, shower and pooja, I used to write for 1-2 hours in the morning. And holidays, if any, by luck meant working full day on this manuscript. Trust me, my wife thought I was consumed and possessed by this manuscript, yeah.

Mynah Khan is not a regular heroine. And, Cold Cock was never meant to be the conventional love story. So, I was treading on a slippery trajectory here. Mynah is loaded with qualities and mysterious personal traits which lot of readers have noticed. I faced a peculiar problem while developing her character. Dipak, I have studied in an all boys school. In my college class, there were 5 girls studying with 46 boys. I was extreme shy then, still am. If a girl tried to speak to me, I would get extremely nervous. So, you see, why creation of Mynah exasperated and exhausted me, completely!

Question

Who is your biggest critic/admirer?

Mukul: My biggest critic is me, myself ! I seriously believe that the word, perfection is a mirage, actually. But then when I’m at work, I always strive hard to make my script or manuscript better. A little bit of chipping, chiseling and peeling always helps. When the first draft of this manuscript was ready, it had 100,000 words plus more, seriously! Dipak, you know very well, how first time authors insist on retaining each word in the manuscript. I think, an author needs to be responsible to his publisher and readers. It’s my duty to think about the reader who has spent his hard earned money on my book. This is where my experience as a director saved me. I slipped into a surgeon’s avatar, loaded with surgical gloves, knives and scalpel. I sat for months and started removing repetitive sentences, boring, technical and detailed explanatory paragraphs and once, chapters too from my manuscript. So half the word count disappeared and now, this book stands lean and strong at 178 pages.

My biggest admirer - I’ll tell you when we meet next for my second book. In the meantime, Dipak, if you find one, don’t forget to DM me!

Question

What according to you are the qualities of a good novel?

Mukul: Well, there are several qualities. But basically, a fine novel needs to have a wonderful takeoff (beginning), imaginative storytelling, interesting plot, seesaw of high points and low points, great characters, apt setting and powerful dialogues.

I’ll give you some examples of some of the points mentioned here.

Interesting Plot :-The Parsifal Mosaic by Robert Ludlum

Incidentally, Ludlum happens to be one of my favourite authors. Brilliant plot set against the backdrop of the cold war. Diehard lovers made to distrust each other, top bureaucrats at odds with the president of the nation, no less, global superpowers getting itchy with their nuclear triggers, what more could one ask for? Talk of a twisted plot, give me some more!

Great Characters :- Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

Superb characterization with beautifully maintained graph of its lead characters. Elizabeth Bennet is wise, immensely appealing, full of zest but a hasty character who judges people from her first impression. Now look at her unlikely paramour, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Now, Darcy, an extremely rich fellow doesn’t have the characteristics of a high society person. And, they fall in love, exquisite!

Powerful Dialogues :- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Ah, such profound, in your face dialogues, earlier termed, coarse by some critics. Wuthering Heights has several memorable dialogues.

Catherine shares her feelings for Heathcliff to the housekeeper Nelly Dean, ‘he shall never know I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.’ These and several other dialogues from this novel are lyrical, memorable and magical!

Question

What is your favorite character in the novel?

Mukul: Sikandar Mandal. I wish to meet him, in order to find out, how he actually functions. I would also ask him, as to why, he is in an almost extinct business with full of risks and, in dangers of being completely wiped out. I would also be quite interested in finding out, his real equations with his family members.

Question

Can we expect a sequel to Cold Cock?

Mukul: Dunno! Reviews of Cold Cock have been mostly positive. Readers have written generously about what they liked in the book. And critics have been honest with what could have been better in the book. So, there. A whole lot of readers have written that they are waiting for Cold Cock’s sequel. Honestly, I don’t know anything about it right now. It is too early to discuss this.

Question

Your favorite top three novels?

Now, now, Dipak, don’t be so cruel, man! I have lots of favorites. To pick only three is a tough call. But I’ll try, nevertheless. Here it is.

Atlas Shrugged : Ayn Rand

Shekhar Ek Jeevani : Sachidanand Heeranand Vatsyayan ‘Agyey’

The Godfather : Mario Puzo

Question

Is there any particular character or incident in the book that you can relate to your own professional career?

The whole setting of Cold Cock in a TV channel belongs to my own work sphere. Look, I’ve been working as a director and screenwriter in Hindi movie and television industry since early 90’s. I belong to this world and take lot of pride in saying it. So, picking up a protagonist or situation from this book and align that to my own work sphere would be really difficult for me.

Okay, let me explain it further. Several production designers, music directors, lyricists, DOP’s, sound designers, production heads, costume designers, editors, illustrators, screenwriters, directors and other friends from my industry complained that nobody wrote any story or novel about them. These were the people working behind the camera. Movie or TV lead characters and actors get mention and full stories in articles, stories, novels and now, web series too. But, books and novels mostly give royal miss to the technicians and TV channel executives working day in and day out, fighting burnouts and writer’s block to bring glory to their on screen projects. So, COLD COCK is my small tribute to them. I really don’t know, how far I have succeeded in this mission. My only endeavour was to bring the background to the foreground!

Question

What's next after cold cock?

I’m ideating on some ideas right now. I’m in no hurry at all. Reactions and suggestions are still pouring in for my first book. Let the storm swerve away. Let the dust settle. Let me debate with myself first. And then, Dipak, after lot of deliberations, I’d be meeting you again with my second book!

You can connect with Mukul Ranjan 👇