No other way to celebrate my 5Oth post on WordPress than to have the versatile author and senior Journalist, Kavita Kane talk to us about her love for mythology, what inspires her and a little something about her no one knows!
You can read the review of her latest book Lanka’s Princess here: Review: Lanka’s Princess
Get to know the author:
A senior journalist with a career of over two decades, which includes working for Magna publication and DNA, she quit her job as Assistant Editor of Times of India to devote herself as a full time author. A self-styled aficionado of cinema and theatre and sufficiently armed with a post-graduate degree in English Literature and Mass Communication from the University of Pune, the only skill she knows, she candidly confesses, is writing.
Karna’s Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel – Sita’s Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality – Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka’s Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka’s Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan’s sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer…
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.
Interview:
- Did your career as a journalist somehow inspire you to become an author?
As a journalist I had written non fiction for more than two decades! I wanted to test my creative writing skills and gathering enough courage, ventured into writing a novel. That’s how my debut book Karna’s Wife came about. It was more about testing myself.
- Did you always want to write on Indian Mythology? What has been your experience like as an author of Mythology?
Mythology as a subject greatly fascinated me while I was studying English literature when I came in contact with Greek, Norse and Celtic mythology besides the fact that I grew up on a staple diet of Amar Chitra Kathas! Another favourite subject was history so I guess somewhere down the line I unconsciously leaned towards mythology as a genre when I decided to write my first novel.
Mythology is a huge canvas where you can add colour without damaging the whole picture. It’s not about retelling ancient tales of God or simply about good vs evil : mythology is a lesson in knowing about Man and his follies and fallacies. Holds true especially now.
I receive so many questions on my books and our mythology from readers aged 18 to 30 and I realise they want to know so much more. It’s a void they want filled by writers of mythology.
- Tell us a little about your latest book, ‘Lanka’s Princess’.
As the title says it’s about Surpanakha, Ravan’s sister whom we rarely see as Lanka’s princess. She is that ugly woman whose nose got chopped off. Yet she is the one who started the war. She is the turning point in the plot and pushes forward the second part of the narrative of the epic. Also, besides Ravan, she is the antagonist of the latter part as was Manthara and Kaikeyi in the earlier section of the Ramayan. Yet what do we know of her?
- Your books are always well-researched. So what’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research online for your book?
While researching, I often find the way the stories in our epics and mythology are woven within another and this interweaving is truly amazing. It is like a maze and connecting the dots is a challenge. For instance I just realised Shishupal and the Pandavas were maternal cousins! It keeps coming and I have to make a concerted effort to stop reading and researching and get down to some writing!
- Of all the characters you have written about, which is your favourite and why?
Urmila! My first book was to be about her but not having enough research material on her, I started on Karna’s Wife instead. But Menaka was one of the more difficult characters to sketch, adding to her shades of grey yet not to make her dark and negative. She was a temptress, a consummate seductress who used her wiles to succeed, she was a mother who abandoned two daughters- certainly not the perfect woman, is she? Yet she fell in love with the man she was meant to destroy. She was the reason for the downfall and rise of the most powerful man. Must have been a remarkable woman and that’s how I portrayed her in my book Menaka’s Choice.
- Describe your ideal writing space.
Physically I don’t like to write on a desk. I find it confining. I just need a quiet room with lots of sunlight and greenery. Also I never write in the night. That’s when the ideas rush in!
- What is something memorable you have heard from your readers/fans?
Each time a reader gives his feedback, I am truly touched. The most humbling moment was when Karna’s Wife was compared favourably to the classic Mritunjay. Or the moment when I received a hand written letter by a 90 year old fan hand delivered by his grand son! It was incredibly heart warming.
- A book that had a deep impact on you.
Most books do so in some way or the other and it would be unfair to name one.
- Million dollar question, are you working on another book?
Yes!
- Lastly, tell us something about yourself no one knows.
I hate chocolate!
I feel extremely honoured to have Kavita Kane on the blog and had a great time interviewing her.
Books & Teaa 
3 responses to “Author Interview: Kavita Kane”
[…] Lanka’s Princess by Kavita Kane: A retelling of one of histories most epic tale, Ramayana. I absolutely loved this book. I wrote a detailed review which you can read here: Review: Lanka’s Princess. I also had the honour of interviewing Kavita Kane. The interview is here: Author Interview: Kavita Kane […]
Hi,
Kanéji and your conversation was quite interesting. You asked really good questions.
So, I just wanted to know how you contacted her. I mean do you have her post address or email id? If yes could you please send it to me? Because I would love talk to her.
Sincerely,
Gautami
Hi Gautami. Thank you so much for your kind words. I got in touch with her via Instagram. You can try reaching her there 🙂