Following the success of his first novel Losing My Religion, author Vishwas Mudagal has completed his second, The Last Avatar – Age of Kalki. But this time he aims higher. The upcoming sci-fi novel is the first part of a planned three-part trilogy under Age of Kalki.
Ahead of the book’s launch on December 10, the 37-year-old author, who is also an entrepreneur, angel investor, and motivational speaker, talks about basing science fiction on mythology, why more engineers are turning to writing, and why Indian readers do. do not like to read Indian authors.
The Last Avatar – Age of Kalki looks like a superhero novel rooted in Indian mythology. How hard was it to base a story on two such vastly different genres?
It has been a monumental task. I’ve had enough of Hollywood superheroes. There is such a lack of Indian superheroes who are deeply rooted in our mythology and values. We have great Hollywood superheroes, but we don’t have that depth and quality in our own stories. So I decided to do something about it. I started thinking about how I can bring Kalki’s prophecy to life in today’s time. The book is science fiction but written from a mythological angle. It was quite a challenge, but also incredibly awesome. I enjoyed the process of creating Kalki all the more because no one else has done it until now.
Why did you choose Kalki from several thousand Indian mythological characters?
Kalki is an avatar of Vishnu. As the all-powerful and ruthless destroyer of evil, he is very fascinating. He must first destroy everything to rebuild it in a better way. He comes to end the dark ages. He is as mortal as any of us, but what makes him different is his courage, courage and the choices he makes. I felt that Kalki could be the right superhero for the global audience.
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How do you research for your characters?
I came up with the idea in December 2010. Since then it has been eight years of research, writing and rewriting. I looked at all the Indian mythological avatars, the previous avatars of Vishnu, in Kalkipurana, at how people have talked and written about Kalki before, his popular stories. But they all refer to him as this mythological character from the distant past, when I had to make him relevant to the present, make him a part of what’s happening now.
What is the Age of Kalki trilogy about?
It is set in World War III, at a time when Indian democracy no longer exists, our parliament is destroyed and the prime minister, cabinet members are assassinated, leaving the country without leadership. A state of emergency is declared and there is chaos and destruction everywhere. Millions of dying people need someone to help them. In such a situation, Kalki stands up. Whether he is able to save others or not, that is the journey.
Do you already have stories for the other two parts?
I also almost wrote the second book. I’m halfway there. I wanted to write some more, come back and redo the characters.
After campus novels, the Indian fiction space is suddenly flooded with mythological stories. What do you think is the reason behind this renaissance?
As a nation, we are glued to mythology. People are deeply rooted in stories like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. They like to see good triumph over evil and take inspiration from the battles of mythological characters. The fascination for this genre has always been there.
Engineers are writing more than ever…
Engineers have an analytical mind. Some of them are also creative. Both qualities help create powerful, gripping and believable plots. It’s not just writing, engineers become successful in many other fields, be it startups or sports.
A large part of Indian readers do not like to read Indian authors. They feel that Indian writers focus more on playing for the gallery than on making a valuable contribution to literature.
It was a challenge, but the public wants something simple that can be understood by a large number of readers. When you write something complicated, it becomes difficult for many people to understand. That is why many authors have brought the writing to light. As English literacy increases and matures in India, people will have the space to write better stories.
You also do motivational conversations. Will there be a self-help book on the market soon?
Yes, I hope there will be another one. Many people have asked me to write a book on my popular Ask Vishwas series, where I help people with honest, to-the-point suggestions about life’s problems.
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