The most endearing quality of Amish is his ability to connect with his audience. The popular author, who has sold millions of titles, is not just a humble writer but a man who is in touch with his origins. A diplomat and a columnist he has written eight books and sold 5.5 million copies. Yet, he knows fame is transitory and what he writes in his books will stay for posterity. With his latest book, which was released last month to widespread acclaim, Amish brings to the forefront the story of a forgotten hero.
The book, Suheldev: The King Who Saved India published by Westland, celebrates a 11th century king who united the men and women of the country irrespective of their religion. The tale takes you through ancient India, destruction of Somnath Temple and the Battle of Bahraich. Amish, in his earlier interviews, said the book was conceived to bring national consciousness to an inspiring story of a king who has been ignored in the pages of Indian history.
So what is it about Amish that strikes a chord with his fans? What makes Amish sustain his popularity even after a decade of writing his first book Immortals of Meluha which was published in 2010?
His fans will say his books are easy to read, great amount of research goes into it, the tale captivates their imagination and the book is always a page-turner. He is one of those few famous writers who will sit down with you even in a crowded office canteen, oblivious to the crowd, and chat like a long lost friend. Anyone who knows him swears by his humility. There are no qualms that his Shiva Trilogy, reportedly, remains the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
But it wasn’t an easy road to success.
One of the highest paid Indian writers of mythology struggled getting his first book published. By now it’s a folklore among his fans, how he his first book ‘Immortals of Meluha’ got rejected by almost two dozen publishers and he went on to self-publish the book with his agent. The marketing strategy and the faith in his book paid off , his readers wanted to know more about the book and the rest is a well-documented history of the rise of Amish. An IIM, Kolkata, alumnus, Amish worked in the financial industry for 14 years before he took the final plunge into writing.
Reading was his most favoured hobby. Growing up, his home had close to 1000 books, and as a child Amish used to read even old newspapers in which snacks came wrapped up at home. The beginning of the new school term meant having many textbooks to read. A young Amish did not spare even Physics and Maths textbooks when it came to reading.
Amish is currently the Director of The Nehru Centre in London and yet he hasn’t stopped writing. His credentials run long. He regularly makes it to the Forbes 100 most influential celebrities in India. Amish was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, a prestigious American programme for outstanding leaders from around the world, in 2014. He is now working on the fourth title in his Ram Chandra series.
If you were ever to ask him if about moral compulsions as mythology is always open to different interpretations, Amish would say, that all of us have a moral responsibility. While trying to be a good person, some succeed and some fail. Truer words were never spoken.
Here’s a chance to know more about him. The acclaimed author will be in an interactive book-reading session at Unmukt’s Digital Kaleidoscope on August 22. Check out details here.