Meet the real Amish Tripathi in a 'slow' interview with Neelesh Misra

This episode is a special treat for all the Amish Tripathi fans, where he gets up, close and personal. He shared his journey from being a banker to a successful author.

So Amish, is it correct that, you don't consider yourself as a likable person?

If I were to talk about my previous avatar in the corporate world, I would howl, I would yell & I was hyper-competitive. I was unsatisfied with everything. Why didn't I get this so and so thing? If I would get a good increment then I would complain that it is not enough. If I would get promoted then I would complain that why didn't I get promoted two years ago.

Amish, so you were not happy ...

Yes. I was unhappy with each and every accomplishment I pulled off. I would complain about the spacious cabin - that I didn't get. So, if you make a habit of complaining about everything then nothing would be good enough for you. You will always complain then. And nowadays almost every other person lives with this attitude.

So tell me Amish , are you a believer or a non-believer in God?

Now, you have directly jumped to the paramount question. I am a believer at present. However, I was a non-believer for complete 10 -12 years. It was when I started writing my first book- Immortals of Meluha that I got pulled towards the spiritual bend.

Do you think that you became a believer while writing the book ?

Yes, while writing the book. My books were a blessing to me. I received fame. I pulled off success. But the blessing that I count on is the 180-degree curve that my character drew. The Almighty does not change your worldly stretch but he changes you from within.

Amish, do you think if God changes you then you can change the world?

No. Only almighty can do that. However, you too can make a little contribution in changing the world. You can also understand this world. And you can also take pleasure in that because happiness and sadness are bipolar. Nobody in this world gets everything that they desire.

Absolutely! When you started writing and published your first book then you must have set up a new ground for yourself and for a new audience as well. When I started my radio journey then nobody yearned for some serious stuff. Everybody longed for songs of Sheela and Munni. So, was it the same for you too?

When I completed my book in 2008, I sent it to many publishers. Everyone rejected it at once. They said that the youngsters form the major section of the audience. And that they are the main market. So, what is the purpose of publishing a book which highlights religious meaning?

One of the publishers advised me that I was a good storyteller. I owned a good writing perspective. He told me that I was unfortunate in choosing the wrong subject. He asked me to write stuff on college romance.

I told him that it is not within me. I did not have the plan of becoming a writer or a best-seller. I penned down the story which originated in my mind. It was rejected by all publishers. They called it "a guaranteed flop".

One of the other publishers praised the script. But he criticized my way of detailing additional data in almost every other chapter. I speak of philosophy. It is the soul of the book. It is as bad as a body not having a soul. It would serve no purpose then. Sometimes readers may agree with the philosophy and sometimes it is the other way round. They may understand it --they may not. And that does not matter. He asked me to discard the added insights. I discarded his opinion.

The good part about continuing a job is that I do not have to do this to earn money. The writing was more like the voice of my soul. Eventually, after facing rejections, I published this book on my own. And with Lord Shiva's grace, it pulled off within a week per se.