ON WRITING A LEGAL-LITERARY THRILLER FEATURING COURTROOM DRAMA

Author Interview: Rajesh Talwar

Rajesh Talwar worked for many years as a lawyer prior to his career with the United Nations. He has studied Negotiation at Harvard, Human Rights Law at Nottingham, and Law and Economics at Delhi University. He has worked as a senior UN official on legal and justice-related issues in Somalia, Liberia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. He has recently come out with the book “How to Kill a Billionaire”, an unputdownable, gripping tale of vengeance that simultaneously brings into sharp focus the terrible truth about the Indian justice system. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, he talks about his latest book, his writing journey, his favourite books and authors, and much more. Read on!



Please tell us more about Rajesh Talwar as a person.

I like to think of myself as a simple, easy-going person. There are things I feel strongly about, but at the same time even my enemies wouldn’t describe me as a judgmental person. I think these twin traits, feeling strongly about something and yet not becoming judgemental have greatly helped me in my writing life.



Tell us more about your book “How to Kill a Billionaire”.

“How to Kill a Billionaire” is an unusual kind of novel because unlike the conventional thriller, here the reader knows at the very outset that a woman has been raped and that a billionaire’s son has gone missing. The suspense is created in a different way. The novel is probably best described as a literary thriller, as it straddles both universes, that of a thriller and that of a literary work. A common distinction drawn between the two genres is that while literary works have strong believable characters, in the case of most thrillers the plot is everything and the characters are peripheral. Thrillers for the most part also have a straightforward narrative. The narrative style here is very different from that of a conventional thriller. The story is told to the reader in a unique mix of first person and third person narrative. The first person narrative is really to put the reader into the head of the main character or protagonist and to add to the intensity of the emotions that the character experiences. It can however get too much over time, and the reader needs to zone out which is why I periodically switch to the third person narrative.



How did the idea of writing this book originate? When did you start writing this book and how long did it take you to finish it?

I had previously written non-fiction on what ails the justice system in India, and I thought it would be an idea to demonstrate its weaknesses and flaws through a work of fiction. The novel went through several avatars before it came to the final version that readers see in their hands. It took me three to four years, I would say.



What type of research did you have to do for writing this book?

For my book on Subhash Bose, I travelled to several countries. For my two novels on Afghanistan, despite living there for many years while working for the United Nations, I needed to carry out extensive research. In this book, by contrast, I did practically no research. Most of the material is based on personal, first-hand knowledge. You see, I spent many years at the courts, so I could just dip into my own life experience and knowledge.



What challenges did you face while writing this book?

Each book represents a new, different kind of challenge. I use a very intense kind of dramatic monologue in sections of the novel. Now, to carry this off successfully, you have to get into the ‘feel’ of a character much like an actor needs to do. Getting into the mood every time can be an emotionally draining experience. You can work on something like this only when you are on holiday or on a break. Even if you work outside office hours, it’s difficult to concentrate on a day when you are carrying out the demanding tasks expected of a UN official.



While reading your book, I couldn’t help but think that it would make a great film. Who would you cast in the lead, if you were asked by a film director?

With the rise of the OTT platforms, there are more and more opportunities for writers to have their books converted to film and web series. Yes, I agree that “How to Kill a Billionaire” would make a great film. All the characters in my novel are important but for the purpose of casting let me concentrate on the two central characters. I believe that Anupam Kher would make a great Lord Patel. Aside from the fact that he is a great and versatile actor, he has the necessary exposure to the Western world to carry off the billionaire’s character with great conviction and aplomb. As far as the principal protagonist is concerned, I mean the trial court lawyer, only one name that comes to my mind in terms of perfect casting, is that of Amitabh Bachchan. He may not be an angry young man anymore but there would be no one who would be a match on him in carrying out the role of a middle-aged lawyer seeking vengeance for a sister, who has been raped and has committed suicide.



Can you recommend five books from any genre, for our readers to add to their reading lists, that you particularly cherish?

Let me choose five books from different genres; that may make it more interesting for your readers. (1) Poetry – I would recommend “Gitanjali” by Tagore. (2) Thriller – I would suggest “No Orchids for Miss Blandish” by James Hadley Chase. (3) Play – “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. (4) Short story – “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. (5) Literary novel – “Remembrance of Things Past” by Marcel Proust.



What are your other interests apart from writing?

I am very fond of travelling and my work with the United Nations gives me frequent opportunity to travel. I have worked in different countries such as Liberia, Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan and other off the beat locations where your average tourist would not go. These journeys and stays have been great cultural experiences. I travel for recreation, on official business but also sometimes for a book I may be writing. For my recent book “The Vanishing of Subhash Bose”, I travelled to Myanmar, Malaysia and Taiwan.



What are you working on next? Any exciting new projects our readers should look out for?

As a writer I like to stretch myself. I have a full-length young adult fiction involving two goldfish in love that is nearing completion. There are tragic elements to it, and the goldfish are attacked by a disease similar to Corona! I am also working on a romance involving a lawyer with the working title “Guilty of Love, Your Honour”.



There are many new writers and poets who are aspiring to get their work published. What would you say to them?

There has possibly never been a better time to be published and never a worse time. By this I mean that it is now very easy to put your book out there before a global audience. There has never been a worse time because there are now so many writers that it is not easy to have your book noticed or written about. That is why your choice of title is very important. The cover design is even more important perhaps. I have personally always engaged with the artists who have been designing my book covers, be it the books that have been published by Hay House, Juggernaut, or other mainstream publishers. I have found an excellent artist, Niharika Singh with whom I have worked with on several of my book covers. So, authors should also focus on these areas.



Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?

Something from Oscar Wilde maybe? “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”