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Pakistan is handing itself to Taliban, says author Mukul Deva

For a country, that has a rich military history; India doesn’t have many works based on the action packed lives of army men.

For a country, that has a rich military history; India doesn’t have many works based on the action packed lives of army men. Out to change this murky situation and dependency on foreign novels for high voltage, heart thumping adventure is Mukul Deva, who is all set to quench the thirst of the thrill seeking reader.
A former Army official, the talented author has become India’s answer to Tom Clancy of the sorts. Having fought deadly combats and breathed gunpowder, the writer, who sent chills down the spine of many, with his first book ‘Lashkar’, is back with a bang to stir passions with the much-awaited sequel ‘Salim Must Die’. Fiction it might be but ‘Salim must Die’ is as real as it gets. With lucid descriptions of gut-clinching action sequences and a deeper look into terrorists’ psyche, the book has already got Bollywood interested. But Mukul Deva has a long way to go and is already busy with the third book in the series. Speaking to Tanu Talwar of Spicezee.com, the author spoke about his upcoming books, Bollywood plans and the terror in India that comes knocking from neighbourhood. Tanu: What is your book ‘Salim Must Die’ about? Mukul:The story is told in over four books. The first book, ‘Lashkar’ was released last year in February. It was born from the extreme anger and helplessness I felt at the way our government responded or rather, once again failed to respond to, when Delhi suffered the Sarojini Nagar bomb blasts in October 2005. I felt the compelling urge to expose the roots of Pak-sponsored terrorism that we have suffered all these years. I chose the action thriller route since a country like India, which has such an ancient and glorious military tradition, deserves to have its very own military action thrillers. When the blast happened I was shocked and appalled at the laxity of our government. What got me thinking was very few knew of the real problem faced by our country. Some blamed religion, some the government and some had their own vague ideas. Little did they know of the real horrors that gripped our country. They had no clue of the proxy war that Pakistan has sponsored against us. ‘Salim Must Die’ and the two other books that will follow in this series are logical fallouts since a topic as vast as this could not have been adequately dealt with in just one book. I am confident that, in addition to the rush of adrenaline that every thriller is supposed to generate, both ‘Lashkar’ and ‘Salim Must Die’ will leave the reader with a clear overview of the menace of terrorism and the anatomy of a terrorist. Tanu: Why did you choose the military thriller genre? Mukul:Well, it was a very simple choice for me. Firstly, having served the Army I am well aware with its functioning. I am aware of the real problems that our forces face. I wanted to give a true picture to the people. I wanted to inform them about the ground realties. Secondly, I really feel that our country, that has one of the largest forces, does not have much written about it. And we don’t need to fall on foreign authors, who have no clue about our Army. Tanu: What’s great about Salim Must Die? Mukul: ‘Salim Must Die’ is an anatomy of a terrorist. It dwells on reasons that make one a terrorist. It goes to spell the geopolitical reasons of terrorism. It not only studies the mind of a terrorist, but also states the futuristic threats of terrorism. Tanu: Why the title ‘Salim Must Die’? Mukul:Salim in my book is representative of a mindset. It’s a character, who has a very narrow thinking and has a militant point of view. It’s either his way or the highway. Tanu: How can writers help fight terrorism? Mukul:Well, I can give a very simple example to show the power of the pen. When my first book released, my publisher, Harper Collins, and I were surprised at the overwhelming response that my book received. So many had written to us. Readers were really shocked to know of the reality. Authors, I feel, can do so much. They not only raise awareness, they can also wash away the cobwebs and jolt people into action Tanu: Tell us about the literary influences in your life? Mukul:There are not many. But I really like William Shakespeare. But more than any author, it’s the reality that inspires me the most. Tanu: These days a lot of books are being made into movies. Do you think that books lose their significance when made into films? Mukul:Frankly speaking, I received the first such offer seven days after my first book had released. Though I declined, the reason for my denial was that I wanted all my four books to be directed by the same filmmaker. But coming to your question, the only flick that I feel stands up to the book is ‘Gone With the Wind’. Otherwise, I have hardly come across any writer, who is happy with the way his book has been adapted into a film. However, the reason for this is that books and films cater to different audiences. They have different dynamics. It’s very rare that films are faithful to books. Now by varying from the book, are the filmmakers trying to make a good film? Yes. But are they being faithful to the book? No. Tanu: Being an ex-army official and a military thriller writer, what’s your say on the current situation in Pakistan? Mukul:The situation isn’t bad, it’s beyond terrible. Pakistan has been an epicentre of terror for the past 30 years. What’s done in Afghanistan is all Pakistan’s doing. ISI has set up props to destroy Afghanistan. The Pak Army wants to control the country and is willing to go to any extend for gaining power. It scares people by creating false threats from India and Afghanistan. In fact, if you give $10 bn to Pak then $8 bn goes to the Army and some politicians pocket $ 2 bn. Looking at the situation in Pakistan, one would feel that Taliban is taking over that country, but the fact of the matter is that Pakistan is handing itself to Taliban. Tanu: So, what’s next? Mukul: Well, I have already completed my third book in the series and it should be out early next year. It’s tentatively titled, ‘The Dust will Never Settle’ and offers the solution to the grave problem of terror the world is facing.