Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Landscapes of a poet

Veteran Keki Daruwalla on the culture of poetry

IN THOUGHT Keki Daruwalla discusses his work

The debate about Indian writing in English might be reaching the clichéd. But with nine volumes of poetry to his name, Keki Daruwalla complicates the issue. He wonders if "there is more to language than merely words"? He speaks with the pithiness of a poet and scrutinises like an official. He asserts that English is an Indian language but still intrigued at how language might determine thought.

He was in Jaipur recently for a discussion of the works of Nissim Ezekiel, Dom Moraes and Arun KolatkarSpeaking while standing, he says, "Each language stands on a bedrock of culture." He explains how different languages would treat the subject of grief. In Hindi, he believes, the treatment would be "all out" whereas in English, it would be an understatement, "That's where culture affects thought," he says. Language can determine sources too. "Indian language writers can go back to folk lore," he adds, "As a writer in English, I can't. I use myth, and more than myth, I use history instead."

Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Award does he think form is the poem? He is quick to reply, "Content is what is important." He doubts where content is determined by form.

Writing for over 30 years, this former Indian Police Service officer sees changes in his own work. At one point he demurred from writing of the "soul". He shied away from descriptions like "ineffable bliss" and the "great beyond". He says he consciously chose to stay clear of such "great histrionics". "Souls" were written of with a proprietary air to highlight India's spirituality over the Western world's materialism. He adds that he has got over those "self-imposed restrictions".

Well acquainted with poetry readings, he says these forums are important and have their place. Does he ever read and squirm at his early work? He laughs and admits he does revise some of his older poems, but does not regret them.

Unwilling to divulge more details, he is working on a long fiction piece. "A novel," is all he discloses. Born in Lahore, Daruwalla grew up in different places in North India. Having always written in English he feels that Hinglish can work in prose but he has no intention of using it in poetry. While adding that novels do take primacy, people are interested in poetry, he believes.

Some of his important works include Under Orion, The Keeper of the Dead, Landscapes, A Summer of Tigers and The Minister for Permanent Unrest and other stories.

NANDINI NAIR

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail