Amit's poems
S. ARNEJA
HIS reasons for writing a book of poems may seem extraordinary. AMIT CHAUDHRI decided that he was "solvent enough" to be able to do so. The book is named after the Christian neighbourhood in Mumbai he grew up in. Chaudhri said that he had always been interested in poetry but never really wrote solo when he realised that his books could incorporate his poetry. He said that his output was so slow that he sometimes wondered about his abilities but he is clear on one thing.
"Poetry is not a self indulgent exercise. It requires a lot of discipline where one has to be able to distil images in few words and creatively. That is a tough task."
He is also aware that given present writing trends, poetry does not have a huge audience. "The novel is now well established in mainstream writing both in India and in the West. It's difficult to survive on poetry so writers shy away from it," said Chaudhri. Though he is not willing to comment on what he is writing next, Chaudhri is content to let on that it will be related to music.
SUCHITRA BEHAL
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