I loved history in my school days, and I have always been a voracious reader. But in India, you end up doing MBA, engineering or medicine. – Amish Tripathi
In the early ’90s, I was disillusioned after the blasts and riots in Mumbai. I was in college and started thinking that religion was the root cause of all these evils. While my father told me not to blame religion because of a few bad people, I wasn’t convinced. The faith was restored after I started writing my first book. – Amish Tripathi
When I was young, I never thought I was going to be a writer! I was academically orientated and active at sports, but I didn’t have one creative bone in my body. – Amish Tripathi
When I was young, I was an academically oriented guy like most academically oriented guys. I graduated in science, did an MBA. My dreams as a young boy were I wanted to be an industrialist, or I wanted to be a scientist. – Amish Tripathi
I consider myself lucky that Sonu Nigam, Bikram Ghosh and Taufiq Quereshi came forward to create an original soundtrack to promote my book, something that hasn’t been tried here before! – Amish Tripathi
Mythology and history are my passion. I grew up in a religious family and learnt about our scriptures and philosophies. It’s the language I’m comfortable with. – Amish Tripathi
My father’s family hails from Banaras. My grandfather taught mathematics at Banaras Hindu University. Banaras is also dedicated to Lord Shiva, home to one of the great jyotirlings, the Kashi Vishwanath temple. – Amish Tripathi
Myths are part of our DNA. We’re a civilisation with a continuous culture. The effort to modernize it keeps it alive. Readers connect with it. – Amish Tripathi
While in some countries there’s a feeling that literature must stay away from religion, this is not so in India – in the Indian way, literature is just another means to find a more spiritual life, to find our way to God. – Amish Tripathi
With due apologies to Shakespeare, some people are born writers, some people achieve it after a lot of hard work, some people have a writing career thrust upon them. I am in that last group. – Amish Tripathi
When I’m writing, I am lost in my book. Except family and close friends, I don’t care about what critics, publishers or readers might think. – Amish Tripathi
I’m one of those lucky guys making a living out of something I really enjoy doing. That’s a blessing. But you never know. What if my subsequent book series flops? I don’t come from a wealthy background, so I’d be left with no choice. I’d have to go back into banking! – Amish Tripathi
Since I don’t come from a privileged background, I couldn’t afford to be irresponsible with career decisions. I wrote two books alongside my job and resigned only when I realised I can make a living. – Amish Tripathi
I’m certainly not surprised by the passion of the youth for our myths. Mythology is almost a part of an Indian’s DNA. – Amish Tripathi
In the India I was growing up in, history wasn’t really a wise career option. People would joke and say, ‘History’s okay, but what’s your actual job?’ I didn’t come from a privileged background and couldn’t afford to be irresponsible, so I did the pragmatic thing and did a MBA. – Amish Tripathi
A writer can’t afford to just focus on writing and leave marketing aside in today’s competitive market. – Amish Tripathi
No disrespect to any other god, but Shiva’s an outsider god. He breaks the rules. He’s a brilliant musician, a brilliant dancer; he treats his wife as an equal, and she opposes him many times, but he obsessively loves her. – Amish Tripathi
I never really wanted to be a writer. I know it sounds strange, but I honestly believe that I didn’t pick the story; the story has picked me. I’ve written absolutely no fiction before ‘The Immortals of Meluha.’ Not even a short story in school – absolutely nothing. – Amish Tripathi
The youth in India tend to be rebellious, as with everywhere else, and that makes Shiva exciting. He has the rebellious qualities that the youths like. – Amish Tripathi
I am a voracious reader, so it’s difficult for me to give a list of my favourite authors of all time. – Amish Tripathi
