After the success of ‘Seto Dharti’, the novel that won writer Amar Neupane the prestigious Madan Puraskar in 2012, he has come up with another book ‘Karodaun Kasturi’ that “intends to inspire people to analyze their inner capabilities and not settle for things they don’t have the heart for.”
Published by FinePrint, ‘Karodaun Kasturi’ was jointly launched by actor Hari Bansha Acharya and Prof Kedar Bhakta Mathema amidst a function held at the Nepal Academy Hall, Kamaladi on July 7.
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Republica’s Prashanti Poudyal caught up with Amar Neupane to talk about his latest offering.
Did you feel any pressure coming up with the new book after the success of 'Seto Dharti'?
I certainly did. 'Seto Dharti' touched many hearts. Many readers said they cried along with the character of my book. Even senior writers like Madhav Prasad Ghimire appreciated it and that's when I started feeling the pressure. I was constantly conscious of what I was writing and how I was writing it. However, I soon realized that this consciousness only made me weaker and I couldn't let that happen. I learned that it's okay to have apprehensions, but one needs to overcome them.
How long did it take to complete 'Karodaun Kasturi'?
I built the concept of the book about four years ago, but started writing it only two years back. However, I travelled abroad for some time, and also undertook several other writing works at the same time.
The book's character is said to be based on popular actor Hari Bansha Acharya. How far is it true?
Yes it's true, but the character is not based on the Hari Bansha Acharya that we know of today. It is based on Hari Bansha Acharya who hasn't yet learned of his talent. Therefore the character is a person who has not understood the purpose of his life.
While I had been a teacher, I used to tell my students that 'creation is greater than education.' To this statement I often gave the example of the actor, who didn't excel in his academics but ended up being a great personality nonetheless.
Many books in the past like Diamond Shumsher's 'Basanti', and Madan Mani Dixit's 'Madhavi' were based on people who weren't alive any longer. I, however, thought of writing a book based on someone who is amongst us. Why not cherish the person while he's alive? And that inspired me to sketch a character out of Acharya.
How positive are you that your book will inspire people, specifically youth, to follow their dreams?
I'm positive that it won't just inspire students but will also be able to inspire teachers and guardians. Being a teacher for 12 years helped me learn a lot about young minds. I don't want them to just study, I want them to discover their dreams and follow them. And I'm hopeful that this message will be well received by my readers.
You've even come up with a promotional video for your book. How did the idea come by? How's the response thus far?
It's the first of its kind in Nepal, and it was Neeraj Dhari's (FinePrint's Proprietor) idea. So far, we've been receiving good responses from people. It's been doing rounds in social media and it's a great platform to reach out to people today.
