Quiet Mountain Essays

Copyright  2009

Author as a Citizen of the Global Village: An Interview with Sunny Singh
by
Dr. Nilanshu Kumar Agarwal

Sunny Singh graduated with honors from Brandeis University, in
1990, with a degree in English and American Literature. In January
1999, Sunny Singh's first play, Birthing Athena, was staged at the
prestigious Sri Ram Centre, in Mandi House, New Delhi.  The play
was a critical and commercial success, with its story of emotionally
fraught relationships in modern India - relationships between
ambitious mothers & daughters, and between young professionals
looking to reconcile ambitions that involve a global reality with
relationships requiring some geographic stability. The play is split
into three acts and has only three characters.  Singh’s Single in the
City, Nani's Book of Suicides and With Krishna's Eyes have been
received well by the scholars.

Photo from SunnySinghOnline.net

Currently, she teaches creative writing at the London Metropolitan University.  In this interview,
Ms. Singh discusses, with Parnassus editor Dr. Nilanshu Kumar Agarwal, several social and
literary issues of contemporary significance.

Agarwal: Does the memory of your homeland haunt you in these alien lands? Are you nostalgic about
your home? I think you are quite homesick, as you call yourself “Bollywood fanatic, bhangra-mad” in
your blog. What effect has this nostalgia left on your writings?

Singh: I am very uncomfortable about the assumptions this question makes about me, and indeed
issues of homesickness and nostalgia. Why should one need to be homesick in order to be a
Bollywood fanatic? I have been a huge fan of Hindi cinema since I was a child in Varanasi.  Same
holds true about being “bhangra-mad” – my father loved bhangra from his time in the army and
passed that love down to us. And living in Delhi just cemented that fondness.  I don’t think either of
those have anything to do with being homesick.

I think the idea of “alien” lands is one that is steadily changing, based on historical shifts, technology,
as well as personal experience. When I was very young, my father worked for the Indian government
and so we grew up in various parts of India – often in small towns along the borders – but that did
not remove us from our roots in rural UP. Similarly when my father began accepting foreign
assignments, we grew up in places like New York but we never felt anything but Indian.  

Moreover, when you are discussing everything from the price of potatoes in the local mandi and the
panchayat level politics in the village with friends and family on a daily basis, it is very difficult to feel
disconnected. And I do that daily via skype or chat, where I know what is happening in Azamgarh
and Lucknow , and Tehri as much as I do about London where I am currently based. Besides, I am
involved on a daily basis with people – through my project, through family and friends – who are in
India , in its metropolitan centres, as well as in its small towns and villages.

And again regarding the issue of nostalgia – I think this idea is drawn from writings and experiences
of an earlier generation; from writers and people who “emigrated” to foreign lands and due to factors
of economics and technology were cut off from their roots. Also the immigrant experience is quite
different – one chooses to become part of a foreign land, assimilating in the host culture while
somehow fighting to retain one’s natal identity.  I am not an “immigrant” – I am an expat who lives
in the part of the world that interests me and then returns to India when I am done. I have lived in
five continents so far and have never felt an iota of nostalgia – after all, my homeland is not lost to
me, it is there, with me, stamped in bright gold on my passport.   

Agarwal: Why do the Indian authors and intellectuals move towards the West? Does the West provide
better opportunities to the authors? How will you differentiate between the publishing scene in India and
the West? Are the western publishers better than the Indian ones?

Singh: I think it is dangerous to generalize about authors and intellectuals moving towards the West
as some general trend. There are, after all, a huge number of intellectuals, artists and writers who live,
write and publish in India.  I think different people move for different reasons – I am sure people like
Amitav Ghosh or Vikram Seth would have different explanations, just as Salman Rushdie’s family
moved to the UK for very different motives. I can only speak for my own personal decisions: I have a
curiosity to see the world and experience it. I move as and when opportunities and personal interests
coincide. And I return to India when the need or interest arises.

Regarding publishing – I don’t think you can make such vast generalizations about western
publishers being better than Indian ones.  This varies from one publisher to another, and from one
language/country to another. I find that Indian publishers are at par with international ones – they
are willing to take similar risks, find interesting new ideas, new names, and bring them to the reader.

Agarwal: In your blog entry ‘Hypocrisy or Just Plain Ol' Hubris, You Betcha!’, you discuss the racial
prejudice of the British and the West towards the East in general and India in particular. The racial slur
makes an Indian aware of his “double consciousness”. Is there a way out? Or should we just follow
Rushdie’s suggestion - “I am recommending the ancient tradition of making as big a fuss, as noisy a
complaint about the world as is humanly possible” - in the essay “Outside the Whale,” in his celebrated
critical book Imaginary Homelands?

Singh:  I think that particular blog entry was not so much about British and the West in general but
about biases in the media which continue to frame events in dichotomous terms. So when the Irish
“troubles” were on, these were somehow a “political” issue, while the same sort of political movement
would be described in bleak sectarian terms if it were happening in Iraq or India or somewhere in
Africa.

More importantly, that blog post was directed towards a section of the media in India itself that
idolizes USA and Europe as somehow epitomes of democracy, secularism and so forth. It was to point
out that the hate speech that is present in public discourse in places like Switzerland, Holland and
most importantly, given their political/economic and military importance, the USA, is of such
magnitude that we cannot imagine similar stuff at the same level in India (no matter how much we
complain about Hindutva and sundry fringe elements).  The images and words used in western
elections, in the past year, are not only blatantly prejudiced in terms of race, religion and ethnicity,
but also the sort that incite violence against specific targets, even the political opponents. These are the
sort of things that the EC would clamp down very quickly on, and would be completely unacceptable
to general public in India .

Agarwal: What are your views about the current scenario of Bollywood? Now, more and more serious
movies are being produced.  Bollywood is something more than the mere titillating thriller of the past.  
Moreover, there appears to be a close kinship between cinema and literature, as more and more movies are
being created on the basis of literary classics. What do you think about all this? What difference of
perception do you find between the movies of today and those of 1970s / 1980s?

Singh: As full disclosure, I must first of all tell you that my PhD is on commercial Hindi cinema, and
considers issues of critical perception (amongst other things).  So I could go on and on about this
particular topic. But in short, I find the derogatory attitude that many Indian intellectuals have
towards Hindi cinema to be shocking, as well as misinformed.  

Let us just look at how you have phrased the question, including the phrase “mere titillating thriller
of the past”?  For an industry that has produced over 30,000 feature films over nearly a hundred
years, that is a terrible generalization; of the kind that no French, American, Italian or German
intellectual would make when speaking of their cinema(s).  In 1990s, there were films like Roja,
Bombay , Maachis and Sarfarosh – were these “mindless” thrillers?  The 1970s were a “third” golden
era for Hindi film production, and shaped the generation of film-makers who are creating exciting
work today, like Farah Khan and Aamir Khan. Even the much derided and scorned 1980s produced
some really interesting cinema. So why should we assume that the cinema today is somehow “new”
or “divergent” and not a continuing era in the evolution of the industry?

Let me also point out that not even a dozen films that Hollywood produces every year are “great”
and barely two dozen of them are watchable. Hollywood produces a lot of big budget trash, and
some really good stuff.  The same goes for “Bollywood” – we produce some good cinema, some
absolutely brilliant cinema, and a fair amount mediocre, and some absolutely rubbish cinema. Let us
start being realistic however about how we look at it and consider it.  

Finally the link between Indian cinema and literature is a very long standing one. After all it was
Tagore who thought – as early as the partition of Bengal - that cinema could work to mobilize a
primarily illiterate population. Even the earliest filmmakers looked to literature for inspiration.  
Moreover, from the earliest days, filmmakers cut across to literature while poets and novelists wrote
script and dialogue for films. In fact, when you consider historically, it is amazing how closely
intertwined commercial cinema and literature are in India – perhaps far more than any other
commercial cinema industry in the world. Even today you get Vikram Chandra cutting across to
scripting films and a poet like Gulzar making films.  So the newer stuff – Omkara and Maqbool are
simply drawing on a long standing legacy of collaboration between film and literature.

Agarwal: You teach creative writing at the London Metropolitan University.  Can literary creativity be
taught? Is it not something spontaneous? Wordsworth defined poetry as the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings; while teaching of any course is structured and methodical. How can an emerging
author establish a proper coordination between the two situations?

Singh: I don’t think creative writing programs are about teaching literary creativity. I would
compare them to art schools where you learn techniques and skills for creating art. Or to music
schools where you can learn to play the piano or the sarod. Does that mean every student ends up as
a Picasso or a Chopin? No. But it is time we started looking at literary production as an artistic
pursuit with its own set of competencies. That is what - I believe - creative writing programs attempt
to provide.

As far as my own experience is concerned, I think the whole Romantic enterprise has probably done
more harm to literary production than anything else. Not because they weren’t great authors, but
because of the myth-making they did around literary production. We know that Coleridge worked
for days, even weeks on writing a single poem. Same is true for Wordsworth and the others. Yet the
myth that grew out of the era was of this fabulous organic writing process that is somehow inspired
and thus grows spontaneously.

Let us be reasonable: even poems don’t get produced spontaneously; they require a huge amount of
polishing and parsing. And when it comes to novels, this “inspiration” premise gets even more
absurd. How can 80,000 words be written as a spontaneous overflow of feeling? It requires discipline
and hard work – and those CAN be taught.  The importance of discipline and hard work cannot be
overemphasized. There are immensely talented people out there who never produce any considerable
body of work not for any other reason but that they lack the discipline. At the end, I believe in what
Edison said about genius – its one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.   

Agarwal: What is the response of the West towards Indian literature? Do the westerners, particularly
the British, approve of our creative efforts? Are they not filled with some bias towards us, because of their
complex of racial superiority? Or do you think them to be objective and dispassionate? What is the
reaction of the West towards your works?

Singh: First of all, I don’t think these monolithic categories of “West” vs India are very helpful.  India
produces great writing, and also some awful stuff. At the same time, there are people in western
countries – readers, editors, critics, publishers – who love Indian literature and there are others who
are oblivious to it. To reduce all of this to simplistic categories is not really helpful to any meaningful
discussion.

Second, why should we care if anyone approves of our creative efforts?  Surely in the past sixty plus
years, we have moved past that post-colonial inferiority complex that requires a stamp of approval
from our former masters?  

I am also particularly worried about the generalized assumption that there is a “complex of racial
superiority” either in the west or in Britain. This is not to say that there is not a meta-narrative rooted
in imperialism of the past that can be found in the media, or even politics.

But in general terms, I don’t think readers decide on the merits of literary efforts based on “complex
of racial superiority.” If that were the case, writers like Amitav Ghosh, Orhan Pamuk, or Ben Okri
would not be as influential and respected.  

And finally, as an author I fervently hope that readers – from any part of the world - are not  
“objective and dispassionate” as you suggest. That in itself is a death sentence for all art. Art is meant
to challenge and provoke, and make people think, feel and experience. And if a reader is going to be
“dispassionate and objective,” they are not going to participate in the aesthetic, emotional, intellectual
experience that art offers.

Finally speaking specifically about my writing, I write about India, about the changes facing us, and
about the way we are coping with the transformation of our culture and society. Some people are
interested in those issues and ideas and others aren’t – both in India and abroad.  But their approval is
really immaterial to the literary process.  I find readers from all parts of the world who understand
and connect to my writing. For example, I am fascinated by the fact that there are people who read
my work in Italian or French and connect to it in an immediate, urgent way. In contrast, there are
people who are Indian, live in India, and cannot find a way to connect to what I write. What I am
trying to explain here is that an empathetic reader is not necessarily limited to one’s own country or
culture.

Agarwal: What are your views about the curriculum of English studies in India ? Is it not parochial,
colonial and the last jewel in the crown of the Empire? What should be done to decolonize it?

Singh: I have not really studied English literature in India, so I am probably not the best person to
speak of this. In general terms, in my interaction with the intelligentsia in the country, I do notice that
there is an inordinate amount of respect for western literature, often from the colonial period,
amongst some of this set. Often – and I find this terrible – this is the same group of people who know
very little about Indian literatures and philosophy. Forget classical works from our ancient past, these
are the same people who make a virtue of knowing very little about any of the medieval and modern
literatures in any of the languages of our country. Yet they hold forth on Rimbaud, et al. It is
laughable and tragic at the same time. I am always reminded of Fanon’s explanation of the colonized
intellectuals when I meet them or hear them.

At the same time, I have to point out that this is changing quite dramatically with the new
generations coming forward. I feel that they are one more step in the decolonization of the mind, a
process that will take much longer than our freedom struggle did. And yet I do see that happening –
slowly but steadily.

One area that requires greater push is the academia – and here I speak as an academic more than as
writer. We need to start challenging the “West as Theory, East as Object” formulation that so many
of our intellectuals rely on. Why are we looking constantly at western critical theories to make sense
of cultural production in India ?  Why are we not coming up with more culturally specific theoretical
formulation? I believe this will change as the newer generations permeate through academia, but it
will be slow process, far slower than in the more open field of artistic creation.

Agarwal: You are a multilingual scholar with a complete command over the literature/cinema of at least
three languages—Hindi, English and Spanish. Out of the three, which one is closest to your heart? Please
make an emotional statement.

Singh: I don’t really think of any one of them being particularly close to my heart. I suppose Hindi is
the first language I learned – it is the language of my childhood and my earliest memories; the
language I speak at home and the language I first learned to read.  But then English is a language
that I always associated with communication – of being able to travel, of being able to talk to people
who were from different places. It is a language I choose to write in, so it is special in its own way.
Spanish is a language I learned because of friends, and a language I learned as a grown up so I have
a different relationship with it.  And same goes for any other language I add on.  These are all special
in different ways. My mother always says that we have five fingers that are all different shapes and
sizes but if you cut one of them off, it isn’t as if the pain will be any less.  So for me, all the languages I
speak/work in are part of my life and each is special in its own way.

Argawal: How has your association with the Non-Profit organizations helped you in your writing
career?

Singh: I don’t think being involved with non-profit organizations has anything to do with my
writing. I believe that I was fortunate in getting so much from India – in terms of education, culture,
up-bringing. My grandmother always said that if you take something, then you should put
something back.  So for me, being involved in non-profit organizations is a way of putting something
back to the society that has created me.  I don’t think it helps my writing in any way, except perhaps
keeping me in close contact with ground realities in India.

Agarwal: What are your future writing plans?

Singh: I am at a fairly early stage of my writing career so I enjoy challenging myself by
experimenting with ideas, styles and forms.  Increasingly I find myself dividing my time between
nonfiction and fiction.  So on one hand, I have just finished my Phd. dissertation, which will have to
be turned into a book in the near future. Plus, I do a fair amount of academic writing – mostly on
issues to do with culture, with a specific focus on cinema. I also write creative nonfiction, often looking
at ways in which politics and culture intersect.

On the other hand, I have been experimenting with the short story form for the past couple of years. I
started initially because I did not have the time and energy to work simultaneously on a novel while I
was working on my Phd. But over time, it has grown into a separate experimental process. So far it
has been extremely rewarding to work on the short story – it is such a different form from the novel
that it really pushes me as a writer. As a result, my writing has grown in ways that I had not
imagined. So for the moment I am working on the short stories, continuing to write small pieces,
trying to polish and refine my craft.

There are ideas that are still germinating for a novel, but I have learned to wait till those ideas have
grown fully.  Eventually I will go back to writing another novel.



Work Cited
Rushdie, Salman. Imaginary Homelands, Essays and Criticism 1981-1991. 1991. London : Granta
Books in collaboration with Penguin, 1992.

Contributor's Notes...

Dr. Agarwal edits Parnassus: An Innovative Journal of Literary Criticism. He is Senior Lecturer in
English at Feroze Gandhi College, Rae Bareli, (U.P.), India. Dr. Agarwal is interested mostly in Indian
Aesthetics, Diaspora and Contemporary Critical Theory. His interviews with contemporary literary
figures, as well as his research papers, book reviews, articles and poems have appeared in
publications, including South Asian Review, Kavya Bharati, Kafla Inter-Continental, Pegasus, The
Raven Chronicles, Poetcrit, Blue Collar Review, Creative Writing And Criticism, Katha Kshetre, and
Hyphen.  

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