Gopala and the Last Kuru: Unravel the Secrets of an Ancient Legacy by Vinod Kumar Nagpal

1. What sparked your inspiration for this book, and how did the story idea first take shape?

Since childhood , I have read various versions of Mahabharata and was also told that Duryodhana was a bad person, and his arrogance led to the war. I am of the strong view that no one is born   bad, and it depends on the child's upbringing by parents and family elders. Who failed in his duties was a big question before me. I did research ,studied every important  character  of Mahabharata and arrived at a considered view that seeds of war were sown when some oaths were taken by a son to fulfill his father’s wishes . Some years back my friend from the south had told me that there is folklore that the King of Udupi had gone to  Kurukshetra to participate in the war but refused stating that he would not be part of a war in which brothers would fight each other . Listening to that , Lord Krishana gave him the task of managing the kitchen. I needed someone like Sanjay to describe the actions of every warrior and three royal ladies and  Gopala, the chief cook, came into being . I introduced Ascetic so that he gets a boon from him and slowly the story started to take shape. I also wanted to describe the hundred evils which the hundred sons of Dhritrashtra  represented and traces of all those evils were present in Duryodhana.

2. Could you provide some insights into your writing process? Do you follow a particular routine or have any unique rituals that help spark your creative flow?

I do a lot of research , read material from various sources but I don’t let myself get influenced by what has been surmised or said . I draw my own conclusions. I will write for a few days. Then again research and carefully read what I have already written , edit if required and go further. I believe that a story should flow like a river. When I was told about the Udupi connection, I started with the Udupi army march from down south , creating a fictitious character armed with a boon . As regards to routine, before going to bed, I would think about how to develop the story further to keep it interesting and ensure that continuity is maintained. Then writer’s block played its part. I would not open my file for days together as writing without any conviction would damage the story.

3. Your book's characters are distinct and unforgettable. Were they inspired by real people, or did they emerge entirely from your imagination?

The characters like ascetic,  Gopala, Udupi General and King and their journey up to Kurukshetra is a part of my imagination . All other characters are present in the epic Mahabharata . However, I have drawn my own conclusions about their actions.

4. What inspired you to explore [specific theme or issue] in your book, and what key messages or conversations do you hope it sparks among readers?

We get so many lessons from this great epic . I have  tried to conclude that  our  desires play a great role in shaping our own destiny. King Shantanu's desire was to marry Satyavati. His desire was to keep his father happy and so on and the results are for everyone to see. Duryodhana's desire was to become king of Hastinapur. I am a firm believer that having desires in any human being is natural, but he/she should be able to discern whether pursuing a particular desire would lead to glory or self-destruction. Self-introspection ,knowing oneself  is far more important than wasting time in knowing about others. If I am aware of my shortcomings and sincerely try  to overcome these , I am less likely to be driven by bad desires. Everything in this world is transient and only our Karmas remain with us permanently . So being  good  and doing good will make us a better person and God will have one less person to worry about.

5. Your novel features exceptionally rich and immersive world-building. What was your process for creating the setting, and did you draw inspiration from any real-world places or historical events?

I drew inspiration from happenings before, during and after the Mahabharata war and developed my story around the great epic in my own way by introducing some fictitious characters. Since Kishkindha is situated in Karnataka and was on the route to Kurukshetra, I used my imagination and wrote about the Vanar Race.

6. As a writer, how do you navigate the challenge of maintaining originality while meeting genre expectations? Did you face any difficulties in adding your unique perspective to well-known elements?

Ideas are  invariably inspired by some real happenings in life. Many generations have heard , read and have seen the events of this great epic unfolding itself on the screen. They talked about the war, victory of the forces of Dharma over Adharma ,teaching of Holy Geeta. What unfolded is known to all and what happened in the aftermath of this great war is also known? But why did it happen despite learned persons like Sage Vyasa, Bhism Pitamah, Acharya Drona and above all Lord Krishna being present and knowing the consequences. I concentrated on the reasons, circumstances rather than the individuals and arrived at a conclusion while not compromising with the originality.

7. How do you maintain tension and momentum throughout the narrative to keep readers engaged from beginning to end, given the well-crafted pacing of the story?

After  researching, I  had arrived at a possible conclusion even before the first line was written . I would think about how to develop the story to make it interesting as characters of Mahabharata were real and some dramatization was needed to make the story interesting and should  flow like a river. Further, after completing the book , I read it eight times and after every reading, I found some gaps and went on improvising .

8. In today's fast-paced media landscape and with shifting reader preferences, how do you envision the evolution of traditional storytelling, and what strategies do you use to adapt your writing for modern audiences?

The content and the art of storytelling. We have seen great writers creating masterpieces and readers who like the content ,still read these books. Reading a written work brings different types of enjoyment.

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