Author Aman Singh Maharaj- The quintessential Agent Provocateur
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On July 27, 2022
Author Aman Singh Maharaj- The name itself spreads the fragrance of royalty. He is not just an author but an entrepreneur who accepts life very positively. Yes, he resides in South Africa but Dil ha Hindustani. The recent chit chat session with author Aman was very interesting. Take a look at what he said.
It’s a proud moment for me to have you here . Author Aman I insist you to introduce you to my readers. Please share a brief about you, your family, and education.
You are based out of Durban, South Africa … How did you actually reach there? How different is life in South Africa from India?
Well, as above, I am a third generation or fourth generation South African of Indian origin, on my mum’s side and dad’s side, respectively. The British Raj lied to many rural villagers in India during 1852 to 1911, sending them to work on sugar plantations all over the world, including South Africa, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad, Fiji, etc. Promised them that they would find the streets of South Africa paved with gold. In some cases, people were simply kidnapped in villages and sent overseas. So, basically, there are 1,2 million Indians living in South Africa now, who came here expecting a much better life, and it was actually slavery. It took many generations for life to become better for some.
My maternal side (Kshatriyas) is from a district called Jalaun in UP and my father’s side (Brahmins) is from Allahabad (Prayagraj) in UP – note that caset stopped being practised amongst Indians in South Africa around the early Nineties. My father’s side also came down as pundits. I am glad to say that I have visited both my ancestral villages, and got involved or am involved in projects there. I am also keen to visit a fort that my maternal ancestors built in India, and plan to do so on my next trip.
Life in South Africa is different from India in that I think South Africa has a greater environmental awareness, but I attribute this to the population density. The middle class in India and South Africa live comfortable lives as, perhaps sadly, labour is cheaper, so one gets the comforts of domestic assistance. South African cities are a lot less congested than Indian cities, and perhaps much more modern as well. I am increasingly feeling that whilst Indians in India feel a sense of ownership about their mother country, in South Africa, due to an inept government and affirmative action policies, it has severely affected the morale of Indians.
Having said that, we are an enterprising community, who has done very well, and produced some sterling stalwarts in all fields. We eat similar foods as Indians in India, except, when I am in India, I sometimes tire of rich, restaurant food, and want something simple, like green beans in a dry curry, or okra, loofa, bitter gourd, etc, but they don’t make these in restaurants in India, so I end up eating way too much paneer.
I heard that you consider yourself a nomad. Why is that so?
Because I love travelling so much, I consider myself a citizen of the world. Truth be told, as do all descendent emigrants feel, we are always searching for a place to belong. Added to that, I feel that the quality of conversation that I can get from a taxi driver in India, sometimes surpasses my own brethren back home in South Africa. There is something truly backwater about my home town that needs to change. Thirty years after the end of apartheid, we still live and play in our own racial enclaves here. This distresses me.
You travelled across nations… What attracts you the most as a traveler when you land in any nation of the world?
Honestly speaking, I am a real foodie, so I am always looking for different tastes and experiences. For example, I love all types of mushroom, so I also tend to go foraging for mushrooms in European cities. I love those kind of authentic experiences. But I have to admit, you still cannot beat Bombay for its fusion food… it really is amazing, even the chaat, which I eat on the street, and end up being sick for a few days after. Added to all this, I enjoy the nightlife of cities, so I tend to go to nightclubs, cabarets, theaters… anywhere where I can see a pretty, exotic face of a beautiful woman, as I am designed to very visual, sad to say, which is my Achille’s Heel. I also enjoy adventure sports, so you’ll often see my quadbiking across the deserts, or hiking, paragliding… I am a bit of a daredevil.
You ended up becoming an entrepreneur after exploring various profiles. So what is your entrepreneurial project all about?
So, I have many finger in many types of businesses. These include developing hospitals with hybridised malls, smart city developments, energy projects. Also, I am currently working on a few Citizenship by Investment projects, which includes one for Pune in India, as I find Pune to be an excellent quality of life for South African Indians looking at returning to India.
What attracted you towards writing and who identified the potential of an author within you?
What genre of writing do you like the most?
Honestly, as this is my debut novel, I guess I cant really say I have a genre. But I do appreciate a little bit of magical realism in my writing, just enough to tickle the tastebuds, without becoming too bizarre. My own love of literature lies in the classics, the likes of Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens. That era of writers were truly magnificent at their craft, the way they could delve into such sweeping epics and convey such deep emotions of their characters.
Amazon
A Dalliance with Destiny– Is your debut work…. Please share a brief about the book.
The book is essentially contemporary fiction, and can be termed as a ‘bildungsroman’, or coming-of-age, tale, where the protagonist searches for an identity whilst experiencing a spiritual evolution. It is about a crass young man in South Africa, who experiences a series of distressing events, some that he does not fully understand, and these all compel him to seek solace in India, where he searches for a guru, spirituality, sex, love, salvation… whatever may come, whilst visiting various metros in India and then travelling up the Ganga.
How did the plot come to your mind? Any past experience behind that?
The plot always bubbled in my mind, as I believe that I am a seeker, so the idea of some guy seeking an identity seemed to come naturally. As 75% of the novel is set in India, and Ive been to the country probably 15 times or so, it was easy to write from the heart. However, certain places, like Calcutta, I last visited in 1982, so I had to do a bit of research. However, the story is truly a work if fiction.
I learned that this book received immense appreciation in South Africa…. Can you share a few feedback from the readers there in South Africa?
Are you a reader? If yes, what type of books do you love to read?
As indicated earlier, I love my classical literature, so the likes of ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, etc. I tend to read mainly novels set in India, as I believe that Indian writers pen their English in a much more lyrical way. ‘A Passage to India’ was also a favourite of mine. In terms of contemporary fiction, I love the style of Gregory David Roberts… I think I read Shantaram in a week or less. Rohinton Mistri’s books are so lugubrious, but excellent. I also love the wit of Khushwant Singh.
Any books in the pipeline for the readers?
There are a few books bubbling in my head, but, honestly, I was to assess the international reaction to this one first. Maybe these will be of a different genre. Write from a female perspective perhaps?
What are other passions in your life?
My passions…. Hmmm… an exquisite face on an angelic girl… I appreciate symmetry and etherealness on a women’s face, which, I guess, kind of makes me a tad misogynistic. Ive tried wine a few times… hate the taste and cant understand the whole ruckus about it. Other passions? Honestly, other than very tasty food, I have none, which kind of makes me seem like I suffer from the affliction of the seven deadly sins. Perhaps I need to have all my heads of desire cut off like Ravana.
Any suggestions for the newcomer writers?
Sure. Have a fallback plan. Chase that dream, but don’t expect writing to pay the bills unless you win a prize of repute, or sell pulp fiction, which I hate. For me, I wrote and edited my novel in tandem with building businesses, as I had to be practical about making a living. So, one should not just be whimsical and delve into writing without developing a parallel profession.
In one line describe – Author Aman Singh Maharaj.
The quintessential Agent Provocateur who thinks he knows it all and probably does.
TOPICS A Dalliance with DestinyAfriacan AuthorAman Singh MaharajAuthorAuthor InterviewentrepreneurIndiacafe24
A candid,well-planned reply,also smacks of refreshing humor and transparency.Thank you for honouring our roots,Allahabad in UP.My paternal grandparents ,like yours descended from that priestly class,Bharatwaj Chitra as my late dad and grandfather discussed many decades back.You do our lineage and descendents from India proud,Aman Bhai.Now the skies are the limit.Reac for the stars,your family and friendsapplaud you.
Sanyukta Ramdutt Maharaj
Fourth generation of Indian descent
Durban
Loved the practical approach to making a living and writing without developing a parallel profession. I rarely like reading interviews but the candid approach peppered with a fine sense of humor kept me going till the last.
Aman’s journey is truly inspiring and interesting too. It seems he has a plethora of knowledge in various field. many congratulation for his novel publication and thank you so much to you for sharing his journey with us.
I simply love the honesty of the author. He seems like a very grounded human, humble and learned too.Aman’s journey has been an interesting one and that is what makes him a great writer I guess.
Your interviews are awesome as always. Got to know so much about this author. Well crafted post and your questions are too good.
Book on spiritual exploration would be great read from the debut author. Author has a new genre that will make us interested in his work. Good to know about him through your interview post.
I think when one learns about the authors journey, it makes reading their book even more interesting. I am a firm believer the ones who start reading young surely find their calling in writing. Was a pleasure to read about Aman
Inspirational story! It really takes hard work, perseverance, and let’s say, humour, to be great and successful in life. The works done is really amazing and everyone could learn a thing or two from reading it. It was worth the time reading this article. I really enjoyed it.
The interview was amazing
Got to know so many facts about him
Looking forward to reading more interviews from m you
Good to know about the author through your post. Indeed the author’s name itself spreads the fragrance of royalty. From your interview, it seems Aman’s journey is both inspiring and fascinating. He appears to have a wealth of knowledge in a variety of fields.
The title and the plot seem to interest me. I also got to know more about the author and his debut book
The book sounds intriguing. I will be definitely checking it out .The author interview was very entertaining and refreshing giving us a glimpse of the authors mindset and background.
It was so good to read the interview with this author. This book looks really so interesting to read. I will get this book.
I love how candid and grounded the author is. The description makes me intrigued to read this book.his journey looks interesting ❤️
Your interviews are so good. I like reading about the author and their journey it just gives an added perspective.