Writing followed as a part of my hobby of reading: Biren Kothari

Biren Kothari with Upendra Trivedi

I can say that one can’t perhaps survive on writing literature alone. But one can sure survive on writing.

Biren Kothari is a freelance writer. He has been involved in sketching biographies of some leading personalities of the society, e.g. Upendra Trivedi. In this exclusive interview, he sheds light on some of his creations so far along with his views on the present professional writers’ world.

Biren Kothari

Interview

Q: Birenbhai, You are a professional writer. Please explain this term.

• Thanx, speakbindaas, for asking such a straight question. Even today, people consider the term ‘professional writer’ as contradictory. A chef, a teacher, a painter, an actor never use such term whereas writers expected to do free service. Most of the people feel that they themselves can write anything but as they have no time, they’ve come to us. A professional writer means a writer who undertakes writing in his specialty area.

Q: So what is your specialty area?

• Well, I mostly do documentation type of works. Be it of a person (biography) or of an organization. I also do translation from English/ Hindi to Gujarati.

Q: How did you enter in the field of writing? Tell us about your beginning.

• Writing followed as a part of my hobby of reading. Basically I was a reader and a radio listener fond of listening to Hindi film songs.

Q: Since when you are in the field of writing?

• I’ve become a full time writer since April, 2007 after taking early retirement from my job. But I became a professional writer since 2002.

Q: Tell us what you were doing before that?

• I started my professional carrier at IPCL, Vadodara after passing my Diploma in Chemical Engg. As I’d to work in the rotating shifts, I could nurture my hobby of reading. As a reader, I along with my younger brother Urvish (Kothari), used to write letters to various writers. As a result of this, we came in contact with Rajnikumar Pandya.

• He molded my skills into writing and I accompanied him in many projects.

Q: It is believed that one can’t survive on writing alone. What do you think?

• Well, I can say that one can’t perhaps survive on writing literature alone. But one can sure survive on writing.

Q: So what kind of professional writing do you exactly do?

• Well, I take biographical projects in which I’m assigned to write biography of a particular person. I try to do complete justice to the person/ organization by describing its various dimensions.

Maroy Ek Jamano Hato book cover

Q: Will you please tell us about some of such projects you’ve carried out? Also tell us about your translations.

• Sure. ‘મારોય એક જમાનો હતો’( biography of poet-king Ruswa Mazlumi), ‘પુરુષાર્થની પેલે પાર’( biography of innovative industrialist N.R.Trivedi), ઉપેન્દ્ર ત્રિવેદી: આત્મકથન અને અન્ય આલેખ (biography of Upendra Trivedi) – all co-compiled with Rajnikumar Pandya, ‘સૌમ્ય સુગંધ’(biography of Ramprasad Jani) Few more are under progress. I’ve translated 3 books of Osho i.e. ‘પ્રજ્ઞા’ ‘મુક્તિ’ તેમજ ‘સાહસ’.

Q: You write a monthly column ‘gurjar ratna’ in ‘Aha!Zindahi’. Tell us about it and some of the persons you’ve featured.

• I feature prominent Gujaratis in this column for more than one and a half year. In a way, it’s a biography in two pages. I’ve featured people like Mahendra Meghani, Ajit Merchant, Pranlal Patel, Jyotibhai Bhatt, Vanraj Bhatia, Ghelubhai Nayak, Krisnakant (K.K.), Ratilal ‘Anil’ to name a few.

Q: Was this your first experience to write for a publication?

• No. I also wrote a weekly humor column in ‘Gujarat Mitra ‘ for nearly one and a half year, in ‘Sandesh’ and ‘Divya Bhaskar’ for few time. I also wrote for ‘Aarpaar.’

Q: What are your hobbies?

• I love film music esp. vintage Hindi film music. I also love reading.

Q: Your favorite writers?

• I like writings of Krishna Chander, Saadat Hasan Manto, K.A.Abbas etc. In Gujarati, I admire many. It’s a long list from Meghani to Dipak Soliya.

Saumya Sugandh book cover

Q: Are you influenced by any writer?

• When it comes to writing, my school is of Rajnikumar Pandya’s. But I’ve followed his pattern, not his style.

Q: What were the happiest and the gloomiest moments of your life?

• Each time, I write a good piece or listen to a good song is the happiest moment of my life. The gloomiest moment is yet to come.

Q: What would be one thing would you like to change about yourself?

• I can write ‘NO” but I would be happy, if I would be able to say ‘NO’ on face.

Q: What is your deepest fear?

• I have neither time nor tendency to go that deeper into the fear.

Q: If the world is going to end tomorrow you would…..?

• If it is assured, then I would be enjoying myself.

Q: A person with whom you like to share moments?

• My brother, Urvish Kothari.

Q: Any special message to our readers?

• Ha..Ha.. Don’t take anybody’s message seriously.

You can reach Biren Kothari at:

Biren A.Kothari
A/403, Saurabh Park,
B/h Samta Flats,
Subhanpura,
Vadodara-21.(Gujarat) India.