Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
GoT inspiration behind this war saga
Aboard a plane, over the great Sahara are three hostages from Nazi Germany, who can change the course of World War 2. And Russian pilot Ivsker Vodkech is fighting all odds to deliver three hostages in Allied hands. Thus unfolds the first novel of 14-year-old Mehul Jangir, Survival Sandstorm, a gripping war saga.
“Since 6th grade, I’ve been trying to write short stories. They were inspired from novels and movies such as Interstellar (2014), the Harry Potter series, and Geronimo Stilton’s books.”
And why did he choose this subject for his first book? “I wanted to link the real world to the world of fiction. World War II is an integral part of history. When I thought of writing a book, I was reminded of my love for World War II. Hence, I chose it as the backdrop of my novel,” Mehul says.
The Jaipur-based author
was born and brought up in Delhi, and credits his early schooling in Delhi, for inculcating the habit of reading in him. “Delhi schools promote a lot of reading, and that’s where my interest in writing began,” he shares. He looks up to authors JK Rowling and George RR Martin, and his face lights up as you mention Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. “Just like Game of Thrones, every chapter in my book, too, is from different characters’ viewpoints,” he says.
Believable, well fleshed out characters heighten the experience of any work of fiction, and Mehul shares it wasn’t easy. “I had to build a mind map for each character. My goal was to enhance values that I had every character hold dearly to. I didn’t need stand-alone characters — I wanted to link them somehow.”
What’s next? “The sequel to this is in the pipeline. I’ll link the plot of World War II to the plot of my book,” he says.