For the love of books

We are pleased to introduce Neeraj Chhibba on our blog, who recently launched his debut novel – Zero Percentile: Missed IIT Kissed Russia. The book has been published by Rupa Publications and has already gone into reprint within 3 weeks of its publication.

To give a brief background about Neeraj – he was born and brought up in New Delhi. After doing his schooling in Delhi, he went on to study engineering at Volgograd, Russia, and is now currently employed with a software company in Gurgaon, India.

Now on to Neeraj & Vikas:-

Vikas: Hi Neeraj, it’s great to have you on our blog. I have read Zero Percentile and found it pretty interesting. I could feel the difference in the style of writing as the story progressed. The beginning was a bit slow but the book picked up a lot of pace after the initial few chapters.

Neeraj: I deliberately kept the start slow and funny as I tried to build the story. I wanted people to savor the initial laziness before they were hit by Phase II of the story. I have kept the language very simple so that reading my book doesn’t become a taxing exercise. Even where I have conveyed a message I have done it through very simple sentences such as “Ordinary people have that additional burden of doing something extraordinary to get noticed”, simple but powerful.

Vikas: This is your first piece of work to get published. How do you feel regarding this lucky break? Can you tell us how you approached Rupa Publications and if any other publisher, and the process that followed? A lot of aspiring authors struggle to get noticed and your answers will definitely help them.

Neeraj: Well, this is a long story. Nobody wanted to touch Zero Percentile as it was the work of a first-time author. I had finished the manuscript about three years ago and approached many publishers but none responded. Finally, I went to Rupa where I sought and got an appointment with the Publisher and rest is my small piece of history.

Vikas: So how do you suggest Indian authors to go about it?

Neeraj: My message to all aspiring writers is to keep on trying new things. What worked for me may not work for you but you may stumble upon something which could be even more fruitful.

However, if you are a debut novelist your best bet is Rupa. They have a very strong distribution network and can take your book to the interiors of the country. Rest depends on how good your book actually is. So, first and foremost make sure you have put your best foot forward by giving the publisher your work in the neatest possible form.

Vikas: Coming to the story, you have narrated it as a first-person account of Pankaj, the protagonist. Third-person narrative is generally more preferred as it gives much more flexibility but on the other hand first-person narrative helps bring out deep internal thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Is that why you have chosen the latter so as to better describe your experiences in Russia, which had a great impression on you?

Neeraj: Yes, you are right. While using the first person narrative you begin to believe as if you are talking about yourself and I personally feel that you connect to the story much better as a writer then.

Initially, I wanted to create that illusion so that people could find the story believable. But later it was too much of work trying to redraft the whole story (as everyone took it to be completely autobiographical) so I left it at that.

Vikas: So the story is not really an autobiography but rather a work of fiction inspired by various real-life incidents.

Neeraj: I would say any writer’s first book is inspired from real-life incidents. But, reality if told without amplification will never be as good to read as when told with some fictional elements added to it. This is what I have done too. Took a few real-life incidents, twisted them, mixed them with some fictional elements and we have the story called Zero Percentile.

Vikas: Such as Inside Education, which I believe refer to Vidyamandir Classes?

Neeraj: VMC and the Bhaiyas at VMC are unique in a lot of ways. They teach because teaching is a passion for them. You can very easily take them to be your role model as each one of them has something inspirational in his personality. So, I wanted to introduce the world to them through my writing and let people know that there still are places, which are pure and people who are simple, not easily swayed by the power that money usually exercises over many of us.

Vikas: Yes, I totally agree with you on that front. Any of us who has attended VMC classes will vouch so!

How did you come to choose the title “Zero Percentile: Missed IIT Kissed Russia” for the book? Any other names that were considered?

Neeraj: Zero Percentile signifies that the protagonist loses out at the most important moments of his life. We played around with many names (at least twenty five) and the Editor (appointed by the Publisher) rejected all of them till I chanced upon Zero Percentile. This was accepted immediately for I guess, people relate to numbers better than words and such a title tends to stick longer in your memory than normal.

Vikas: With the book aimed at the younger audience, you have subtly raised the issue of AIDS and how young people need to be careful with their sex lives without being preachy. Not many authors care to leave a message in their book.

Neeraj: I very strongly believe that apart from giving people a bang for their buck a writer should also try to leave a message subtly so that it sticks in the reader’s mind and he recalls it at the right time. Through my book if I am able to stop even one person from committing an indiscretion and help save a life, it’s worth all the effort.

Vikas: Completely off the topic, what do you think about the repeal of Section 377 by the Delhi High Court?

Neeraj: I think, a suppressed society can never be a mature society. Individual decisions are always for an individual to make. I would not want to comment on the biological aspect of it, but in simple words, we should respect each person’s right to privacy and leave him alone as long as he does not create problems for others.

Vikas: When did you first get inspired to write a book, and why this topic?

Neeraj: Never before has IIT been written about from the perspective of someone who did not study there. Zero Percentile delves into this aspect and tells readers that there is life beyond IIT, beyond failure and you just need the courage to get on with it.

Also, Russia has always been portrayed as the enemy by the west. Zero Percentile takes a look at the humane side of the Russian society, a far cry from the evil people they are always shown as. The time explored in the book is the tumultuous 90s when Russia was converting from a communist to a capitalist state, one of the more turbulent times for their huge population trying to cope with the extreme changes brought about by the rapid transformation.

I, like millions of science students in India had that ambition of getting into IIT but due to various factors could not (and not having the capability to get there not one of them). The ensuing period was tough for me as I am sure it is for millions of other aspirants. So, the novel idea of writing something unique – which was a mix of trying to look beyond the IITs and the life of an Indian student in Russia, gave me the impetus to write.

Vikas: How long did you take to write Zero Percentile?

Neeraj: Well, finishing the first draft took about six months. But the painful part of reading, re-reading and re-writing took almost an equal amount of time.

Vikas: How do you juggle writing with job? Do you plan to pursue this as a full time career?

Neeraj: I dedicate my weekends to writing. I set a target for myself for a month and then try to stick to it. I don’t know yet for sure about pursuing writing as a career. I would love to but how well am I accepted by the people is a key parameter for helping me decide. By the initial reactions it seems that things definitely are on the right track.

Vikas: What kind of works do you plan to publish in the near future?

Neeraj: I want to write things which are simple, accepted by a large audience and still retain a certain freshness and convey a message that gets across to the people easily. In short, I want to write stories which are uncomplicated and are universally embraced such as a Lagaan, a Chak De, a Jo Jeeta Wahee Sikander. They are all very simple stories but make people connect to them wholeheartedly.

Vikas: This concludes our interview. Thanks Neeraj for agreeing to come on our blog. We hope that you do reach your goal of being the first Indian author to sell over a million copies of his debut novel. We wish you luck.

Neeraj: Thanks Vikas. It was a pleasure to be here and answer your questions. And also to conclude, for anyone who wants to follow his dream, “Just go ahead and do it. Knocking doors opens them and you don’t know which door leads you to the success of your dream. So keep trying and don’t give up.”

Zero Percentile is the story of a survivor who continuously finds solutions to his problems, braving destiny along the way. Life in Russia is harsh, the climate is not conducive, you have to study as well as fend for yourself. Add to that the unstable political climate in the 90s and you are ready for a roller-coaster experience. This is a story of hope, a story never told and never read before!!

Get your author-signed copy now at LeBooks.in for just Rs. 71 at 25% discount. Enter the coupon: NEERAJ-LEBOOKS when you checkout in the shopping cart. Thanks for stopping by!

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