KAALKOOT The Lost Himalayan Secret

Excerpts from an interview with S.Venkatesh, Author, KAALKOOT, in The Statesman

Would you tell our readers what KaalKoot, the book, is all about?

KaalKoot is a modern-day crime thriller with a historical twist. The book brings a forgotten Himalayan legend, a dark secret from the days of the freedom struggle and an international conspiracy together in a high-stakes environment where time is running out. The book has also been appreciated by readers with a fondness for travel and adventure.

What made you pick a story dealing in weapons, war and subterfuge for your first novel?

The book brings together a number of things that have enchanted and engaged me for a long time.

I have loved reading thrillers for the sheer intensity of emotions that they generate, and I started writing one for the joy of being able to tell a story that would have the reader riveted.

I have also been inspired by travel, and places form an important backdrop to the story as the plot moves from the crowded by-lanes of Mumbai to one of remotest corners of the Himalayas.

Lastly, I have been fascinated by our philosophy and history right from my college days at IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, and that led me to choose a strong historical and spiritual underpinning for the book.

What made the private equity investor S Venkatesh turn into spy-fiction author S Venkatesh?

I have nurtured the desire to write for a while now, but being in high-pressure corporate roles with the likes of JP Morgan, Credit Suisse and Macquarie meant that the inspiration often got buried in a blur of deadlines and presentations. On the positive side, this enabled me to travel and meet people, and gave me a rich reservoir of life experiences that I could tap into.

A few years ago, when I was travelling extensively on business, I ended up taking more than three hundred international flights over just a couple of years. That’s when I got a chance to silence the external noises, listen to my inner voice and act on the inspiration. A lot of KaalKoot actually got written on those flights.

What next?

The publisher, TreeShade Books, has announced the title of my next book ‘Agnibaan – Guardians of the Fire Chamber’. Agnibaan will also be a suspense thriller with a strong historical connect.