Interview of Rimi B Chatterjee
Interviewing the novelist Rimi B. Chatterjee
It was a Tuesday afternoon and I, Akhil and Abdul were going to take a telephonic interview of the novelist Rimi B. Charterjee living in Kolkata. We were very nervous because for the first time ever we were going to interview a writer and a novelist. It was 1 p.m. when we called her. She picked up the phone and...
I: Hello Ma’am. I am Rimi speaking from Kendriya Vidyalaya Dimapur. Ma’am, we are doing a project on Book Review and with regard to that I and two of my friends, Akhil and Abdul want to ask you some questions. Would it be alright if we ask the questions now?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Yeah, sure!
I: Ma’am my first question is that when did you write your first book?
Rimi B. Chaterjee: I've always been writing and a book is a kind of arbitrary; and I published my first book in 2005.
I: Ok and whenever you write stories, what goes on, in your mind?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Ummmm... that is a very is a very difficult question for any writer to answer because it varies from stories to stories; writer to writer because particular stories and particular things come in mind and that causes a story. It could be anything, it could be something mischievous or something someone said or something you know about someone and there is no deterministic thing about it.
I: Some people think if they had started writing their stories in their young ages they might have been more popular or something like that. So, what do you think about it?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: I just can't tell you because I've always been writing.
I: How many stories have you written?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Many, many. Uncountable. I cannot count and I'd take all day to count how many there are.
I: What kind of stories do you like to write?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Ummm... surprising ones. Those stories that surprise people.
Interviewing novelist Rimi B. Chatterjee
[Part II]
I: Do you write animal stories or any other stories?
Rimi B. Chatterje: Oh! I'm writing an animal story right now.
[Now it was Akhil's turn to ask the question and he began like this...]
Akhil: Good afternoon ma'am!
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Good afternoon!
Akhil: I'm Akhil and my question is that do you get time everyday for writing or you have a fixed time for writing?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: I wish I got time everyday to write! I wish I had a fixed time everyday. I don't but I wish I had. I really wish I had.
Akhil: Oh! Who or what inspired you to be a writer?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Oh dear! (Laughs) I don't know. It’s too far. It’s in the distant past to remember. I don't think anything ever inspired me. I was kind of hard wired into my system from the beginning.
Akhil: Do you write those stories which you like or those which you think that others would like?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Me, me. What I like. I write what I like, not others.
Akhil: Thank you ma'am!
[Now it was Abdul's turn to ask the questions]
Abdul: Good afternoon ma'am! I'm Abdul and I want to know how do you develop a story?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Good afternoon. You try to see it organically. It’s like its a living creature like a coral and it has to grow in a certain way. You look at it and find out where it grows and how it looks like and you go to that place and you make it grow there. You have to be in the story. You have to be its body and you grow it as if it is yours.
Abdul: Can you give some ideas or messages to be a good writer like you?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Keep writing; keep writing; keep writing; keep reading your own writing; keep doing your own work telling yourself that this is not good enough; do it again and again. There's no end of it. You have to keep doing it.
Interviewing novelist Rimi B. Chatterjee
[Part III]
Abdul: Are you writing any book now? What is it about?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: As I'm talking to you, I'm writing now as I'm sitting in front of my laptop and writing a story. It is about two animals and they travel up the river and they are trying to get somewhere they'd like to but they can't find anywhere they like and one of them is a fish and the other one is a bird so they can't live in the same place. So, they find themselves in a weird situation.
Abdul: Okay. How many books or stories have you written till now?
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Many! Many! Many! I cannot count them right now. It will take all day to count and your phone bill will go through the roof.
Abdul: Wow! It’s a great achievement. I also want to be a writer and I hope to get your blessings.
Rimi B. Chatterjee: I absolutely give you all my blessings that I can possibly give you.
Abdul: Thank you ma'am for giving us your precious time! It was nice talking to you. Hope your new book does well in the market. Thank you ma'am!
Rimi B. Chatterjee: It was my pleasure!
Abdul: Have a nice day!
[The phone got disconnected so I called up again.]
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Hello!
Me: Hello ma'am! Sorry to disturb you again. Actually the line got disconnected. Thank you very much for giving us your precious time!
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Ah! It was my pleasure.
Me: Thank you! Bye bye!
Rimi B. Chatterjee: Bye!