At Banaras Lit Fest (Banaras Lit Fest), OneIndia had an exclusive conversation with writer Gautam Choubey. Gautam Choubey teaches English at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (DU). He has also translated Andre Beitelle’s Democracy and Its Institutions (OUP) into Hindi.
Gautam Choubey’s new book 'Chakka Jaam' is receiving immense love from readers. OneIndia's Pankaj Mishra spoke with Gautam Choubey and his wife Neelima about his book. During the conversation, Choubey mentioned that writing 'Chakka Jaam' felt like repaying his ancestral debt. According to him, this book is inspired by the moments and memories from his childhood and the people he grew up with. He has dedicated the book to women.
Choubey’s English translation of Pandey Kapil’s famous historical novel Phoolsunghi is the first-ever translation of a Bhojpuri novel into English.
#BanarasLitFest #AuthorGautamChoubey #Authors #Books #Writer #Phoolsunghi #ChakkaJaam
~PR.152~ED.110~HT.336~GR.124~
Gautam Choubey’s new book 'Chakka Jaam' is receiving immense love from readers. OneIndia's Pankaj Mishra spoke with Gautam Choubey and his wife Neelima about his book. During the conversation, Choubey mentioned that writing 'Chakka Jaam' felt like repaying his ancestral debt. According to him, this book is inspired by the moments and memories from his childhood and the people he grew up with. He has dedicated the book to women.
Choubey’s English translation of Pandey Kapil’s famous historical novel Phoolsunghi is the first-ever translation of a Bhojpuri novel into English.
#BanarasLitFest #AuthorGautamChoubey #Authors #Books #Writer #Phoolsunghi #ChakkaJaam
~PR.152~ED.110~HT.336~GR.124~
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00:00In this book, I have repaid my debts in a way.
00:04These are the stories of all my ancestors,
00:06the ones I grew up with, the ones I was born with.
00:08These are the stories of all of them.
00:10My mother, Kanti Chaubey, and those unnamed housewives
00:13who decorate their tiffin boxes every morning
00:15so that the country's movement continues.
00:18Wow!
00:19So, this book was dedicated to them.
00:21This is the occasion of the Banaras Literature Festival
00:23and on the holy land of Banaras,
00:25this annual celebration is celebrated
00:29and it is quite a coincidence that
00:31a few students from your university
00:34have their own book, Chakka Jam Gautam Chaubey.
00:38It is available here.
00:39One of the bestsellers.
00:40And their first edition,
00:42It's Sold Like Hotcakes.
00:44And today, the author and his better half are here.
00:49Gautam, what is common in writing books,
00:51being a student of Delhi University?
00:54One more thing is common
00:56that you are my senior from college.
00:58So, there are many branches that have joined together.
01:02And the most common thing is that
01:04whether we are in Delhi University or any other university,
01:07the people who have come before us,
01:09we try to know their stories.
01:12Like I was in college,
01:14I used to know your story,
01:16my juniors used to listen to my story.
01:18In this book, I have repaid my debts in a way.
01:22In the locality where I was born,
01:25there was a railway colony.
01:27There were 27 quarters in the locality.
01:29In the quarters, there were people from different parts of the country.
01:32Some were Udiya, some were Bengali, some were Marathi.
01:34And everyone had joined together.
01:36Some were uncle, some were aunt, some were grandfather,
01:38most of them were uncle.
01:39So, all these were my ancestors.
01:41I grew up among them.
01:43I was born.
01:44This is the story of all of them.
01:45And this is the most important thing.
01:46Okay.
01:47So, Chakka Jam in Railway.
01:48We will come to this.
01:49Amitabh Ghosh has commented on this.
01:52He has said,
01:53India's decision-making era is very interesting.
01:57With me is Neelima.
01:58Neelima is Gautam's wife.
02:01Neelima, you are also involved in the field of academics.
02:05How does it come about?
02:07You are in the field of science.
02:08She is in literature.
02:09How does it come together?
02:14I liked physics.
02:16From the beginning, I did not read much of Hindi literature.
02:20But after marriage, I started reading.
02:23Okay.
02:24When he started writing this novel for the first time,
02:27I was the first one to read it.
02:29Wow.
02:31And I used to tell him in between,
02:33that this should be in this, that should be in that.
02:35And he used to listen to that.
02:37He used to change.
02:38Yes, he used to change.
02:39He used to include a lot of things that he had done.
02:42Very good.
02:43Gautam, Women's Day is coming.
02:46And how proud are you of their role?
02:49And how do you see that women
02:51change our lives like unseen, unsung heroes and heroines?
02:56What is your comment on this?
02:58Absolutely.
02:59I totally agree with you.
03:01And if I pay attention to a book,
03:04I have written in the dedication of the book,
03:07for my mother, Kanti Chaubey,
03:10and for those unnamed housewives
03:12who decorate the tiffin box every morning
03:14so that the country keeps moving forward.
03:17Wow.
03:18So this book is dedicated to women.
03:20Wow.
03:21This book is dedicated to them,
03:23as the wife told us,
03:25their inspiration, their interventions.
03:28And in Kathanak, there are some men
03:31who have ideals in their lives.
03:33Devanand, the ideal of Dubey is Devanand.
03:35There is Lal Nepal.
03:37His ideal is Gulshan Nanda.
03:39He wants to become a novelist like him.
03:41There is an uncle.
03:43His ideal is Ram Briksh Benipuri.
03:45There is a grandfather whose ideal is Subhash Chandra Bose.
03:48But the men fall short of their ideals.
03:51And the tightrope between realism and idealism,
03:55which is very difficult to walk in,
03:57only women can walk in this book.
03:59And one time, I write in this book,
04:02that when there was disappointment everywhere,
04:04at that time,
04:05the story of Devanand, Dubey and his family,
04:07that at that time,
04:08a new hero was emerging in the Dubey family.
04:11That hero is Devanand's wife, Madhavi.
04:14Wow!
04:15We will not even call this a backhanded compliment.
04:17It is a direct compliment.
04:18Nirmal, I will meet you in the final round.
04:20I know that Gautam has to go for a new session.
04:22Yes.
04:23When years pass by like this,
04:25and your life has just begun,
04:28in the coming time,
04:29how will you,
04:31and in a way,
04:33you yourself are in the academy,
04:34in the field of physics,
04:36your role,
04:37the role of the house,
04:38and Gautam's work,
04:40how will you balance it?
04:43I,
04:44I,
04:45I mean,
04:46I will do my best to support him,
04:48everywhere,
04:49in every situation,
04:51and I will always do this work.
04:53Till now,
04:54I think I have done it.
04:56I think so.
04:57But,
04:58if there is anything left to be done,
05:00I will do it.
05:01Gautam,
05:02what will you congratulate him on,
05:03on the Women's Day?
05:04On Women's Day,
05:05I will congratulate him,
05:06that he is in the field of science.
05:09I am a failed IITian.
05:11Failed IITian,
05:12in the sense that,
05:13I didn't fail because I went to IIT,
05:14but because of the desire for IIT,
05:15I failed.
05:16And,
05:17he has studied from IIT,
05:18ISM Dhanbad,
05:19which is now IIT,
05:20he has studied from there.
05:21So, for me,
05:22in education and other things,
05:23he is,
05:24in Bhojpuri,
05:25he is more than me,
05:26he is ahead of me.
05:27So,
05:28he should go ahead like this,
05:29and,
05:30the direct benefit of his education,
05:32I get it first.
05:34Those who read his Shodhu Patra,
05:36or those who are his students,
05:37they will get it later.
05:38Similarly,
05:39I keep getting the benefit of his knowledge.
05:40And,
05:41all the women in this country,
05:42who are in the field of science,
05:43who are in the field of literature,
05:44who have taken up many responsibilities,
05:47because,
05:48the foundation of our society,
05:50the foundation of it,
05:52women protect it.
05:54And,
05:55women should protect this country in the same way.
05:57Yes.
05:58And,
05:59if they are strong,
06:00if they have the knowledge,
06:01if they have the contribution of science,
06:03their responsibility,
06:04their contribution increases.
06:06This is what I would like.
06:07And,
06:08this is what I would like to congratulate women.
06:09Absolutely.
06:10Thank you very much.
06:11Arswal, Bihar,
06:12and Abhi,
06:13who were born,
06:14grew up,
06:15and studied in Jharkhand,
06:16after seeing this,
06:17I would like to say this,
06:19that if this is the case,
06:21then what will be the outcome?
06:23Congratulations to both of you.
06:25Keep up the good work.
06:26Keep writing more books.
06:27You can watch Gautam Chaubey,
06:29his book,
06:30Chakka Jam,
06:31online,
06:32and at bookstores.
06:34Any social media handle, Gautam?
06:35Yes,
06:36I am on Instagram,
06:37Gautam X Chaubey,
06:39and I am on Facebook too,
06:41and on Twitter too,
06:42which is now X.
06:44I think it's Gautam X Chaubey 9,
06:46yes,
06:47Gautam dot Chaubey 9.
06:48So, this is my social media handle.
06:50Thank you so much, Gautam.
06:52It's a pleasure speaking to these young authors,
06:54and the coverage of the third edition of Banaras Lit Fest
07:00continues here on One India.