Sarubhakta (Bhakta Raj Shrestha) is a well-known Nepali playwright, novelist, poet, songwriter, and the recipient of Madan Puraskar, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of Nepali literature. Some of his notable works are ‘Yuddha: Uhi Gas Chamber Bhitra’, ‘Pagal Basti’, and ‘Pratigandha’. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Sarubhakta about his writing career.  How has your writing journey been so far? My writing journey started when I was a child. I used to listen to my teachers read poems and stories out loud in my class, and that always made me want to write something of my own too. It was in 1976, when I was in sixth grade, that my poem got published in one of the newspapers. I think it was from that moment that I actually started writing. 

I have written a lot since then, and it has been all sorts of things: novels, stories, poems, and plays. Entering this field showed me where my talent really lies, and it has been one incredible journey. Even now, decades after I started, I still love and enjoy what I do.

Was being a writer always your plan? I grew up in Pokhara and it was just a small town back then. There weren’t many people who knew what literature actually meant, not even me. We were never told that literature could be a career someone could pursue. Teachers and parents told children that education is everything, and that we needed to work hard in order to become doctors or engineers. Even now, it’s the same for many. So, naturally, I had no plans of becoming a writer. Despite that, I don’t know how but I would end up writing something or the other everytime. I was a science student but somehow I would always find my way back to writing. It was my calling.  What authors/books have inspired you?  There are a lot of books and authors that have inspired me to be who I am. But one book that will always be on top of that list is ‘Mahabharata’. I grew up listening to it. I believe there aren’t any other writings that will even come close to being as good as Mahabharata. This book covers every aspect of life and has inspired me the most to become a good writer.  I have also drawn my inspiration from Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Bhupi Sherchan, and Parijat. When it comes to English literature, I’m mostly influenced by the works of William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw, and Gabriel García Márquez.  How do you come up with a theme for your writings? Writing is an expression. So, whenever I have to decide on a theme for my work,I  always pick something I have felt, experienced, or thought about. For many writers, I think, observing their surroundings is the best way to figure out what they can/want to actually work on. It’s the same for me.  As a writer, a part of me is always looking for things or situations around me that I can express in words. I can’t repeat the same thing I have written about in the past. That’s why I’m always on the hunt for finding a new subject to write on. When I find one, it becomes the theme for my next work.  Is there a particular type of literature that you prefer to work on? My writing varies from stories to poems to plays to novels. But I have never felt like I like one better than the other. I find all writing styles equally good in their own way. What I have realized after working in this field for so long is that preferences change with time. There was a point when I was excessively into writing plays. I had always been interested in theater so directing my own plays was fulfilling for me. But that doesn’t mean I never liked writing something else. I switch my preference time and again and the best part is it never gets boring that way.  What are your favorite writings?  My all time favorite is Mahabharata. But there are also others that I absolutely love. Some of them are ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel García Márquez, ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy, ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare, and ‘A Farewell to Arms’ by Ernest Hemingway.  In terms of Nepali literature, I have been the most inspired by ‘Muna Madan’ by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, ‘Shirishko Phool’ by Parijat, ‘Ghumne Mechmathi Andho Manchhe’ by Bhupi Sherchan, ‘Modiaain’ by BP Koirala, and ‘Anuradha’ by Bijaya Malla.  Bhakta’s picks Mahabharata The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family—Pandavas and Kauravas—who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura.  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez This book tells the story of the Buendía family, where José Arcadio Buendía, the patriarch of the family, founded the town of Macondo.  Muna Madan by Laxmi Prasad Devkota Written in 1936, Muna Madan is an episodic love-poem revolving around two characters—Muna and Madan, which ends in tragedy.  Ghumne Mechmathi Andho Manchhe by Bhupi Sherchan This book, published in 1969, is a Nepali-language poetry collection written by Bhupi Sherchan.