That “nothing” is intriguing and the sense of defamiliarising is what characterises his writing (in his own words) is proof for his quest to know “nothing” better.
Reading sections from his new novel ‘The Immortals’, here on Thursday, Chaudhuri exposed his keenness for detail and interest in finding the strangeness in things that are familiar –– what he calls defamiliarisation.
A book about music and two families in the late 1970’s and early ’80s set in Bombay, Chaudhuri, as some key sections that were read out revealed, in some sense has found himself in teenager Nirmalya, a character in the novel.
Replying to a query on how most-talked about books are often those dealing with subjects that assume “national” or “greater” importance, he said, “I am a street lover. I love the rhythms of the street, in non-attractiveness one can often find a lot more...” he said, adding what may be of some value to one may be nothing to the other and vice-verse and that is why it is important to learn the meaning of “nothing.”
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