JOIN USThere was a boy called Mayank,” says Atri Garg narrating a story to Metrolife. It is both fascinating and admirable how this 11-year-old unfolds the tale that he has penned himself at such a tender age.
No wonder the Young Turk has bagged a place for his work in the final list of stories which will be animated and aired on Disney Channel early next year.
“One day Mayank read somewhere that mynahs speak like humans, so he asked his father to get a mynah for him too,” continues Garg, informing in between how he read about something similar and incorporated it in his story. One of the five winners of the recently conducted competition ‘Kahani Masters’, Garg has been writing since a very young age.
His first book of poems titled Sau Baal Kavitayen was published when he was just seven! My grandfather and father used to write poems. I saw them and started writing too,” says Garg whose grandfather and father have their 20 and eight books published on poetry, respectively.
An avid follower of author Roald Dahl and cartoon Doraemon, Garg’s poems and stories have been published before but this time it’s special since he nears his dream of becoming a writer.
“When my stories used to get published earlier I used to be happy. Now I am very happy since my work will take shape of a film. More so, because my story has been selected as the winner from 15,000 entries!”
A Std VI student of Oxford Senior Secondary School in Delhi’s Vikaspuri area, Garg aspires to become a writer or musician when he grows up. “I also want to become a scientist or mathematician, but writing and singing are my top priorities,” he says in all seriousness making Metrolife admire his focus and list of professional choices.
“I am serious. I have been learning Hindustani Classical music since the age of four and have been topping the Olympiads in schools since three years,” he adds to prove his dedication for classical music and love for Maths and Science subjects.
Ask the all-rounder where he gets his ideas to write in between his hectic study schedule, and he philosophically says that he draws his inspiration from whatever is happening around him. Just like he picked up his experience on a recent flight to Trivandrum (for a workshop conducted as part of ‘Kahani Masters’) “to write the story of a boy who travels in an aircraft for the first time,” Garg says adding, “This is the latest short story that I am working on.
But in future I would also like to write for feature films and even theatre.” All the directors have their eyes on you, kid!