1. Suhail, you initially chose law as a profession. When and how did you first realize that you wanted to be an author?
The advantage and luxury of being an author is that you can pursue a professional degree as well. I think 99% of the authors in the country are also following other professions along with writing. I truly believe that’s beautiful because they can pursue their passion of being an author along with a profession. So it’s the best of both worlds.
Speaking for myself, I was at the National Law University in Delhi, and it is one of the best law schools in the country. I had noticed that a lot of people who had passed out of the IIMs and IITs were writing books and it came to my mind that if people from the IIMs and IITs can write commercial fiction, why not someone from the National Law School? I wanted to take the lead and as I always say, to pursue anything, you need to be honest with yourself, particularly if you do have the calibre or the talent to do so.
I knew for a fact that if I was going to do a book, it had to be on India’s history and mythology because those were and still are, the two subjects which interest me the most. The writing bug of course, was always there. Throughout my school life, I won more than 60 writing competitions so I always knew that the flair for writing was there. My parents’ interest in literature also helped a great deal so there was always an ambition.

2. You are one of the youngest authors to write historical fiction. Your first book, The Bhairav Putras, was released in 2014 and went on to become a huge bestseller, in fact, it was a bestseller on Amazon 8 times and a bestseller under historical fiction for 60 consecutive weeks. That’s tremendous. Can you tell us a little about how the idea for writing this book came to you?
So it all started with a movie I saw. The movie was called “The Deceivers” and was on Kali worship. The very next day I decided I also wanted to write something about a dark God, a God that not too many people would be knowing about. I was confident and sure that I wanted to take up Lord Bhairav because I do worship his child form called Batuk Bhairav and I wanted to bring out more information about him. So the very next day, I set out writing the book. I was in my second year of college, sometime in 2012, and by 2014 the book was out in the market and became the No. 1 Bestseller several times on Amazon. It’s been a very fulfilling journey and I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my publisher, Mr. Vinit K. Bansal of Red Ink Publishing for all the support, confidence and encouragement I got.

3. Your second book, The Hunt For Rama’s Bow, was published by Om Books International in 2017. That also went on to become an enormously successful book. Could you tell us about the journey of this book? 
“The Hunt for Rama’s Bow, Adventure 1 of the Vishnu Chronicles” is a very special book. The book released in December, 2016 and it received a wonderful response, in fact, it went on to win “The Best Mythology Book of the Year” award at the Lit-O-Fest in 2017. So it’s been a fantastic journey.
As far as the idea of this book is concerned, someone once said to me that a lot of people know about The Avengers but the youth of today is not as well-versed with Indian mythology. That set me thinking and I wanted to make mythology cooler and more friendly for the youth. That’s when I decided to do a book that would appeal to youngsters, particularly. Also, I wanted to do something in the fantasy space this time and the genesis of the story was in a tale that my mother used to tell me when I was 3 or 4 years old. That was where the idea came from but I wanted to incorporate elements of mythology. I am extremely fond of Lord Vishnu and this is where my first and second books get differentiated. In the first book, I wrote about a God not too many people knew about so I had the challenge to make people aware, but at the same time, I could play around with the plot. In the second one, the good thing was that a lot of people worship Lord Vishnu and the challenge as a writer, was to bring out the unknown or lesser known facets. Thankfully, there were many of them and how I played around with them in the plot is for all to see.
An interesting thing that I’d like to tell you is that I actually finished writing this book even before the “Bhairav Putras” released. I then patiently waited for the first one to release and do well. Only then did I start pitching the second book because I knew for a fact that once I have success under my belt, it would be much easier to get this book out and that is precisely what happened. I was extremely lucky to have partnered with Om Books International on this and within a day, I got a response in the affirmative from the Om Team consisting of Mr. Ajay Mago and Ms. Dipa Chaudhary. So it was wonderful and Om Books International also went all out to promote it. They had these huge posters that they’d put across all their stores and it was such a wonderful feeling to have people from all over calling in and saying that we saw Suhail’s book’s posters and banners everywhere. My deepest gratitude to them.
So, the book is about Mohan Sharma who is a Delhi University graduate, pursuing his History Honours and he gets a letter from his grandfather who he has no recollection of. Then things bring him face to face with an entity who has been blessed by Lord Shiva with the boon of immortality and that evil entity can only be defeated if a long forgotten magical weapon can be found. The weapon is Lord Ram’s Bow, the Kodanda with which he killed Raavan. So it’s a journey about Mohan and his friends and how they used their intellect, at times modern gadgets and gizmos to find that weapon. Of course, it’s a part of a trilogy and a lot of people have been coaxing me to write the next one. Actually, the second and third parts are already ready, as in, the pointers from start to finish are already done. In fact, I’d started writing all the three stories even before I started the first book. So yes, it shouldn’t take me very long to write the next one once I get the time. Of course, the great advantage that we authors have is that we are not compelled to write something within a particular time frame. I am not a very strong advocate of that anyway because writing is a creative process and creativity should never be shackled. You should let it be a free-flowing process and I am one of those writers who can start off at any point of time. I don’t need to be in a particular mood or have a particular set-up. I can switch-on, switch-off anytime. So yes, the day I decide to go ahead with Book Two of “The Vishnu Chronicles”, the book should be ready within 2 or 3 months from then.

4. India is a land of innumerable fascinating stories and epics and both your books are in the Indian mythological genre. What was it about this genre that appealed to you?
As you rightly mentioned, India is a land of innumerable tales. India and its stories are full of mythology and history. We have 33 crore Gods and Goddesses. We have had rulers who were predominantly Hindu and then it moved to the slave rule and then the Mughal reign and from there, to the British. There are so many layers as far as our history is concerned. What that does is that it gives you ample room to play around with the stories and plots. It’s something that Indian authors should be very proud of.
Speaking about my book, as I said, I wanted to do something which was different and unique. I have watched a lot of revolutionary films. The “Legend of Bhagat Singh” is one of my favourite films, I’ve seen it around 74 times already. I have also had the honour of collaborating with the gentleman who played the role of Sukhdev in that movie, Mr Sushant Singh. In fact, we went on to do a very successful true crime book called “Queens of Crime” with Penguin India. So yes, movies like “The Deceivers”, “Lagaan”, “The Legend of Bhagat Singh”, “Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se”, have been so impactful. “Lagaan” because of its set up but the other three because of the zone they were in, they were all revolutionary centric. I am very patriotic and at the end of every revolutionary tale, one sees that the revolutionary is either caught or unjustly hanged by the British. I wanted to really do a story that has the soul of “The Legend of Bhagat Singh” but with the spirit of “Dabangg”. So the message was that I am a revolutionary but I’m going to give a pretty hard time as far as the British are concerned. The idea was to do a smart revolutionary thriller and my book has several mind games which people really appreciated. In the book, everyone is thinking how to outdo the other, there’s a lot of action but a lot of mind games as well. There were also plenty of one-liners in the book so yes, that’s how I played around.
As far as the second book is concerned, there was this prophecy that the world is going to come to an end in 2020 and I delved into that. In the book, a war is raging in the heavens and the Devas and Asuras are at war. With every natural calamity that happens, it’s an indication that the Asuras are gaining ground and the commander of the Devas has been captured. To defeat the Asuras, the three greatest weapons of Lord Vishnu have to be found. These are Lord Rama’s Bow, Krishna’s Chakra and Pashuram’s Axe and when these three are found, it will give way to a new weapon which will save the world from destruction. So the book is set in October 2020, the second one which is titled “In Search of the Sudarshan” is November 2020 and the third one “In Pursuit of the Pashu” is December 2020 so that’s how I ideated on it. Hopefully, readers will get to read the second and third books soon.

5. Suhail, both your books went on to become huge successes. You’ve participated in countless literary festivals and events, on both a national as well as international platform. You’ve also been listed by EBooksIndia as one of the “Top 51 Indian Writers to Follow”. How do you handle your success?
Yes, I am very grateful that readers showed so much love and appreciation for both the books. My friends and family supported and encouraged me so much in my endeavour. There were so many who were very kind and supportive toward my first book and by the time the second one came out, I had a wonderful reader base. I am eternally grateful for that. I believe acknowledging someone’s work and supporting them is a noble gesture. Of course, at the end of the day, the book also has to have merit and I was confident that the book will do well. I believe in letting the readers decide and fortunately, readers bought the book in huge numbers and appreciated it a lot. As you mentioned, “Top 51 Indian Writers to Follow”, “Best Mythology Book of the Year Award”, several times the No. 1 Bestseller, so it has been very gratifying.
As far as handling success goes, I think that’s a very pertinent question that you’ve asked. I always handle my success in a manner that it benefits others. I am very aspirational and I believe that I can accomplish what I set out to.  I set my mind to something and I go all out to achieve it. Once you’ve achieved it, the idea is to help others achieve their dreams too. There was a time when I also used to go to bookstores or bookfairs with Sumedha, see other published books in the market and dream that my book will also get published and will do well. Once your book has done well and you’ve received so much widespread acclaim, the idea is to help others achieve the same. Of course, a major part in that has been played by our literary agency, The Book Bakers, and we have worked with over 850 authors so it’s been great. I always, always, look at success as a measure to humility. The more success you get, the more humble you should become. Try and help as many people as you can. Be a part of their journeys, cherish the memories. Sumedha always tells me that you must continue to help others because there was a time when you were in that place too. It’s also something that’s been deeply ingrained in my mind by my parents. I’m just happy and grateful that I was able to achieve my dreams and most importantly, that I was able to help others do the same.

6. What have been your biggest highs and lows in this journey?
There have been several highs. There was this one occasion though, which was really special. My mom had gone to The Great India Place Mall in Noida and there is a picture of her where she is standing outside Om Books Store and there is a huge poster of my book at the entrance. A few days later, we all went there together. That was a very proud moment and a big high.
There have been many satisfying moments and I feel that the success of these books and then becoming a part of the literary agency, helped me achieve one of my long cherished dreams of becoming a TEDx speaker in 2018. I was called to one of the biggest schools of Delhi/NCR, Vivekanand Public School by my dear friend, Ms. Megha Ahuja, and it was wonderful to fulfil a long, cherished dream.
As far as the lows are concerned, I try not to dwell too much. While there is no particular low, I do tell my authors that sometimes you may receive negative reviews and sometimes, even from people who have not actually read the book. Basically, there might be people who cannot digest the success received by others and may try to pull them down. There are public platforms where they don’t have to reveal their identity and they may deliberately give a negative review in a way that you know it is not a genuine review and the person hasn’t even read the book. Fake reviews can come in and I always prepare my authors for this. It’s not a low but a learning. Along with the many positive reviews, you could get some negative ones. While some of those may be constructive criticism which help you grow as an author, there are some that are not genuine or well-meant. The point to remember is that for every such negative review, there will be ten genuinely positive ones which will balance everything out.

7. What does literary success mean to you?
Success in general is an affirmation of your reader base or your target audience in general, appreciating what you set out to do. So success is very important purely because it is gratifying and it makes you feel good. Having said that, I always tell my authors that never let anyone else determine how good your book is because they are not the creators of it. Don’t start believing what they have to say about the book if you have a contrary opinion because it’s very important for the creator to feel and believe in what they do. A lot of authors reach out to me about whether people will like their books and this I’m answering in the capacity of an agent. I always tell them that they can only get the answer to that if they actually release the book and bring it out. So if you’re scared, you’re not going to get an answer. However, if the book does well, you would be successful in your endeavour and if it doesn’t, it will be a learning for you. So always have the self-belief that you’re bringing out something wonderful.
In a nutshell, literary success is for me, an affirmation of what one sets out to do and a way to become humble and assist others.

8. Can you share one remarkable incident that happened to you during your journey as an author? An incident that you will always remember.
I’m a great lover of cricket and my favourite cricketer has been Ajit Agarkar. When I finished writing my book, it was a dream that he would endorse it. I happened to connect with his wife, the wonderful Fatima Agarkar. We started interacting on Facebook and I told her about my book. She was very kind and passed it on to Ajit. I then received an endorsement from him for my book which also adorns the front cover.
In fact, a lot of other people also did the same and were very kind including Mayank Austin Soofi, Amrit Mathur, Mr. Ajay Behl, Sucheta Mahajan, Neelima Dalmia Adhar. There were so many people who were very supportive. But yes, since I was a huge fan of Ajit, receiving that endorsement was wonderful. Over the years, my interaction with Fatima has been great and I always send Ajit a personal wish whenever there is something great that happens in his career or on his birthday. And a nice coincidence is that his birthday falls on the 4th of December which is also the day that Sumedha and I got engaged so that’s lovely.

9. What is the greatest compliment that you’ve received from a reader?
Interesting! I’ve received several and there were some which were really heart-touching. But I will say that the compliment becomes greater when the words are turned into action. So, I was at a lit fest and there was a reader who had read my book. The moment I entered the venue, he ran up to me and asked me for an autograph. It wasn’t a spoken compliment but that gesture really spoke volumes. He was a young boy who had read the book and posted about it on social media too. It was my first lit fest and it was a very sweet gesture.

10. We’re all waiting to read the next book by Suhail Mathur. When can we expect it and what is it about?
You already have an inkling about that. To be honest, I have at least 11 to 12 concepts in my mind with their respective stories ready. It’s just a question of time. So yes, when I do get the time, those books will also happen. For now, I think part 2 and 3 of the “Vishnu Chronicles” series will happen, but there are several books in the pipeline that are equally interesting.
Of course, I read all my authors’ books also as my own and get a lot of pleasure in getting them deals and seeing their books succeed.

Rapid Fire!
And now, for the Rapid Fire Round! This is going to be very interesting Suhail, and I’m sure all your readers are waiting to get to know you even better through this round. So, here goes!

Mountains or beaches
Always mountains. I love mountains! In fact, I love cold places as opposed to warmer ones, so, always mountains.
Your favourite food and beverage
I’m a huge fan of snacky food, across cuisines. I love tikkas and chaat. My favourite Chinese food is Honey Chilli Potato. As far as beverages are concerned, I usually enjoy a Sprite in a tall glass with lots of ice. I don’t drink soft drinks very often but when I go out, that is what I most enjoy.
A fascinating movie you’ve seen recently.
I just finished a Tamil movie called “The Priest” starring Mammootty. It’s a horror thriller and very interesting. It wasn’t a blockbuster but was an engaging film. Another one was “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui”, a sweet family film and I really liked that.
An interesting book you’ve read recently.
Very difficult to say because I read many interesting books on a daily basis. That’s the benefit of being a lit agent because all the books that we represent have to be interesting for me which is why I represent them.
Your mantra for success in one sentence.
Always persevere. If you persevere, you’ll eventually reach your destination so perseverance is the key.
Tell us something about you that most people don’t know. 
There are a lot of things. Well, people do know that I sing a lot but I also can do good mimicry. Another thing that fewer people know, is that I love to compose tunes. I can take the lyrics of any song and create tunes on the spot (I can even create the lyrics). In fact, while I was working with a leading production house in Mumbai, I created the lyrics and the tune of the title track in 2 minutes and it was approved in one take. 
Your favourite genre as a reader.
Historical fiction, horror and mythological fantasy in that order.
One song that touches your heart every time you listen to it. 
There are many songs I love but my favourite is “Tose Naina Lage” from the film “Anwar”. It’s a very soulful song and a perfect song for anyone in love. The great thing about that song is that you can not only envisage that love with your soulmate but you can also connect with The Almighty because it’s been picturized on Lord Krishna in the set-up of Vrindavan. It’s a very beautiful song.
A travel destination that has always fascinated you. 
Switzerland. That’s the one place I’d like to visit. Austria is also extremely beautiful and scenic but Switzerland is No. 1 on the list.
“The Bhairav Putras” in one word.
Memorable.
“The Hunt for Rama’s Bow” in one word.
Gratifying.
Suhail Mathur in one line. 
Never say die! Never give up!

Suhail, thank you so much for sharing this very inspiring journey with us. We wish you great success in all your future endeavors as well.

Friends,
“The Bhairav Putras” and “The Vishnu Chronicles: The Hunt for Rama’s Bow (Adventure One)” are available across bookstores, as well as online.
Here are the Amazon links to order these fabulous books :
https://amzn.to/3Ow7rfO
https://amzn.to/3rLFKWD

Thank you!