At the Tata Lit Live Fest which took place earlier this year, we caught up with the writer of the The Immortals of Meluha series, Amish Tripathi. Having grown up in Mumbai, he gave us the lowdown on where he likes to spend his time in the city, and what local secrets give him inspiration.
Amish Tripathi, Author Of The Meluha Series, Spills His Mumbai Secrets
Ten-Second Takeaway
Where & What To Read
While growing up he liked visiting Strand Bookstall, Nalanda and Crossword most to get the best deals on books.
When asked of his favourite Indian crime thrillers, he told us that he counts Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia by Hussain Zaidi, Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra and The Bandits of Bombay: The Adventures of Feluda by Satyajit Ray as some of his favourite books. And coming back to the classics, he will always choose Mumbai-based Shantaram, too.
Where To Write
When he doesn’t want to write at home, you will find him writing at the Babulnath Temple {all the way up} by the side of the small Brahma temple. And, after the stress and exhilaration of writing a novel, he likes to go on a getaway to Mahabaleshwar.
Hidden Gems
Amish recommends looking up the Freemason’s Hall {near Sterling Cinema}, especially if you are a Dan Brown fan. It’s been around since 1897 and was the first lodge that the city got after the freemasonry arrived in the city in 1758.
Favourite Eateries
Once a foodie, always a foodie. Growing up, the author enjoyed visiting Nanking {and later Flora} for Chinese, Sardar’s for Pav Bhaji and Gaylord for Indian/Continental food. He also picks Sharda Bhavan, Ram Ashray {one of our favourites too around King’s Circle} and Café Mysore for South India.