“In India we never distinguished between history and myth. Our Puranas as well as Itihasas contain fantastical tales. They are lies that convey deeper truths.”

“I have always been a bit of an introvert. In fact, my dad used to force me to meet people so that my interpersonal skills improve. As an individual, I was happiest when left alone.”

“The relationship between critic and writer is similar to the one between the pigeon and the statue.”

“The publishing scene in India is evolving rapidly, and the key challenge is to keep reinventing oneself so that one does not become formulaic. Sometimes it is safer to deal with the consequences of failure than the fruits of success. Remaining on one's toes is critical, and often one finds that success makes one complacent.”

“The fundamental difference between books and movies is that the length of a book does not depend upon the capacity of the human bladder.”

“While I can’t walk on water, I can certainly wobble on whisky.”

“There is indeed one person who can help solve “writer’s block”. His name is Mr Johnnie Walker.”

“In Kolkata is a temple where the deity worshipped is Amitabh Bachchan. The daily aarti is performed to the chanting of the Amitabh Chaleesa. And people still ask, “Could our mythological heroes be based on actual people who once lived?”

“Mythology does not interest me. Nor does history. But the possible overlap between history and mythology excites me immensely.”

“The Egyptians saw the sun and called him Ra, the Sun God. He rode across the sky in his chariot until it was time to sleep. Copernicus and Galileo proved otherwise and poor Ra lost his divinity.”

“It is the manner of death that reveals the importance of a man. Ordinary people are murdered while extraordinary people are assassinated.”