On the right track

Illustrations from the book

Interviewing octogenarian author Ruskin Bond is similar to chatting with a well-travelled uncle who boasts of a bookshelf on every wall of his home; the kind who is never short of a story to regale all at the annual fam-jam session. Having met him in person and spoken over the telephone on several occasions, we were happy to reconnect (over the phone) with the veteran author from his quaint home in Landour, about the re-print of one of his most popular short stories, The Tunnel (Puffin). "I wrote this story in the 1970s but over the years, it has been reprinted and gone into collections - because it has been a popular story, liked by kids and adults alike. The story about a little boy, his discoveries in the forest, and the mysteries that unravel inside a railway tunnel, remains one of my favourites," Bond shares, adding, "By the 1970s, it had been five-six years since I was living here after having escaped Delhi where I was in a job that I did not like. This story was written in that period when I left the city, and I began to experience the joys of wide open spaces." While the story remains untouched, it was divided into short chapters for easier reading. This, the author feels, will help familiarise young children with the habit of reading a book in chapters.

Time travel

While reading (or re-reading, in our case) this Bond classic, it effortlessly rolls back the years to the charm of a railway journey. "As a little boy, I was always fascinated by trains and tunnels. I like to watch them moving, especially past fields and forests. During one such journey, we were visited by a leopard, and so I had placed him in two or three of my stories; this was one of them," he reveals. "‘If you meet a panther, don't anther,' as Ogden Nash said. Like him, I too don't go out of my way to meet leopards," he chuckles. Bond rues that today's generation misses out on the joys of long-distance train travel. "Back in my boyhood, in the 1950s and 60s, everyone travelled by train if you wanted to go far. Compartments were different - they were smaller; windows could open and shut, and so it was possible to soak in the small delights, Nowadays, passengers are shut in, within thick glazed glass, and so it's not possible to see the sights too well. The charm is lost."

Railway recall

Many of his early stories about cities, he reveals, were written while he sat at railway platforms. "Sometimes, I would buy a ticket and observe the goings-on for an hour. In my 20s, my stories were often set in railway stations; Night Train at Deoli is my favourite." And then, just when you think the anecdotes have reached a sweet spot, like that uncle at the family reunion, Bond shares a lovely memory when he remembers this interview is for a Mumbai newspaper, "I recall spending time at VT station. This was in 1955. I was returning from England, and our ship was docked at Ballard Pier. To reach Dehradun, I had to take a train from VT. I still recall the grand waiting room."

What is remarkable is the author's endless thirst for knowledge and his desire to adapt. "I keep a journal where I make notes of new things that catch my attention; I try to weave those into my stories." Our chat veers to reading habits; Bond's logic is insightful, "I remember during my school days, in a class of 35, only two or three of us would use the library. We didn't watch TV, and yet reading wasn't everybody's passion. That remains the case today but now, with education having spread and the number of literate people having grown, that overall percentage has increased. My books are doing better today than 20 years ago." The storyteller signs off with a thought that industrywallahs should take note of: "There is more potential now; it's up to publishers to bring books to the reader."

Ruskin Bond

Bond with Bond

If an autobiographical film was to be made, which actor would you like to play you?
(Laughs) I don't want such a film to be made! If they had to, they would have to find someone fat and lazy. A silent comedian would be the best.

Favourite book that you last read:
I read a lot of crime novels and biographies. But I am currently reading Voodoo Tales: The Ghost Stories by Henry Whitehead set in the West Indies.

Advice for aspiring children's story writers:
It is good to write for children. You are helping them to develop an understanding of life and an appreciation for literature. Include lively characters that instil love for nature and wildlife, because these themes are especially relevant in these times of climate change and global warming. If you're from Bombay, it can also include the sea and the city's coastline. I love reading stories about the sea but I must confess that I get sea sick as soon as I sit in a boat!