And named it Sweden Pradesh. Zac O'Yeah's latest thriller makes Indian industrialists and curry powder, king
And named it Sweden Pradesh. Zac O'Yeah's latest thriller makes Indian industrialists and curry powder, king
In the world of Zac O' Yeah novels, there's no looking at life through rose-tinted glasses. Life is full of muck. Literally. Grime, blood, gore and the seedier side make frequent appearances in his plots. The Swedish crime fiction writer is just out with his new thriller, Once Upon a Time in Scandinavistan.
Set against the backdrop of a futuristic Europe, Sweden finds itself at the mercy of India, colonised by it, swarming with babus and red tape. Curry is the new flavour, and most industries have been taken over by Asian tycoons. The book was originally written as a Swedish novel, Tandoori lgen in 2006 and is based in the fictitious city of Gautampuri in Sweden Pradesh.
At the nucleus of this unbelievable mess, O'Yeah places questions about the environment and politics.
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Why would the idea of India taking over Sweden come up in your head?
Over the years I realised how global warming was affecting the climate in Sweden, as well as in India. When I was little, it used to snow every Christmas. For the last few years, we've had snowless winters. That's when I wondered what would happen if the climate in Sweden turned tropical.
The bit about the economy arose out of the fact that Asian industrialists have bought out and rescued several dying European companies. While the European economy isn't going great guns, Asia seems to be forging ahead.
Indian cooking has colonised the Swedish palate in the last few decades.
So, developments that unfolded in reality over the last few years and the "what ifs" they threw up, made me stretch my imagination.
It seems like a recipe for a graphic novel. Why didn't you go in that direction?
I was actually considering turning it into an animated film. It might just lead to a graphic novel. I'd love to collaborate with an Indian artist on the project.
Why the obsession with sleaze and gore?
There is something creative in the seedy, and I like that. For instance, Graham Greene's
novels had that quality. I also love horror as a genre, and am currently scripting a zombie film. It's an ecological and seedy zombie movie.
Once Upon A Time in Scandinavistan By Zac O'Yeah.
Published by Hachette. Available for Rs 395 at leading bookstores
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