Sharad Paul showcases eunuchs' lives in 'Cool Cut'

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) A painful human tale of severance, soaring and joyful redemption showcasing the politics of caste, gender, and language, set in a small village along the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu sets the theme of young NRI writer Sharad P Paul's first novel 'Cool Cut' Oxford Bookstore in association with Picador India last evening here launched the novel on enduring love and the power of redemption.

The novel explores the threatened decline of ancient Tamil culture and language through eyes and live of three young villagers - Kumar, Raman and Lakshmi.

The novel's highlight is that it also explores the lives of Eunuchs, the 'third gender', who are seen both as sources of good luck and misfortune.

The story was originally published as a short story in 2001 as 'Kite Flyers' in verse form. Later Sharad started developing the incomplete characters of the story which ultimately turned in a novel.

Sharad, who was born in England, grew in India as his parents pursued medical mission work in India moving around. He spent most of his time in Tamil Nadu and observed the life there very closely.

During his stay in Tamil Nadu he gained expertise in Tamil language, both in writing and speaking.

As a result he finds himself very close to the language, as he said ''the story portrays life in Tamil Nadu, series of incidents that moved people of the state, their fight for anti-Hindi agitation.'' The novel is set in an idyllic surrounding where friendship blossoms between three youngsters through their shared love of kite flying, but they succumb to fate which throws each of them into their painful and dark world.

Sharad, who is also a medical professional and migrated to New Zealand about 17 years ago, when asked how he managed the conversation of rural Indian life in the novel after living so many years abroad, he said ''I remember how people used to talk to me in India. I was a keen observer. I remember those conversations of childhood.'' Asked about the presence of Eunuchs in his novel, he said he introduced it just to make his characters more interesting. His inspiration came from his childhood memory of meeting a tailor, who was a eunuch and kidnapped by the community. While putting the dialogues for his eunuch characters he took help from those conversations.

Sharad said he had no formal training of writing. His liking for books made him do that as he also owns a bookstore in New Zealand.

Sharad said that he likes to write in a short period as his medical practice doesn't give him much time, which made him complete the novel in just six weeks.

He said he likes placing himself in the characters' shoes thus, pens them down in his writing.

UNI