Asmit Rathod is a novelist born in India but a resident of New Zealand now. A journalist by profession, writing came to him naturally as his father, from an arts background, brought him into the habit of reading books at an early age. However, as many authors do these days – choose some shortcuts and shoot your way to fame, Asmit Rathod did not do so. He picked different themes and very different plots. By far, he has written one novel and is working on his next two. The only published novel is titled Life is a Bitch, published in 2015.

After analysing his debut book and the technique of fiction and storytelling used in it, one can understand the motifs of this author. The title might suggest otherwise and deceive, Life is a Bitch is a novel that brings out some of the most-tender issues related to human beings that we often ignore discussing. Written in a euphoric style, a world where a dog understands the human tongue very well and knows when to ignore and when to interpret, the novel takes the readers into a world of magic, almost. However, the concerns raised in the novel are not magical at all! They deal with common human beings leading a common life.

“I understand what you mean Kumar. Politics and Bollywood thrive on the middle class because both show them dreams.”

Asmit has taken his character from a typical Indian middle-class family and, in a sense, this protagonist represents a class in India. So, the author has indicated clearly that he understands the issues and understands them well enough. He has also used his personal experiences in life in the novel and that comes naturally to the authors in India where there is a lot to learn, indulge and express. Asmit himself believes that Indian society is more than a simple inspiration for any author to write stories that can be world class!

Many book reviewers in India have praised the debut work by Asmit. He has also been hailed for his understanding of the locals and languages of different parts of India.

For the future, Asmit Rathod’s attention is on a novel, Incomplete Manuscript, and a Bollywood story, Anhoni – a horror story. It is expected that he will be using his personal experiences once again in the coming novel as he has used in his first that was published in 2015.

Personally, the novelist was born in a city in Dadar and migrated to New Zealand. Right now, the author lives in Australia. He often visits India and often participates in the Kavi sammelans and shayari mehfils. Other than being a novelist, Asmit Rathod also writes poems and shayaris.

by Kundan for The Indian Authors