FIVE QUESTIONS WITH RAMENDRA KUMAR

Today, we are honoured to have Ramendra Kumar with us in Five Questions, talking about his fads, foibles, flaws, and fantasies.

Ramendra Kumar calls himself Ramen, but, tongue-in-cheek quips that his family calls him insane. A writer by passion, a storyteller by obsession, a mentor by aspiration, a communicator by profession and a dancer by inspiration, Ramen has written 41 books that have been translated into 30 languages. His oeuvre includes children’s fiction from picture books to YA, biographies, graphic books, adult fiction, poetry, travelogues, and articles on parenting, relationships, and even a book of ghazals!

His work has found a place in several anthologies and textbooks. He loves festival hopping and has lived it up in events at Denmark, Greece, Sharjah, Sri Lanka as well, Indian festivals like Jaipur LitFest, Bookaroo, et al.

An Engineer and an MBA, Ramen was serving as the General Manager (Corporate Communications), SAIL, when he opted for Voluntary Retirement to pursue his Ikigai, in August 2020.

According to Ramen, his greatest strengths are his wit, the ability to write in complete chaos, and the flair to continually reinvent himself. His three greatest weaknesses are his short temper, his uber-sensitive nature, and his near-obsession with perfection.

So, let us hear what this maverick has to say about himself and his dreams.

Santosh Q1: A warm welcome to you, Ramendra Kumar, or should I call you Ramen? A writer, a storyteller, a mentor, a communicator. Yes, also a dancer! Wow! Can you give me just one adjective for this multi-talented genius?

Ramen: Insane! Let me elucidate. I have always had an absolute disdain for authority. I have been like the little kid in the story ‘Emperor without Clothes’ who calls the bluff. This trait has often landed me in quite a bit of trouble in my career. Also, people have told me that I am completely unpredictable and eccentric, with the rather uncanny ability to see the ridiculous even in the most sublime.

Santosh Q2: Well, kudos to that! Honestly speaking, I keep telling everyone that it is not very easy to hold on to your insanity when the world around you is consistently swearing by sanity. Let me confess that I was called the Mad Hatter in school, and if you look closely you will glimpse that streak of wackiness in my eyes...ha, ha!

Well, my family is absolutely convinced that I lost my marbles when, as a ten-year-old, I fell from the Neem tree in our garden in our quarters in the university campus in Rajasthan University, Jaipur. So, as the Cheshire cat says in Alice in Wonderland, “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”  But, some, like me, can be madder.

But, let us keep this discussion of the varying degrees of insanity amongst writers for a later time, right now just tell us something else. Yes, about the many awards that you have received. How do you feel every time an award is conferred on you?

Ramen: I feel absolutely thrilled! I have always believed that I deserved every award I got and even a few I didn’t 😊 But my greatest pleasure is seeing the pride in the eyes of my family (including my Lab) whenever I share with them any such awesome news.

Santosh Q3: Well, that is wonderful! Hope you keep getting awards and continue dreaming of greater laurels lying in wait. You know, I would love to see the expression of pride in your lab’s eyes. By the way, what do you call him?

Ramen: Aryan.

Santosh: Ah, that is a nice name. Tell me, had you ever dreamt of becoming a writer, or did you just put pen to paper one fine day- and hey presto! A writer was born!

Ramen: I always wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. I wrote my first poem when I was around seven. It was possibly the most ridiculous poem ever written. It went something like this:

Topsy and Tim went for a swim

Topsy swam well and broke the spell

Tim swam badly

And went home sadly!

Santosh: Well, that is so cute- not at all ridiculous! I still cringe with embarrassment when I recall the first limerick that I wrote in the sixth standard.

There was a talkative horse from Vishakhapatnam

None taught him the advantages of keeping mum

When a donkey brayed

He robustly neighed

This talkative horse from Vishakhapatnam. 

Tell me, can anything be more absurd than this!

Sorry for this digression. Please, tell us what followed after you wrote that cute poem which you call ridiculous?

Ramen: I took my maiden ‘masterpiece’ written in my spidery scrawl, to Bauji, my father. I was feeling a bit apprehensive. I thought he would remark, ‘Ramen, why are you wasting your time writing silly poetry? You should solve math problems like Chaddha Uncle’s daughter Sweetie or study science like Oindrilla aunty’s son Putul! But he didn’t say any of these things. He read the poem carefully, picked me up, gave me a tight hug, and said just one word: ‘Wonderful’!

If today I am a writer and with quite a few books and awards, it is because of that one soul-caressing gesture and that enthusiastic comment! Later my journey as a writer continued in fits and starts. I took it up seriously only when I was in my Engineering. Here too, at every step of the way Bauji was there with his unobtrusive guidance and unconditional support.

Santosh Q4: I doff my hat to your affectionate and supportive dad whose subtle guidance and 'soul-caressing gesture' prodded you on to greater heights.

At present you are known for your oratorical skills, but tell us honestly, did you ever have stage fright/butterflies in the stomach\Trembling of limbs?

Ramen: I was studying in Hyderabad Public School, the best educational institution in Andhra Pradesh. Its Alumni, even today, are icons in their respective fields. The first time I participated in a debate competition, I was in class eight. My competition was with speakers who were considered the best in the circuit. I prepared well, started quite confidently but suddenly everything went blank. I just stood staring - opening and shutting my mouth for God knows how long. Slowly the sniggers began and I couldn’t take it anymore and fled from the podium. I had stood last and become the laughing stock of the school. Much later I realized that I had not internalized my speech, I had merely mugged it up. As a result, when the moment came, I forgot a phrase, and my entire speech got derailed. I avoided any tryst with debating after that, for quite some time.

Santosh: Oh!

Ramen: But when I was in my fourth year of Engineering, I decided to contest for the post of Cultural Secretary. As per the prevailing practice each candidate had to go from class to class and make a speech. In most cases,  the student who put up a good show won the elections.

I wrote my speech – the vocabulary, the tone, the tenor, and the content were my own, I infused it with my strength – humour, and satire and the speech was a smash hit. I won the elections. There has been no looking back since then,  as far as public speaking is considered.

Of course, I have had to continuously tweak the style and substance of my outreach as I moved from performance storytelling to delivering inspirational speeches to conducting creative writing workshops to addresing corporates et al.

Santosh Q5: Hearty congratulations to you for your commitment, drive and diligence. Not everyone can do it. We would love to know something about your forthcoming books/projects.

Ramen: Fighting the Silent Pandemic - Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 – this book is ready for print. It has some stunning illustrations by the amazingly talented Avijit Sarkar.

Santosh: You cannot deny, Avijit Sarkar is an incredible genius- and so humble too. There is nothing that this man cannot do! He has illustrated my hundred page Reuel International Poetry Award-winning narrative poem Oh Hark! amazingly. Part of its immense popularity is due to his commendable illustrations.

Ramen: I am also working on three other books simultaneously.  My first book of non-fiction – Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm, published by Blue Pencil Publishers, received an awesome response. I am now busy penning its sequel: New Age Parenting.

I have more than 32 years of experience in the Corporate Communications Department Rourkela Steel Plant, a unit of SAIL which is a Maharatna company. I have started writing my memoirs. This is one of my most ambitious ventures till date. It is titled - Chronicles of a Corporate Executive. I am hoping to expose the good, the bad and the ugly side of the corporate world.    

                 

My latest release ‘Shriek and Other Spooky Tales’ was an Amazon bestseller. I am planning to finish its sequel by the end of this year.

Santosh: So, we should hope to look forward to these four books from your prolific pen. All the best, and hope all of them are bestsellers like your previous books.

It was indeed great interacting with you. Hope we are able to converse again soon. Thanks a ton for your time.