Ep 43: K. Hari Kumar: ‘Writing horror takes a piece of you’

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Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha Varma

Anuradha Varma

60 episodes

4 days ago

Listen in to conversations that "swish" or shift your perspective! Journalist and Mindset Coach Anuradha Varma interviews a diverse cast of people who share their expertise and experiences on a range of themes, across spirituality, inclusivity, entrepreneurship, mythology, and popular culture. Follow and share to stay updated and grow the conversation.

Anuradha is a journalist with nearly three decades of experience, having worked as head of Parenting for Indian Express Online, editor of interiors magazine Casaviva, as well as with publications such as The Times of India, The Pioneer, etc. She is also a certified Mindset Coach with expertise in Mindfulness, EFT and NLP.

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Email: swishingmindsets@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are personal. Listener discretion is advised.

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Self-Improvement

Education,

Religion & Spirituality,

Spirituality,

Health & Fitness,

Mental Health

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Ep 43: K. Hari Kumar: ‘Writing horror takes a piece of you’

Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha Varma

1 hour 10 minutes

9 months ago

Ep 43: K. Hari Kumar: ‘Writing horror takes a piece of you’

When K. Hari Kumar was young, an oracle or soothsayer in Kerala prophesied that his work would revolve around the “undead”. Now, known fittingly as “Horror Kumar”, he talks about his latest novel Dakini, published by HarperCollins India, born out of personal tragedy and drawing on news reports of witch-hunting.

He touches upon his affinity for an all-pervading mother goddess, creating strong women characters as opposed to the “damsel-in-distress” Western trope. Through his story, he also explores deeper questions around the existence of a God and the concept of “Shoonyata” or a “profound, eternal void”. He also mentions his passion for keeping traditional folklore alive, sprinkling mythological references throughout his book, and his love for “rain” to keep a narrative going.

And the Dakini, he says, will be back, as part of his "horror universe" or even as a film. Listen in!

Book recommendations:
* Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levine
* The Shining by Stephen King
* Markandeya Purana
* Devi Bhagavatam by Ramesh Menon

About the book “Dakini”:
While investigating a spate of unexplained deaths in a remote village, Mumbai-based journalist Mamta learns of the dakini: a bloodthirsty entity that haunts the surrounding forests, leaving mutilated corpses in her wake. As the villagers’ terror grows, so does their dangerous suspicion of women. With lives on the line, including her own, Mamta is dragged into a race against time-all whilst trying to escape her traumatic past, which threatens to turn her own mind against her.

About the author:
Gurgaon-based K. Hari Kumar is an author of eight books, including the bestseller Daiva: Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship and the popular horror anthology India’s Most Haunted. His narratives are rooted in Indian folklore and mythology. He is also an international award nominated photographer and screenwriter.

Timestamps
02:20 The conception of Dakini; coming across news of witch-hunting
07:05 On the feminist energy of the book, his affinity for goddess Durga
14:30 Growing up on stories of yakshas, dakinis, brahma rakshasas, etc
20:35 Mythological symbolism in the book; Dakini as a yogini in Tibetan mythology
22:48 On his non-fiction Daiva; oral tradition of storytelling
27:00 “Surprising” rituals encountered during research for Daiva
39:44 His personal view of the rational vs supernatural
46:15 Interpretation of God
49:50 Using horror tropes; why he loves rain
55:10 How he started writing horror; the oracle’s prophecy
1:00:26 Book recommendations