Behind the Book: Dr Ajay Kansal

Today at Behind the Book we have Dr. Ajay Kansal the author of The Evolutions of God.

It is always a pleasure interacting with authors for they teach you a lot of new things and when that author is someone who has written a book that not only is commendable but also one that makes you question your own believes the interaction definitely becomes all the more interesting. I would like to THANK Ms. Nikita Soni who blogs at NJKinny for giving me this opportunity to interact with the author and also review this wonderful book.

Moving ahead to hear what Dr. Ajay Kansal has got to say about his book and allow us a sneak peek into what goes on behind a book:

Tell us something about your book The Evolution of Gods. How did the entire concept come into being?

Some ten years ago, I studied several books and concluded that the concept of gods and religions is the invention of humanity to wrestle with their challenges in ancient era. However, I could comprehend this after reading several scholarly books. To communicate this complex subject, I visualized a concise book for the educated laymen.

The topic chosen by you, though sensitive for many is actually the core of our society today. For many an identity too. So what is the message that you want to drive across to each one of them through your book

My only message is that humanity invented and evolved the gods as per their use. However, today, the concept is useful only to the demigods or priests: it is useless, rather harmful for the masses.

Source: Google Images

Writing on such a topic would have had its own share of challenges. Would you like to share any of your experiences.

In fact, writing was a lesser challenge than the promotion. Most of the people have a built a conviction about gods from persistent teaching by parents and priests; they are not ready to shake their culminated thought process. The book jolts their self esteem; how foolish they are to worship gods. Considering the ego and convictions, most people are not willing to read this concept, irrespective of its truth.

If given a chance would there be anything that you would like to change in the book?

I am changing many things persistently, just to explain the concept in a better way.

How has your journey been to becoming an author?

It was simply due to the lack of a concise book on such a subject that is covered by profound darkness by religious dogmas.

Source: Google Images

Having written a book on religion there must have been lost of instances where you might have been asked about your own faith and belief in God and religion. How does it feel at such times?

I am an atheist and do not believe in gods, holy books, ghosts, miracles or demigods.

With this book you have sent out a message to all your readers and followers. Will your next books also be on the same topic / genre or would be experimenting further into various genres?

My next book is a romantic fiction, a satire on modern relationship.

One message for all our readers here.

Readers must read something that may help plan their future actions; that may enlighten about their blunders, not only entertainment.

We would like to THANK YOU for being here today and also wish you all the best!

Movie Review: If by Tathagata Ghosh – A Tender Portrait of Love, Loss, and Possibility

If , a 26-minute short film by acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Tathagata Ghosh, is a sensitive, evocative piece of storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll. Set against the everyday rhythm of life in Kolkata, the film delicately unpacks the story of a lesbian couple torn apart by the weight of societal expectations and dares to imagine a different future, one where a mother's love might just change everything. What struck me first was the film’s raw, grounded realism. The characters feel like people we know, middle-class families navigating a complex world with quiet resilience. The world of If is filled with silences, glances, and stills, rather than heavy dialogue. Ghosh masterfully uses these moments to speak volumes, allowing viewers to sit with discomfort, interpret the unspoken, and feel deeply.

Book Review: The Story of Eve: Selected Poems by Zehra Nigah

Few voices in Urdu poetry have carried the weight of history, resistance, and deep personal introspection quite like Zehra Nigah. One of the first women to break into the traditionally male-dominated world of Urdu poetry, Nigah’s work stands as a testament to the power of words to illuminate, question, and challenge. The Story of Eve: Selected Poems, translated by Rakshanda Jalil, brings together some of her most powerful nazms and ghazals, showcasing both her literary elegance and her unflinching gaze at the human condition, particularly through the lens of gender, social injustice, and political turmoil.

The Urban Gaze : Reimagining the Village in Contemporary Indian Cinema

Indian cinema has long been fascinated with the village. From the earthy, socialist realism of Do Bigha Zamin (1953) to the melodramatic lament of Mother India (1957), the village once stood as both heartland and hinterland — a space of moral clarity, rustic struggle, and often unyielding fate. But as the urban middle class began to dominate cinematic production and consumption, the depiction of the village increasingly came to reflect an urban gaze, that is, a perspective shaped by distance, nostalgia, condescension, or even outright fantasy. In recent years, this urban gaze has taken on new shades, evident in the way mainstream and indie filmmakers alike have re-engaged with rural India. While some have tried to explore the village as a site of resistance, authenticity, or even horror, others continue to reproduce sanitized or exaggerated versions of village life that serve urban sensibilities more than rural realities.

Reviews & Musings

Search This Blog