Under cover writer - The Hindu

08/07/14 12:09 am

Today's Paper FEATURES METRO PLUS

Under cover writer
Cop-turned-crime author Brijesh Singh says writing Quantum Siege in two months was as thrilling as chasing criminals down

Breaking a code of silenceBrijesh Singh.Photo: Vivek Bendre

If anybody mentions the book, Ill kill you! This is probably the last thing you would imagine an author promoting
his book to say. But Brijesh Singh is not your usual author. If he was, he wouldnt bein his own wordssick of his
book three days after its launch.
Brijesh Singh, the author of crime thriller Quantum Siege , is an IPS officer, currently serving as the Assistant
Commissioner of Mumbai (North). He can wield a pen, as easily as he can his gun and can entertain his daughters
friends as effectively as he can control an angry mob. He can make filter cappuccino (that he serves us at his home in
South Mumbai) and ideate futurist technology, with equal aplomb.
Dressed in a casual T-shirt and a pair of jeans, Brijesh who regales us with tales of riot control, and offers us homemade
pani puris, is the antithesis of what a police officer is perceived to be. This fiercely private man, can cook 700 dishes,
loves art, is an amateur photographer and has an eclectic circle of friends that include writers, artists and Bollywood
professionals. And oh, he was also petrified when he had to keep Amitabh Bachchan waiting during his book launch.
Talking about his foray into the written word, he says, I wrote poetry for years, but I never have and never will publish
it. I wrote it just for myself, admits this reclusive man, adding that he has always been a very private person. He recalls
a time when, as a DC in South Mumbai, he handled a serial killer case and had to make frequent public appearances, I
was on TV some 500 times but I never felt comfortable talking about my work, he says.
Unfortunately, not too many authors today have the luxury of absolute privacy, especially if you want to promote your
book, Writing a book is one thing, but taking up the persona of an author is the tough bit. It is almost like a marriage
while dating, everything is okay but once married you have to deal with a lot of new responsibilities, he says.
Being an author was not something he had set out to do. It was veteran crime reporter-turned-author Hussain Zaidi,
with whom he was collaborating on his books, who tried convincing him to write. But Brijesh dismissed him, at first, I
thought it was a no-brainer for a cop to write crime fiction. Like a chef writing a cookery book. I didnt like the idea at
all, he says.
But Zaidi wouldnt give up. Although Brijesh said that, For me, it was very routine and boring--a case, chasing
something deep, its technical aspect,
Zaidi, however, believed differently, This is what people want to read, he said, says Brijesh. It may be routine and
boring for you, but it is very interesting to others.
Before he knew it there was a contract in place and a timeline of two months. It was a bad timeline to work on, but
given the nature of the story (it happens over a span of two and a half days), once you enter the tunnel there is no way
out. You have to keep rushing to the end. And thats the kind of feedback I got. Much like how I wrote it. This was the
secret: the two-month deadline. What Brijesh has managed to do in those two months proves why a police officer
writing crime fiction makes all the difference.
For the character of the ISI chief, I did a complete study of 8-9 ISI chiefswhere they studied, which sectors theyve
worked in, their important work, their parentage, which tribe they belong toand then I would sort of abstract this and
create a real personage. Wherever available, I saw a lot of YouTube videos of places. There is also a lot of operational
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/under-cover-writer/article6183571.ece

Page 1 of 2

Under cover writer - The Hindu

08/07/14 12:09 am

stuff involved. If I have mentioned a particular vehicle then I have calculated the speed of that vehicle in that terrain.
All timelines and distances are absolutely correct.
By his own confession, not all characters are entirely fictitiousthe character of the Commissioner of Police Kamal
Kant is modelled after a real person, I have worked with that manone of the finest officers. And the dialogues are his,
word for word. I havent told him that though, he gushes like a student talking about his favourite teacher. There also
appear to be some similarities between Brijesh and his books hero Rudra Pratap Singh. I did not make a deliberate
attempt to drive the character away from the traits which had similarities with me.
Rudra Pratap, a flawed hero, trying to save a city from being destroyed, is quirky, narrates Zen stories at the oddest of
times and is likable and hateable in equal measure. This book offers insights into whats beyond media access and sees
characters personal and professional reactions to complex situations.
The characters of his novel are not always heroic or villainous but real people with lots of grey in their personality.
With policemen, there is a code of silence. We speak about work, but we learn not to talk about personal aspects.
There is so much public scrutiny. For instance, I cannot go have coffee in uniformit will make me and others
uncomfortable, he says adding, The Indian Police Service is a very elite service. The Indian Civil Services exams are
probably one of the worlds toughest exams. Taking up the exams is itself like doing multiple graduation and postgraduations together. So you learn a lot. Most of our colleagues and compatriots in the Civil Services are very wellread, he says.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/under-cover-writer/article6183571.ece

Page 2 of 2