Historical fiction is definitely one of the most challenging genres to write in. While first-rate writing skills are a given for any genre, historical fiction also needs good knowledge of history as well as the ability to weave it with a new storyline convincingly. And when an author is able to create a classic in his first attempt, then it is bound to attract both excellent reviews and prestigious awards. That is what Niranjan Mudholkar has achieved with his debut novel ‘The Kingdom of God’.
Using non-linear narration, Niranjan Mudholkar has crafted a masterpiece that tells the story of an ancient box from Ayodhya. The author has quite effectively used certain incidents from India’s medieval history to portray the journey of this box over a few hundred years and across diverse geographical locations in the country. Running parallel to this story is the quest of a daughter for her long-lost father. Obviously, you will have to read the novel to know how these two plots are interconnected. But the author has done it in a very entertaining manner and without compromising on the seriousness of the subject. “Every writer wants to establish his distinct style. To accomplish that, I have tried to blend creativity with research based writing. Secondly, while keeping the story as entertaining as possible, I have also subtly highlighted certain social issues that need attention. Of course, this is just the beginning and I hope to further evolve my style with my next novels,” says Niranjan Mudholkar explaining his thought process.
Although Niranjan Mudholkar has a rich career graph of more than two decades across fields like academics, publishing and journalism, he has recently turned a novelist with ‘The Kingdom of God’. By winning the HBW News’ Global Achievers Award 2021 for achievement in literature for the Best Debut Novel, he has made a bold statement that he is here to carve a niche for himself in the genre of historical fiction! Importantly, his popularity with readers has seen a rising graph right from the beginning. “A writer is his own self. However, an author is created by his readers. I am glad that my readers are loving my work and I will endeavour to live up to their expectations with every novel that I write,” Niranjan Mudholkar says confidently.
