The industry veteran says he wanted to question the stereotypes of art and religion with his book ‘The Dance of Faith’.
The industry veteran says he wanted to question the stereotypes of art and religion with his book ‘The Dance of Faith’.
A Muslim boy living in a small village in the foothills of Yercaud has become crazy about Zaheer. dance since childhood. His early lessons are from Tamil films. Stars like Padmini and Vyjayanthimala enthrall him. Rhythm, gait and expressions keep ringing in his head, even when ridiculed by his classmates. He wants to learn Bharatanatyam but his father will not allow him to pursue his passion. However, no obstacle is going to stop them from their chosen path.
dance of faithA multi-layered novel by R Seshasayee, raises questions about the stereotyping of art and religion. Can a practicing Muslim become a Bharatanatyam dancer? The book tackles the question of identity as the protagonist pursues life in the arts.
Seshasayee has held several leadership positions in the corporate world. He was the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Ashok Leyland, Chairman of Infosys and Chairman of IndusInd Bank.
Currently the Vice President of Hinduja Group and Independent Director at Asian Paints, the 74-year-old explains the choice of subject for his debut novel. Edited excerpt:
You are one of the country’s senior industry leaders, and have been on the boards of several companies. How did you find time to write a novel?
I give credit to the lockdown. Although I started the book several years ago, I was able to make substantial progress during the lockdown, when, like everyone else, I was left with the time that would have previously been spent waiting at airports and in unproductive meetings. was!
Someone may have considered your first novel about the corporate world. Why didn’t you want to do this?
I think there was an internal urge to get away from the corporate world and think about other things in life.
He is trained in Carnatic Music and has also been the Vice President of the Academy of Music in Chennai. Someone would have expected that music would be the focus of your book.
The question I was trying to address goes beyond art forms. Whether art as an identity needs to be linked to faith, which is another identity, is worth considering.
This is a very visual book. The villages, the fairs, the multicultural people, the streets and alleys of Chennai, Mylapore, dance classes, gatherings, all come alive. How long did the research take?
not much. We all see, learn and assimilate many things in the course of our lives. All I had to do was retrieve these memories and knowledge from my mental library. But I checked many details with my friends – on Islamic practices, for example.
What do you think about art and religion? Our classical music and dance is full of devotion and piety. Do you think it is possible for art to bring about religious unity?
Basically, I subscribe to the principle that we are all sets of distinct identities. Faith is just one of them. There are others – citizenship, language, profession, art. For example, even the same religion, Hinduism, has many sub-identities. I think there is a need to continually find ways to unite humanity with what is common between social groups, rather than allowing society to be divided on the basis of what is different. In an environment where faith separates people, art and other identities can and should be used for unity. If art or language is tied to faith, it only increases division. This novel is an expression of my thoughts on social stereotypes and the difference between art and belief.
The interviewer is a Chennai-based journalist and writer.