Best known for rekindling interest in Hindu mythology with his series of books bringing to life the stories of Shiva and Ram, blockbuster author Amish says he would love to write on Islam or Christianity if a good idea strikes him.
His body of work has focused on Hindu mythology primarily because he knows more about it, the 44-year-old said.
"My books happen to come in this way (Hindu mythology) because I have more knowledge of this. That's all," Amish told PTI.
"I know about the practises of Islam or Christianity essentially from my friends, I can't say I know their scriptures or their stories. But if a good story idea strikes I would love to write on them," he said.
The banker-turned-author, who has a following in countries such as Spain, Brazil, the US and the UK, said he is more than certain that in India at least people from all religions read his work.
Amish, who is busy promoting his latest release "Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta", said one of the "sweetest" compliments he ever received came from a Kashmiri Muslim reader.
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"He had read the Shiva trilogy and said he was so inspired and touched by it that he actually felt like saying Har Har Mahadev with pride," said Amish.
He attributed his wide readership to the "Indian way of life", which is not only about "tolerance" but also "active respect" for other religions.
Describing "Indian Islam" as perhaps the most "liberal Islam" in the world, he said we don't celebrate the Indian way of life enough.
"In Ajmer Sharif, on Friday, you will find more Hindus than Muslims out. And in Venkateswara Temple in the south, you will find Muslims coming and praying in that temple. There are enough and more examples like these where not just tolerance but active respect for each other is our way," he added.
Amish, who has earlier spoken strongly on varied subjects, including LGBT rights, freedom of expression and the relevance of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in school education, said many issues can be raised without "creating controversies".
"There is a lovely line in Sanskrit which says 'speak the truth but speak it with love'. I don't know why in today's day and age it is assumed that a smart guy has to be a rude guy.
"Some of my views could upset left-wing guys, some of my views could upset right-wing guys ... Perhaps my talking politely and sweetly is the reason I don't cause any controversies," said the author of the Shiva trilogy.
Amish is also not an active social media user, spending most of his time either reading or writing. This, he said, could also be one reason for successfully steering clear of any controversy in his nearly two-decade writing career.
Besides the Shiva trilogy - The Secret of the Nagas, The Immortals of Meluha and The Oath of the Vayuputra - Amish has authored Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila as part of the Ram Chandra series. Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta" is the third in the series.
The book, which traces the life of Raavan from birth to the time he abducts Sita, is "relentlessly dark", Amish said.
"Raavan is perhaps the first of my books which has been relentlessly dark. There is no let up whatsoever. Things keep happening to him and his reactions are also such that it usually makes things worse. I am glad the book is over it is too dark," he added.
Discussing the Ram Chandra series, he said the first book explored the tale of Ram, the second the story of Sita and the third burrows into the life of Raavan.
all three stories merge from the fourth book onwards into a single story, he writes in the book's introduction.
Amish uses a story-telling technique called "hyperlink" in his writing. It is also known as a "multi-linear narrative", where there are many characters and brought together by a single connection.
That said, this is probably the author's last of multi-linear narrative work "ever".
"This is last of the multi-linear narrative in the Ram Chandra series. I am never doing it ever again. It is complicated and too much of hard work. Pagal ho jaate hain'. (you go mad doing this)," he said.