For novelist Aditya Sudarshan, staying true to the path of an author's career, helps keep his writings fresh.
Sudarshan, who has predominantly authored suspense thrillers, thinks the genre is a powerful one.
His new book "Persecution of Madhav Tripathi" is the third addition to a basket of fiction that already has "A Nice Quiet Holiday" and "Show Me a Hero."
"I think thrillers are a very powerful genre, and especially relevant in today's times, when we tend to be over sophisticated to the point of ennui," says Sudarshan.
The author who is also the scriptwriter for NDTV's political comedy show, "The Great Indian Tamasha" has two stage plays to his credit.
"Thrillers remind us that truth is dramatic and urgent," adds the author who gave up a career in criminal law to begin writing.
"Persecution of Madhav Tripathi" revolves around a young IAS officer, who finds himself under attack by a mysterious group of assassins, with the picture complicating further as the novel unfolds.
"The story interrogates the psyche of our English-speaking elite," he says.
The Mumbai-based playwright does not believe in "hooking" his audience, because, he says it is not fair to the readers.
"There are tricks and gimmicks that writers can use to capture attention, and then often the Stockholm Syndrome kicks in, and readers forget that they are being ill-treated," he says.
The author prefers mystery, merely as an environment that makes one feel alert and alive. "That's the only 'hook' for me," he says.
