Manohar Malgonkar on His Novel The Princes: An Interview

Abstract

Manohar Malgonkar visited Lock Haven State College, Lock Haven, Pa., during the Fall semester of 1972. During 28-30 September he gave two public lectures, conducted four college classes, taped one half-hour television interview, and another longer two-hour interview for a literary journal, and met with numerous students, faculty, and townspeople at an informal reception held in his honour. His novel The Devil's Wind had just been published. Perhaps what is most striking about Malgonkar's conversation is his command of the English language: his spoken sentences are as precise and rounded as those he writes. He talks quickly, confidently, eagerly yet unaffectedly - obviously enjoying it. His voice and manner are warm and gentle. No transcript taken from the tape could catch the subtleties of voice which gave life and point to many of his rewarks. Malgonkar is a trim and sprightly man who retains some of the brisk alertness of his military career. Born in Bombay on 12 July 1913, he served for a time in the infantry, in counter-intelligence, and on the Army's General Staff during World War II, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. After graduatingfrom Bombay University with honours in English and Sanskrit, he became a professional big-game hunter, and used to arrange tiger shoots for the Indian Maharajahs. Soon he gave up killing wild animals for a living, to turn ardently anti-killing, and joined government service. He has since become a fierce wild-life conservationist. He stayed on in the Army for a while after the war and then turned to business and farming. He owned and operated manganese mines near his home town Jagalbet, India. He was also active in politics as a member of the Swatantra Party, and twice contested Indian parliamentary elections unsuccessfully. Malgonkar is the author of five English novels: Distant Drum (1960), Combat of Shadows (1962), The Princes (1963), A Bend in the Ganges (1964), and The Devil's Wind (1972). He is also a historian, having written three books of Indian history: Kanhoji Angrey (1959), Puars of Dewas Senior (1962), and Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur (1971). He has written several scripts for Indian movies. Mr Malgonkar has also written fifty short stories and over a hundred articles. He has visited the U.S.A. four times, in 1963, 1964, 1970, and 1972, when he lectured at many colleges and universities. At present he lives with bis family in Jagalbet, Belgaum district of India, and grows coconuts, oranges, and mangoes. The following is a partial transcript of an interview with Malgonkar during his visit to Lock Haven in 1972.