I8217;d act but only if it is a comic role: Ruskin Bond

Writer Ruskin Bond is currently busy writing scripts and wouldn't mind acting given a comic role.

Writer Ruskin Bond, one of the country8217;s best loved authors is currently busy writing scripts and wouldn8217;t mind acting given a comic role.

Bond who was recently in Delhi to promote his latest work, a collection of short stories titled 8216;The Parrot Who wouldn8217;t talk and other stories8217; says he is working on two scripts for director Vishal Bhardwaj. Vishal Bhardwaj had directed the screen adaptation of another of Bond8217;s books 8216;The Blue Umbrella8217;.

8220;I was happy the way the film was done and so I am writing for him. I am not writing screen plays, but stories, keeping in mind that they would be turned into films,8221; says the author.

Quizzed about a probable stint as an actor, he said that he would be up for it if it is a comic role. 8220;Yes I would act but only it is a comedy,8221; says Bond.

Talking about India8217;s current crop of authors he says that writers should take risks and avoid writing about the country using cliches that appeases western audiences.

8220;Western audiences get attracted to themes of the occult like Karma as these are aspects that are completely new to them. Many of them do it unintentionally but some do it on purpose.8221;

Always in touch with his funny side, Bond says that he was planning to write a 8216;chick lit8217; until he was told off by a young author who said that he had to be a girl to write one.

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He later added on a serious note, 8220;Chick lit is a genre in itself, no lesser than any other but it cannot be used as a term to describe all works by women.8221;

Bond who has an affinity for ghost stories said that he prefers writing about friendly ghosts and often gets complaints from his young readers who say that they are not scary enough.

8220;I write ghost stories when I run out of people. Today the transition from innocence to adulthood happens at a much younger age due to the exposure provided by the different forms of media, and children often don 8216;t find my ghosts scary enough.8221;

The author who is of British descent and often gets quizzed about it said that he was an Indian by all means and that the country was the inspiration behind many of his writings.

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8220;The country inspires me. India8217;s physical identity permeates my writing. The best part is you are never lonely in India, you can always find someone to talk to,8221; the author says.

As to his latest work, Bond said that the idea was to write for children and to write something funny and amusing.

8220;While writing for children one needs to get the attention of the child with a strong story and identifiable characters. Even Tagore was a children8217;s writer.8221;

At the age of 74 Bond has once again proved himself to be truly 8216;young at heart8217;.