Interview questions for Aniruddha Sen Gupta
Author of Fundoo 4: The Mystery of MindNet
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Q. The Fundoo 4 are all interesting characters, but for me, differently abled Mani stood out the most. Please tell us a little about why you chose to create him the way you did.
A. The idea of the Fundoo 4 came out of some projects that a friend, Salil Chaturvedi, and I were doing before I started writing the books. Our work was in designing campaigns on issues that mattered to us, among which were the rights of people with disabilities.
When we came up with the concept of the Fundoo 4 (who made their debut as part of a series of educational CD-ROMs), we were keen to make the group inclusive. So we decided that one of the characters would have a disability of some sort, and yet be an integral part of the group.
Mani, as you know, has a hearing impairment. However, we preferred to focus on the special abilities of the character – his ability to read lips, use sign language, things like that – which allow Mani to do things and work out stuff that the other kids can't. |
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Q. Did you draw on any influences while writing this book - authors who have previously created similar adventure series?
A. I was certainly influenced by the books I read when I was a child. Specifically, the various adventure series created by Enid Blyton. Even the name of the series, the Fundoo 4, is a kind of tribute to groups such as the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. Among the Enid Blyton series, though, if I were to pick the one that's closest in tone to the Fundoo 4, it would be the Five Find-Outers.
In terms of writing style and the specific storyline, though, I've made it more contemporary. Life has changed greatly since the Famous Five would go camping on Kirrin Island, and the Fundoo 4 series incorporates the faster pace, the technological innovations and the street smartness of the modern day. |
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Q. How many books have you planned for your series?
A. I don't see the Fundoo 4 as being a closed-ended series. The books will hopefully keep on coming as long as I have the ideas and there are readers for them. Each book is a standalone adventure of its own, and there isn't a great deal that's carried forward from one book to the next. Of course, that means I will have to deal with the matter of the Fundoo 4 growing up, or not, as time passes, but I have my own plans on that front, which will stay secret for the time being (wink, wink).
As of now, I am thinking of the Fundoo 4 series as books in cycles of four at a time. The first two, 'The Mystery of MindNet' and 'The Lake of Betrayal' are almost introductory in nature. They kind of set the tone, introduce you to the characters, chronicle their transformation into the Fundoo 4, explore what happens to them at the end of the first book. Beyond those two, I have the first cycle of four books quite clearly planned in my head.
Ideas for new storylines keep popping into my head, which I meticulously note down. So if there's enough interest in the Fundoo 4, I can tell you that there will be enough books! |
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Q. How did you come up with the idea for the Whispercraft?
A. The Whispercraft is the fruit of one of my lifelong obsessions. Since when I was young, like many children are, I have been very interested in aeroplanes. So much so that when I got into college, I chose to study aeronautical engineering, in which they teach you how planes work and how they are designed.
The Whispercraft, therefore, is solidly rooted in my knowledge of the direction that aircraft design has taken, in particular the advent of what are known as stealth planes – spy planes which can come and go almost undetected. |
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Q. Do you have a favourite character?
A. If you mean from among the Fundoo 4, no, not really. I see the four of them as different parts of a complete whole, since each has individual traits and skills that are very different. In some ways, I see a little bit of myself – and of many other people and kids I know and admire – in each of the Fundoo 4.
If you're asking in general, I can't say I have any one such, but there are many fictional characters whom I enjoy reading about. Among characters from children's fiction, a few I could name are Tintin, Fatty from the Five Find-Outers, William from the series by Richmal Crompton, Hermione from Harry Potter, Satyajit Ray's Feluda, and a whole lot of others. Too many really. |
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