This story is from September 21, 2024

Maria, crazy Maria

| Navan Ignatius | TNN | Sep 21, 2024, 13:14 IST

Sandhya Mary, whose novel, Maria, Just Maria (translated from Malayalam into English by Jayasree Kalathil), is on the longlist for JCB Prize for Literature, discusses the challenges of fitting in, the celebration of everything ‘not normal’, and why she believes time is not something that needs to be ‘utilized’.

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Excerpts from an interview:

After reading Maria, Just Maria, categorizing it as satire, magical realism or something else is not easy. How would you describe your novel?

Categorizing Maria...isn’t easy for me either. However, I would say Maria…is basically about the entrenched ‘normal’ vs ‘abnormal’ binary that has defined our society for ages. If a person deviates even slightly from society’s prescribed definition of ‘normal,’ they risk being tagged and branded as ‘abnormal.’ And sometimes, a person’s entire life can become a struggle to fit in! Ours is a deeply conservative society and one is taught from birth to adapt and fit in. You are not even given a chance to understand your true personality. Maria… subtly satirizes these societal systems, exploring the politics of our family, social and religious structures.

Where did the urge to write come from, the storytelling inspiration that gave us Maria...?

Maria...was never meant to be a literary work. I started it as a series of notes, maybe to decipher my mind, to know how ‘crazy’ I was or how ‘crazy’ I would go...It started long back and for some years, I didn’t write anything at all. Later, when I read them, I realized they had naturally taken on a literary form. I think, if you have that literary thing in you, and you write continuously even if it’s notes, your work will unknowingly, automatically develop a literary form. From then onwards, I started writing it as a novel. But even then, it took years, as I am a very lazy writer. I would rather call myself a storyteller.

Could you please share some insights into the writing process?

I absolutely loved writing Maria…! How couldn’t you with so many ‘not normal’ characters around you! It was a celebration of everything ‘not normal’! I loved that creative madness! There were times I would run to my partner laughing, ‘Hey I wrote this!’ Maria... came very naturally to me. It was like a crazy dance with Chandy patti, Mathiri Valyammachi, Geevarghese, Geevarghese Sahada, Jesus, Anna Valyamma, Kuncheria...

How did your personal experiences influence the themes and characters in your novel?

For me the theme is very much personal. I sometimes joke that if you are going to be a rebel, then be one after a certain age! I know you don’t decide such things, it just happens. If you are a free minded kid, especially a girl in a conservative family, your childhood is doomed! While I’m not Maria, I am a slightly more socially adapted version of her. Regarding the characters, I’ve never encountered anyone like them in real life, nor have I heard of such individuals.

Humour shines through in Maria...even amidst the poignant themes of loss and bereavement. Readers find themselves laughing one moment and feeling profound sadness the next. Do you think humour can make our existence more bearable? Is humour an important element in your personal life, too?

Many have told me that they have laughed and cried at the same time while reading Maria... Yes, humour makes everything beautiful! Once I was describing to a friend a very painful incident from my past. She was laughing throughout it and when I finished, she said amidst laughter, “That is a really good story, though made up!” If you have humour with you, negative feelings won’t remain with you long. You can laugh them off and move on.

While reading the novel, I was reminded of the recurring motif of the ‘Ship of Fools’ in medieval art and literature. This imagery often depicts a group of social outcasts banished from society. Foucault interpreted it as a reflection of how societies historically treated those considered ‘unreasonable’ or ‘mad’. Can you comment on this connection?

Yes, I can easily imagine myself on that ship! There are many creative people around us who have been branded ‘mad’ simply for not conforming to societal norms. People with beautiful souls! I think the whole society should be a big ‘ship of fools.’ With so many different people, living so many different lives! Even as a child, I questioned why everyone follows the same life path: Education, job, marriage, children, regular promotions. It’s as if time is a resource that must be efficiently utilized. Maria is someone who rejects this notion. She wonders, “Who discovered that time needs to be utilized?”

Your work offers a liberating perspective, encouraging self-expression and individuality rather than conformity to societal norms. It provides a sense of relief, especially for those who feel different or unconventional…

Thank you so much! Yes, many have told me that Maria gave them such relief! For those who doubted themselves or their sanity. In this context, I am thankful to -I don’t know to whom---being a non-believer, that I could write Maria...

In Maria..., the real, by the addition of the magical, gains in dramatic and emotional force. It becomes more real. Do you believe in magic?

Yes, I believe in magic! It allows you to have an alternate reality. But sadly, I don’t see much of that magic around me today.

Can you name some of your early influences?

I used to read more English or translated literature than Malayalam. I adored Catcher in the Rye, but upon rereading it recently, I found it less fascinating. Then there was my Jorge Amado phase! Oh, how I loved that Bahia-an canvas! Whorehouses and churches existing side by side... Even today, Brazil remains the country I most yearn to visit.

What have you read recently?

Nowadays, I don’t read much fiction. I’m mostly focused on political or historical works. Currently, I’m rereading Jahangirnama, which is a fascinating and amusing book.

When can we expect your next work?

Not in the near future! Didn’t I mention that I am a very lazy writer?

Do you think Jayasree Kalathil’s translation of Maria… captured the essence of the original Malayalam text?

Jayasree’s translation is brilliant! It is incredibly close to the Malayalam version yet can be read as a standalone novel. It is truly beautiful! She was so immersed in Maria that at one point, I told her she knew Maria better than I did. We both share the same political views and perspectives on normality and abnormality, so she could connect with Maria instantly.

If I may, what is your take on society, religion, politics and life as a whole?

You always wish for this ‘just’ world! This Utopian world where all are equal, all are happy, all are content, where withering away of the state truly happens. Recently, we saw the Ambani wedding hungama! We saw Nita Ambani wearing a Rs 500 crore necklace! And still people believe in God! If God is there, he/she is doing a pathetic job!

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