A large part of Sacred Games reads like cinema, and the impact of the Indian film industry is undeniable. If you could describe it in any way, how has studying film helped your writing? Or, for that matter, your scriptwriting?
I went to film school at Columbia after my undergraduate course, dropped out, then got a Masters from John Hopkins before getting a Master of Fine Arts degree. It helped a lot, and in a couple of ways.
One was just working with other people -- accomplished writers like John Barth and Donald Barthelme -- and their consciousness of what was on the page, the concentration on how a sentence turned. That really teaches you to listen to the rhythm and movement of a sentence across a page.
Secondly, I got to hang out with other students -- it was like finding a community of writers, which I never had before -- who understood your obsession. It made it worthwhile and productive.
You have managed forms as diverse as the short story and a film script. Have you considered experimenting with other forms of creative writing?
I honestly have no idea of what I'm doing next.
What about opera?
That wouldn't work. When it comes to music, I don't have the ear (laughs). The last couple of times, I would start working on something new the minute I finished a book. But, after Sacred Games, I feel like I want to take a break.
Read an exclusive extract from Sacred Games: Tales from the Underworld
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