The year is 1897. Lord Stoker Mcleod and his team are missing. Supposedly, the Devil devoured them. A small band of men and women, led by Captain Ragi, is assembled to discover what happened. What they find shocks and astonishes them to the core.”
So launches the novel ‘Hari’, the latest book published by Merritt resident and Merritt City Councillor, Mike Bhangu.
This is Bhangu’s first foray into fiction, after publishing more than a dozen non-fiction books covering a wide range of subjects from philosophy to religion to war and the power of gratitude.
Also an actor, Bhangu sought to combine his love of writing and his love of performance by creating a story in the format of a screenplay, something that he hopes may one day be seen by many on either the small or silver screen.
“I do work in the film industry, and it’s tough getting a good acting role,” said Bhangu.
“I thought if I write a story, maybe I have a chance of getting that speaking role and more than 30 seconds on screen.”
Upon completing the novel, which clocks in at more than 300 pages, Bhangu began shopping the script around, an industry term which refers to the process of having professionals read the screenplay and determine if they would like to take on the project of committing it to film.
So far, Bhangu said there have been several interested parties, including a producer who suggested Hari’s potential as a series of some kind.
Should that day come, Bhangu has already eyed up a character he would like to portray, having written the novel with that idea in mind and tailoring one of the protagonists to his own personal preferences.
“I like Captain Ragi,” said Bhangu.
“He resonates with my type of personality, so yes, I did create that character for myself. We’ll see what happens, if that day ever comes.”
Although Hari is a popular Indian name of Hindi and Sanskrit origin which means ‘lion’ and is also one of the names of Vishnu, the second god of the Hindu triumvirate, Bhangu said that the novel’s title character is his own creation.
“The character does not resemble or wasn’t inspired by anything in history, it’s a character that came out of my imagination,” Bhangu explained.
That being said, the story does blend fact and fiction, intermixing historical places and events with elements of fantasy and artistic license.
For example, Fort Lockhart and the battle between the British and the Afghan tribesmen are both rooted in historical fact. As is the cooperation between the British and Indian peoples, despite the colonial aspects which Bhangu touches on throughout the novel.
“What I wanted to show was the harmony and the teamwork that was between the colonialists and the local people, such as the Sikhs, and how there was that other side of it,” Bhangu explained.
“But at the same time, there was an element in India historically that didn’t want the British there.”
Bhangu also took care to present female characters that were not stereotypes of 19th century women.
“I wanted female characters, and I wanted female characters who would be portrayed as strong,” said Bhangu.
“Especially for that time period. We have the writer, the General’s daughter who’s trying to write a story and at that time she shouldn’t be doing that, she should be out there getting married or something like that. And the General tries to convince her of this, and she rebels… and again that’s something I wanted to highlight, that even in that time it (female empowerment) was happening.”
From first page to last, Bhangu set out to make Hari a swashbuckling tale balancing the old and the new, male and female characters, and mystery and adventure.
In addition, for those who have enjoyed his literary offerings thus far, Bhangu’s next publication is already in the works, although he declines to comment on that just yet.
