He is visually impaired, but that has never deterred Indian-born American writer Ved Mehta to illuminate his world with impressive pieces of writings

It’s a mystery, to commoners like us blinded by the blaring bright lights of life, how Ved Mehta visualises the world and translates it into words, sentences that leave you awestruck with their simplicity and vivid description. It’s a mystery how a visually impaired person who lost his sight at age four can hold so much vision and light inside him, enough to illuminate the universe with his stories and writings. Such is the genius and heavenly talent of this Indian-born American writer who, despite his disability, is today one of the most versatile contemporary men of letters. And to its testimony is his impressive collections of works, starting with Face to Face, which he released in 1957, when he was just 23!

“When you become a writer, you forget about achieving everything; you get humble and take every written word, every book, as a long, interesting journey which keeps shifting like stream of life,” says the celebrated writer, in town with his wife Lynn, to interact about his books, Daddyji and Mamaji, courtesy PUTA and Roli Books at Panjab University.

“Face to Face was a personal story, an outline of my life, and I wanted to write a more detailed account, which gave birth to Daddyji, my father. When you’re growing up your parents have all sorts of stories to tell you, and I started interviewing my father, only to realise in the course that I could pen a whole book on him!” Soon, his sisters accused him of favouritism and urged him to pen one on the mother too. Which he did, and found out that she was not just a figure of authority, but more. “She was a terrific observor, and I get that and my sense of humour from her,” Ved says he’s blessed that he could write about his parents, documenting their lives over a period of 25 years. “Once I’ve written a book, I never change it. Before it goes to final print, it’s checked a million times by me, but once it’s over, a book is born, and its karma and dharma is set. I never changed anything in Daddyji or Mamaji, but 25 years later, wrote again, giving a new dimension to their lives and relationship,” says the writer who holds utter respect for facts and prefers not to invent anything for books are historical documents which cannot be tampered with. “Instead, I use tools of descriptive fiction, dialogues and flashbacks to embellish it.”

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