Through the corridors of time

Through the corridors of time
Deccan Herald

Vinay Krishnan has launched his first book ‘Corridors of Time,’ that traces life in Bangalore from the ‘60s to ‘90s.

The excitement of completing his first book is evident from his voice. Vinay Krishnan, a builder, has just launched ‘Corridors of Time’ - a memoir of time seen through the eyes of the protagonist Rohan. The book is set in Bangalore from 1960s to 1990s.

“The story draws the changing face of the City in the last three decades. The old landmark buildings with their sloped-tile terrace and Colonial look have disappeared. Today, we have highrise buildings that have changed the look of the City. What is sad is that while on the one hand so much has changed, nothing much has happened on the infrastructure front. Successive governments did not have the foresight to provide appropriate infrastructure to the City,” says Vinay.

The author was inspired to write the book after he got in touch with the former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan but he started working on it only three years ago. “It’s based on a true story. There’s a bit of myself in the book. It’s a narrative of ordinary human failings and the triumph of the human spirit,” he reveals. An experience that left an indelible mark on Vinay turned out to be his inspiration for ‘Corridors of Time’. “When you go through an intense experience, you want to write it. Rohan is born in Bangalore Cantt and has some Anglo Indian friends with whom he goes out to play cricket. They were a fun-loving people, simple and easy to be with. The book traces the change of samay (time), and how along with it, the characters also undergo a change. Towards the end, he breaks off from his normal life,” says Vinay.

Rohan is the man of the 21st century, who breaks away from the routine and changes with time. Speaking about his experience at book writing, the author says that he could divide it into three stages. “First was when I had the push to write but didn’t know how to start it. Once I made up my mind there was no looking back. The second experience was the huge amount of effort that went in to writing it. I had memories that were 30-40 years old. The third was the sense of gratification after completing the book,” he adds. Regarding how much of him is in the book, Vinay smiles and says, “It’s part fact; part fiction.” The book, priced at Rs 200, was released on Saturday by Justice S Rajendra Babu, former Chief Justice of India, and is available at all leading bookstores in the City.