I interviewed Mangalam Shiva a few months ago on my blog insaneowl.com and since then I’ve grown quite fond of his literature. I’ve been reading many of his short stories like ‘Bleeding Hearts’, ‘Sparrow’s Nest’, ‘Fury’ and ‘Amity’ and I’ve fallen in love with his candid style which reminds me a lot of some of my favorite Indian contemporary writers like Chetan Bhagat, Divya Prakash Dubey and Durjoy Dutta. After reading ‘Amity’ which reminded me a lot of the style of my favorite writer of all time, namely R.K. Narayan the Grand Old Man of Malgudi, I thought that I should interview Mangalam Shiva again to chat with us about his short stories and to share some exciting bookish content with us that went into the making of these short stories. I welcome Mangalam Shiva Sir to insaneowl.com once again. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview with me Sir.
Biography
Author Mangalam Shiva is a retired Marketing Executive. After his retirement, he started writing short stories. He is a prolific reader of English novels. He has published two books of short stories, “EMPTY FISTS” AND “CENTURION.” He lives in Bengaluru, India. He is a keen observer of people and situations around him. He writes stories on social injustices and day to day happenings in the lives of people.
Interview
Fiza: Your short stories are so varied and candidly written in a lucid style that just charms the reader. How do you manage to come up with your ideas Mangalam Sir?
Mangalam: The ideas come from observations of the happenings around me. A small spark of an idea is developed into a short story with some characters, dialogues, and themes.
Fiza: Who are your favorite short story writers?
Mangalam: I enjoy reading short stories by Jeffrey Archer.
Fiza: Do you read fiction in any other language? I read quite a few Hindi fiction books and that is how I first came across the author Divya Prakash Dubey who is a well-known literary public figure in Hindi contemporary literature. I would love to know your thoughts on that.
Mangalam: I read many fiction books in English. I can read Hindi but not Hindi fiction. I am fluent in speaking Hindi.
Fiza: What are you reading currently? How are you enjoying that book or books?
Mangalam: Recently I completed reading “THE BOURNE EVOLUTION” by Robert Ludlum. I am now reading “TICK TOCK” BY James Patterson.
Fiza: When I read your short story ‘Bleeding Hearts’ which is a story about two very different ghazal singers, I was so taken up with your prose and poetic narration. Have you ever thought of delving into the genre of poetry?
Mangalam: Poetry is not my writing strength. I am versatile in writing short stories.
Fiza: My favorite ghazal singers are Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, and of course Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Do you listen to ghazals? How did the plot of the short story ‘Bleeding Hearts’ come about?
Mangalam: I am very fond of listening to Ghazals by Ghulam Ali, Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh, Talat Mahmood and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The plot of BLEEDING HEARTS came from my imagination only. While listening to Pankaj Udhas’s songs, the idea of featuring two ghazal singers came about.
Fiza: If your answer to the earlier question was that you like listening to ghazals then do you prefer female ghazal singers or male?
Mangalam: With due respect to female ghazal singers, I prefer listening to male ghazal singers, for their melodious voices, and lyrics with pathos.
Fiza: Are you a musician by any chance? You certainly seem like a poet, especially after reading your evocative lines in ‘Bleeding Hearts’.
Mangalam: No Madam, I am not a musician at all. But having lived in Mumbai for nearly 40 years, I developed a keen interest for Hindi film songs right from the 1960s.
Fiza: If your short ‘Bleeding Hearts’ had to be made into a music video then who would play the leading ghazal singers in your mind’s eye?
Mangalam: My choice would be Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh as ghazal singers.
Fiza: When I was reading your short story ‘Sparrow’s Nest’ I was really in need of some moral bookish support because of a death in my family and your short did the trick of cheering me up. Do you get that kind of response to your short stories from other readers? Can you share some of these reviews here on insaneowl.com with my readers and me?
Mangalam:
5.0 out of 5 stars Soul-stirring ❣️
Reviewed in India on 8 February 2025
Verified Purchase
Does everyone deserve to have a beautiful home? A family? Happy life? Safe life? You will say – Definitely Yes! What if I say, a bird also deserves the same. Yes, I’m talking about Sparrows. Now, I can see the silence because no one has an answer to this.
Hold On. Here’s a story about sparrows which will make us realise how much destruction we have been doing to these small beautiful creatures. This short story will bring tears in your eyes. It has triggered a warning to all of us to mend our unnatural acts otherwise sooner or later we will also be punished for the harm we have been inflicting upon nature and its constituents. I got the lessons of love, hope, kindness, humility and cruelty in this just eight pages book. Huge respect for Mangalam Shiva ji for this title🙏😊
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5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in India on 28 December 2024
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Mangalam Shiva’s Sparrow’s Nest is a poignant and inspiring story about a sparrow’s determination to build a nest and care for its future offspring, despite facing numerous obstacles. The narrative explores themes of resilience, hope, and the challenges of survival in a world filled with unpredictable dangers. The sparrow encounters harsh weather, predators, and human interference as it strives to create a safe space for its young, mirroring the struggles many face in their own lives.
Shiva’s writing is poetic and vivid, capturing the beauty of nature while evoking deep emotional connections with the reader. The story not only highlights the bird’s perseverance but also subtly raises awareness about environmental issues, emphasizing the delicate balance between wildlife and human activities. The sparrow’s journey is a powerful metaphor for overcoming adversity and finding hope even in the face of repeated setbacks.
Suitable for readers of all ages, Sparrow’s Nest resonates with both children and adults, offering valuable lessons on resilience, empathy, and the importance of protecting nature. Ultimately, the book leaves readers with a sense of optimism, reminding them that with determination, even the smallest among us can achieve great things
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·jellybean
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a sweet story!
Reviewed in the United States on 31 December 2024
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I absolutely loved this short and sweet story! How fragile and beautiful nature is and we often take it for granted.
My 2 year old just got a bird feeder for Christmas and she was so excited to put it out and watch for the birds.
Excellent story by Mangalam Shiva!
Fiza: How did you come about writing the story ‘Sparrow’s Nest’ and which is your favorite feathered friend?
Mangalam: During a monsoon day, I was sitting near the window and observing the happenings outside. A sparrow was perched on the window sill and looking here and there. It flew off to another place in search of something. This gave me an idea to elaborate.
I love sparrows and doves.
Fiza: Ruskin Bond who is my 2nd favorite writer of all time and who is popularly known as India’s most favorite writer has often mentioned that he liked pigeons but could never tolerate sparrows, especially sparrows en masse. Would you agree with him on that point?
Mangalam: Sparrows are harmless, tiny birds. There is nothing for not liking sparrows.
Fiza: R.K. Laxman the greatest cartoonist of India and a famous writer in his own right always loved to draw illustrations of crows. Do you share that same kind of devotion to a particular bird, or do you have a different take on the topic of birds altogether? Would love to know if you wish to share.
Mangalam: Birds are very intelligent and soft creatures. Doves, parrots, bluebirds, and many interesting birds are wonderful to watch.
Fiza: Choose one from the following and then give a reason for your choice:
Amity, Bleeding Hearts, Sparrow’s Nest, and Fury.
Mangalam: All these stories are my children and I wrote all these from my heart. I have no specific choice.
Fiza: What emotions were going through your head when you were crafting the story of ‘Fury’?
Mangalam: While creating and then while writing FURY, I sympathized with the young girl whose life was just beginning to blossom, but it was trampled upon by the brutal action of the male character. I sympathised with the mother whose working career was derailed and also uprooted her family life with her daughter. I immensely felt the anger towards the human beast.
Fiza: What is the relationship between your short story ‘Fury’ and your debut collection of short stories ‘Empty Fists’?
Mangalam: These stories in EMPTY FISTS and Fury are entirely different. Maybe one connection is FURY and STIGMA.
Fiza: How would you tackle a person like the male antagonist in the story ‘Fury’?
Mangalam: In exactly the same way as was done by the mother.
Fiza: When I read your short story ‘Fury’ I was reminded so much of my novella ‘Nirmala: The Mud Blossom’ and the fact that we both have the same thought processes with regards to the plight of women in India and world over. What do you have to say in relation to that?
Mangalam: We observe many instances of Indian girls and women being molested, ill-treated and tortured by the males and relatives in the family.
Fiza: In my novella ‘Nirmala: The Mud Blossom’ I had mentioned that this would be a story of a woman who was abused in various ways right from the womb to the tomb. Would you agree with that statement with regard to my novella, since you’ve read it recently and gave it a 5 stars review?
Mangalam: Yes, I would agree with your statement. In my book also I have mentioned that India is not a safe place for women. They have to undergo several pains right from birth to her death.
Fiza: ‘Amity’ was a short story that singed my heart. What would you like to share with my readers about this stirring short story of yours?
Mangalam: We all observe in India religious intolerance, hatred, and prejudices fuelled by the politicians, religious heads and antisocial elements for their selfish interests. Only the innocent people are instigated to fight among themselves.
Fiza: Choose one from the following and then give a reason for your choice:
Novels, Short Stories, Plays or Poetry.
Mangalam: I choose novels. Writing a long novel is very difficult and needs patience and perseverance. Left to me, I would confine to short stories.
Fiza: Can you share with my readers some more of your other reviews for the shorts mentioned in this interview, especially those that you’ve received in private messages?
Mangalam:
ANGEL FLIGHT—
T.R. VENKATESHAN<trv1936@gmail.com>
To:You
Tue 1/14/2025 3:08 PM
Air hostess is considered as a glamorous job and with good perks .But it has its dark side and calls for patience, tolerance and perseverance. Shiva has studied their problems well and has explained in detail the challenges they face .Very good narrative. I felt the end was very abrupt with her marriage to her Gm. The story could have been extended a little. But this is the style of Shiva.
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BLEEDING HEARTS
Dear Mangalam Shiva,
Superbbbbbb!!!!! so beautifully & simply put, so humane and this is bound to happen with any person.
The advice given by Rajesh’s father is just like as we are just a few words and it says it all.
After every “READ” there will be an additional “BLEEDING HEART”
Appreciatingly Yours
INDRA
On Sunday 24 November, 2024 at 06:43:33 pm IST, SHIVKUMAR MYTHILI <mythshiv@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: T.R. VENKATESHAN <trv1936@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2024 10:18 AM
To: SHIVKUMAR MYTHILI <mythshiv@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: BLEEDING HEARTS.
A very good story and very natural.There is no Bollywood ending.The story unfolds as it happened. Rajesh is a normal human being from a wealthy family and it is natural that sudden wealth, fame and proximity to a wealthy ambitious woman brought him down from great heights. Ratan is from a middle class family and only with his talent and learnt to live within his means. He never attempted any filmy style attempts to get his lady love .The girl ended her life as she had no alternative.
A very good touching story.
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Siva: What a heart rending end in the lives of 2 talented Gazal singers, leaving this reader with a “Bleeding Heart”.
Well done.
SCK
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There are many more reviews from my friends and relatives on my short stories.
Fiza: Which book have you read recently that has really touched your heart?
Mangalam: THE WHISTLER by John Grisham is a very interesting book.
Fiza: Are you a coffee drinker or a tea lover especially when you are writing your short stories?
Mangalam: I am a coffee drinker especially when I am writing.
Fiza: Where can my readers find you these days online and offline? Where can they purchase your short stories?
Mangalam: I am available on my email id: mythshiv@hotmail.com
My books and short stories are available on Amazon.com/Amazon.in/Amazon kindle.
Conclusion
Fiza: I enjoyed this little bookishly delicious interview with Mangalam Shiva sir. It was a pleasure to have him on insaneowl.com once again and I think he is a talent to watch out for. That is because he writes from the heart and is the most dynamic octogenarian author I’ve ever met in my whole life. He is an inspiration for all young writers globally. Do check out his short stories, especially ‘Sparrow’s Nest’, ‘Bleeding Hearts’, ‘Fury’ and ‘Amity’ ASAP. Get your Kindle copies of Mangalam Shiva’s short stories today and you will not regret it.
If you want to check out my earlier author interview with Indian English fiction short story writer Mangalam Shiva then you can click the link here to do so. If you want to check out some more delicious indie-author book reviews then you can continue browsing through insaneowl.com here.
If you are interested in more book reviews, indie author interviews, book analysis, short story analysis, poems, essays, essay analysis, and other bookish content, check out my blog, insaneowl.com. If you are interested in purchasing my books, you can check the products page of my blog or on Amazon. There is a lot of good stuff to buy! Happy reading to you always!
©2025 Fiza Pathan
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