SANJAY PANDITA
Santosh Bakaya’s journey is a fascinating blend of youthful whimsy, profound literary achievements, and an unshakeable belief in the transformative power of love and creativity. From a young age, she was known for her spirited nature, branded as the “Mad Hatter” at St. Angela Sophia School in Jaipur, where she was regularly found standing under the tamarind tree near the administrative block, a consequence of her latest prank. For her teachers, this mischievous side hinted at a creative spark within her. Sister Theodora, one of her favorite teachers, predicted that her “fertile imagination” would one day lead her to become a writer—a prophecy that would later come true in the most prolific way.
Though Bakaya had no initial ambition to become a writer, her journey into storytelling began early. Even in school, she found herself drawn to stories and visual arts, dabbling in illustrations and winning a prize in The Illustrated Weekly of India for a cartoon heavily inspired by Mario Miranda. She also frequently wrote, directed, and acted in plays, an early sign of the narrative voice that would later flourish in her writing. Her first love, however, was not literature but cartoons, and she initially aspired to be a cartoonist. This dream took a detour when a new classmate introduced her to the world of limericks. From that moment, Bakaya became hooked, moving beyond limericks to essays, young adult novels, poetry, and biographies, ultimately crafting a literary career spanning more than forty books—many of which became bestsellers.
As a writer, Santosh Bakaya is driven by a deep-seated optimism. A firm believer in the power of love to overcome negativity, she echoes Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy, whom she greatly admires and has written a biography of. Like King, she is adamant that “hate is too great a burden to bear” and has decided to “stick to love.” This core belief, which she reiterates with references to John Lennon’s song “Imagine,” underscores her desire to envision and create a peaceful, harmonious world. In Lennon’s words, she hopes for “a brotherhood of man,” and her work often seeks to reflect this idealistic yet earnest worldview.
Her vivid imagination has not only fueled her writing but has also allowed her to find beauty in the mundane. Bakaya has a knack for reimagining challenging situations with a sense of optimism. In one essay in Flights from My Terrace, she describes traveling on an overcrowded local bus filled with the pungent aromas of garlic and onions. She copes by mentally transporting herself to a hammock on a serene beach, imagining waves gently lulling her to peace. This ability to “positivize” situations is at the heart of her creative process, which she has also applied in her poems inspired by nature. Her novella, A Skyful of Balloons, for instance, is set against the breathtaking backdrop of Kashmir, a place she holds close to her heart. During the lockdown, she found solace in small glimpses of beauty, like sunrays filtering through curtains—moments that would later inspire her poetry collection, her 30th book.
Bakaya’s sense of justice is as integral to her identity as her optimism. She describes an almost visceral urge to address injustices, often finding herself compelled to write about them. Her biographies, Only in Darkness Can You See the Stars (on Martin Luther King Jr.) and Ballad of Bapu (a poetic biography of Mahatma Gandhi), originated from similar impulses. Each work was sparked by a classroom challenge: her MPhil students had either criticized Bapu or failed to appreciate King’s contributions. She channeled her frustration into creating educational yet engaging works that would bring these figures to life for younger generations, penning Ballad of Bapu in the rhyme scheme of a limerick, a genre she has cherished since childhood.
Despite her formal training in Political Science, with both MPhil and PhD degrees, her love for English literature has always been central to her life. Bakaya’s father, a professor, played a crucial role in cultivating her love for literature by reading classic works aloud and encouraging discussions. By the time she graduated from high school, she had read almost all of Dickens and Hardy, and in college, literature became her “obsession.” This background in the classics has profoundly influenced her writing style, and she continues to hone her craft through constant reading. Bakaya’s approach to writing—reading voraciously and writing daily—reflects her commitment to her art. She believes that writing style, depth, and vocabulary are honed over time and are the result of a constant process of learning.
Among Bakaya’s literary heroes are Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Hardy, and Edgar Allan Poe. She is especially fond of O. Henry’s twist endings and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a book she holds in the highest regard. She also admires Russian writers like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Maxim Gorky, Chekhov, Boris Pasternak, and Alexander Pushkin. Their works left a lasting impact on her, as did the contemporary Japanese author Haruki Murakami. While she does not believe in consciously imitating these writers, she sees them as an essential part of her literary education and continually returns to their works for inspiration.
Beyond her admiration for the classics, Bakaya’s writing is characterized by humor and relatability. Her weekly column, Morning Meanderings, published in Learning and Creativity, has become widely popular among readers who enjoy her reflections on daily life. Bakaya often writes about “the ordinary,” finding charm in common characters and events that resonate with her readers. These characters, Bakaya notes with satisfaction, have “become part of [her readers’] lives too,” a testament to her ability to connect with her audience. Her humor shines through not only in her columns but also in her co-authored humorous books, Mélange of Mavericks and Mutants, with Ramendra Kumar, and Bring out the Tall Tales, with Avijit Sarkar.
For Bakaya, humor is more than a tool for storytelling—it is a way of life. She describes herself as someone who loves to “inject some insanity into the sane world,” often lightheartedly frustrating her family with her jokes. This lightness and warmth make her a beloved figure among her readers and students alike.
Bakaya’s journey into young adult fiction began with her mystery series inspired by Enid Blyton. Her books, such as The Mystery of the Relic and The Mystery of the Jhalana Fort, feature young characters who embark on thrilling adventures, often with elements drawn from Bakaya’s life. Ashok, one of her beloved characters, is based on her younger brother, who once aspired to be a detective. Though only three of her mystery books were published, these stories continue to captivate readers with their humor, suspense, and camaraderie, and remain a testament to her storytelling skill.
Santosh Bakaya’s deep connection to her Kashmiri roots has also shaped her literary career. Although she spent much of her life in Jaipur after her father took a position at Rajasthan University, her family maintained ties to their ancestral home in Srinagar. Kashmir’s landscapes, rivers, and cultural heritage have inspired much of her poetry and prose, and one of her young adult novels, The Mystery of the Jhalana Fort, is set in the backdrop of Jaipur, blending her memories of both places. Her forthcoming book, The Tottering House on the River Jhelum, promises to capture even more of her Kashmiri heritage.
Bakaya is also deeply committed to encouraging young people to read, urging them to appreciate the classics and the depth they bring to one’s writing. In her creative writing classes, she emphasizes that great writers possess a “depth, style, vocabulary, and narrative skill” that can only be cultivated through constant reading. She has often quoted her father’s advice to “READ–READ-READ” to her students, encouraging them to explore a range of works, from “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Bakaya believes that reading allows one to develop a unique voice, and she is a staunch advocate of approaching criticism with an open mind and a willingness to grow.
Santosh Bakaya’s prolific output and enthusiasm for her craft are matched by her disciplined approach to writing. She insists that aspiring writers must “write at least for an hour every day” and be “very observant,” storing images and memories for future stories. Her advice to young writers emphasizes passion, resilience, and curiosity. She believes that a writer must actively “filch time” for their craft and develop a drive that fuels creativity, often keeping her up at odd hours to jot down ideas. In her TEDx talk, “The Myth of Writer’s Block,” she dismisses the notion of creative blocks, arguing that true passion overrides any obstacle to writing. According to Bakaya, “no block can hinder you from writing” if you feel passionately enough.
With her remarkable literary career and passionate dedication, Santosh Bakaya continues to inspire and entertain readers of all ages. Her “fertile imagination” and enduring love for storytelling have allowed her to create works that range from poetic biographies to mystery novels for young adults. She remains a writer who not only cherishes her roots but also strives to make the world a better place through her words, one story at a time. Her legacy is a vibrant testament to the power of resilience, creativity, and a boundless love for literature.
The writer can be reached at sanjaypanditasp@gmail.com
