Media Release
Mangaluru, Jun 26: Vertex Lounge, Mannagudda, in collaboration with its Paper Rocket bookstore, hosted an interactive session with bestselling author K Hari Kumar on Sunday, June 23 at 5 PM. The event featured a conversation between Kumar and Harsha Bhat, journalist and author of from Manjunath to Manjamma, focusing on Kumar’s latest nonfiction book, Daiva, published by Harper Collins. The book, which explores the ‘Daivaradhane’ traditions of Tuluva culture in coastal Karnataka, was released in May.
Though K Hari Kumar lives in Pune, he traces his family roots to Dakshina Kannada. In the last twelve years, he authored seven books, mostly in the supernatural horror fiction genre.
He has also written the screenplay for the Malayalam supernatural horror movie ‘E’ (2017) and the Hindi web series ‘Brahm’ (2019).
Speaking about his evolution as an author, K. Hari Kumar said, “In 2010, during my final year in engineering, I was afflicted with a severe viral infection, and it changed my life. I missed my year, lost weight, and normal hearing and vision. That’s when I realised that the only thing I did not lose was my urge to tell stories, so I decided to write books. I wrote three books, which were horror stories with an element of folklore. Then I met the Malayalam filmmaker Sangeeth Sivan, who is a fan of folk arts, and he convinced me to write a screenplay for him. My mother was distraught that I was following an unconventional career.
She began visiting astrologers and was told that it was the spirits pushing me to my destiny. Just a month later, I got an offer from Harper Collins to write ‘India’s Most Haunted’, a collection of fifty horror short stories based on real haunted places in India.”
Sharing his journey of writing his latest book, Daiva, Hari Kumar said that after the release of the film Kantara, many friends began asking him questions about Bhootha worship in Tulunadu, and he realised that their understanding of this concept was superficial. Hence, he decided to take up this book as a personal project. “Tulu culture is India’s culture. My book, Daiva, is about the stories of powerful immortals of Tulunadu. I consider it as a service for the spirits my ancestors venerated,” he said.
While researching, Kumar found limited literature on the subject in English but began with The Devil Worship of the Tuluvas by Arthur Coke Burnell. “One of the earliest manuscripts I could study was Brihat Samhita, compiled by K. P. Arya and written in 1876. The government’s efforts to digitise have been really helpful. There is a lot of valuable literature from before independence that would otherwise be lost,” he said. He added that though he sourced most of his material from the public domain, there were different versions and variations of the same stories, and he tried to find common ground.
Kumar noted that his book has three aspects: it’s written from a believer’s perspective, considers urban rationalism, and addresses the horror aspect of dealing with spirits and the undead. “The key question is: What happens after life? Resolving that question solves many problems. I’ve taken a believer’s approach to writing this book,” he said.
When asked about his stance on the credibility of faith, Hari Kumar recalled his father’s advice to him while approaching the subject. “My father advised me to follow my inner wisdom on the question of faith. I agree that there is subjectivity to this, but if something gives hope without causing harm, don't take it away,” he said, recalling the Nudi session of the Bhootha Kola ritual, where participants ask questions to the Daiva and leave feeling happy, despite initial fear.
Kumar said he deliberately chose the word ‘Daiva’ for his book title instead of ‘Bhootha’ to show respect for the culture. “Bhootha induces fear, while Daiva has a divine connotation.
This choice deviates from earlier interpretations of the concept,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Kumar plans to explore a similar theme in Kerala for his next book, currently in the research stage and expected to be published next year. Additionally, a new fiction book is set for release in October.
Playwright and Tulu filmmaker Vijaykumar Kodialbail expressed hope that Kumar’s book would enhance understanding and appreciation of Daivaradhane among a broader audience.
Roopashree Shenoy of Paper Rocket coordinated the programme. ‘Daiva’ by K Hari Kumar (Harper Collins) is available at Paper Rocket bookstore, Vertex Lounge, Mannagudda (opposite Gandhi Park), Mangaluru.