Dhik Dhik Tara was with Madhu Sathish for many years, slowly coming together. “I am a water baby, a dolphin and ray. When I was eight, I got a chance to watch the snake boat races — vallom kalli in Alleppy. I finally sat down to write in August 2008 and finished the first manuscript in five months. I sent the raw manuscript to publishers, but got no response and shelved it. For five years, I did not return to it. I misplaced the soft copy. On November 2, 2013, I woke up at 3 a.m. with a vision of where I had put that CD. The search lead to the final genesis of my third child - Dhik Dhik Thara and on April 12, 2014, she rowed out to the world,” beams Madhu, a Bangalore-based entrepreneur.
Today, Dhik Dhik Tara is perhaps the only book on rowing as a sport in India. Through the pages of Madhu’s debut novel, her personal connection to the sport, and dreams for it are apparent.
“Rowing is a beautiful synergy of man-shell-water. It is one of the few sports where ‘rhythm’ is needed to win and it is closely associated with music, which is central to my life. It is a physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually demanding sport and only he/she who is in love with it can surrender to its need for endurance and discipline,” she explains.
“Rowing is part of life for many Indians. I hope with this book, rowing is brought to the forefront in India. As of now, we have just about 3,000 rowers who are into competitive rowing, of which Bajarang Lal and Swaran Singh are leaders. We need more rowers to follow in their footsteps.”
Madhu’s characters echo her dream for the future of rowing in India. “ Dhik Dhik Thara reflects life lessons I have learnt from people I’ve met,” she says. The book also reflects Madhu’s intrinsic connection with the sport, since her childhood years, when she watched the rowing rhythm down the Hooghly in Kolkata and followed boats on the lakes of Jhargram. “I used to visit Digha and watch the catamarans row against the mighty waves. I lived in Kerala for eight years and grabbed every chance to see the annual boat races. Rowing is part of Kerala’s culture. Here, I learnt to appreciate the value of music and rhythm in rowing. I began to read about rowing champ, Sir Steve Redgrave and was inspired by him a lot. In 2000, I visited the Millennium Olympics in Sydney and watched rowers on the Yarra. I have lived in Bangalore for 22 years and whenever I got a chance, I found the Cauvery. Wherever there was water and boats, my soul followed. It has been a love affair all along. The book is simply a chance to express it.”
Dhik Dhik Tara is available at Goobes Book Republic, Variety Books and Blossom Books on Church Street, Bangalore, Sanker Book outlets and on Flipkart. Price: Rs. 295.00 for paper back.
