After writing novels such as Mumbaistan, Compass Box Killer and Anti-Social Network, filmmaker and author Piyush Jha delves into the mind of a serial killer with his fourth novel Raakshas – India’s No 1 Serial Killer. Don’t forget to read about some of India’s least known serial killers at the end of the book. Excerpts of a conversation with Piyush about the book:

Apart from being a crime thriller, the book also takes gives you an insight into the serial killer’s mind...
What I wanted to do, apart from taking the readers on this thrilling ride, was to provide them a window into a psychologically disturbed personality. I also wanted to give an insight into how circumstances can create psychopathic tendencies and what actually goes on in the mind of a serial killer.

What sort of a research went into writing this book?
I did my BA in Psychology and wanted to pursue an MA in Criminal Psychology after that. But like a good, middle class boy, I did my MBA and happened to venture into filmmaking. But I have always maintained a keen interest in areas of psychology and how the mind works, especially criminal psychology. Since college, I’ve had a habit of reading and collecting snippets and making notes. So, all I really need to do is to dwell on my own research over the years. A lot of these snippets and notes have been about crimes that were committed and areas of criminal psychology. I have read about serial killers all over the world. There is also a compilation of some of the least known serial killers of India at the end of the book. People might have doubts about the kind of things I have written about in my book, but when they read about these real life stories, they will realise that reality is more freaky.

The book explains the circumstances behind the protagonist turning into a serial killer. Would you say he is a villain or a victim?  
A psychopath is a mentally ill person. Would you call him evil or ill? That’s a question which the world is yet to resolve. That’s the stance I have taken. The choice is up to the readers. I have shown those aspects of his which will make you hate him, but at some point, you will also perhaps understand his situation and maybe, even empathise with him. And that’s the essence of the understanding of the mind of a psychopath.

Your earlier books have also been about crime fiction. What do you like about this genre?
There are two things I like — comedy and crime. My first two films, Chalo America and King of Bollywood were comedies. And then my third film Sikandar was a social thriller. Even in my comedy, I combine some social aspect to it, which I do in my crime thrillers also. I’m not purely writing a pulp, crime thriller. The social aspect is not explicit but implied.

The cover of the book mentions that it will soon be turned into a film. What’s the progress on that front?
There are two studios which have expressed a desire to do the film. We’re in the process of finalising the actors. Once that I done, we can take 
things further.